[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:]
SIE,-" P. C. W." speaks of the "Evil Eye" as a supersti- tion prevalent in the Ireland of forty years ago. I can tell him that at this hour it is as widespread as ever. I have heard Irishwomen of every rank, from the highest to the humblest, and of every faith, from the rigid Methodist to the devout Roman Catholic, expressing serious belief in this strange superstition. I met the other day a lady of my acquaint- ance, highly educated and of masculine strength of in- tellect. She had a lovely boy by the hand, and I said, —" What a noble little fellow !" " Oh ! for goodness' sake, Mr. —," she said, in a tone of great alarm, 4' don't say so ; every one praises him, and I fear that he will be overlooked." In another case, a lady with a sick child discovered that a discharged servant had called to see it and fondled it. She at once became convinced that the woman had " overlooked " the child, and its death caused sorrow, but no surprise. To " overlook " (i.e., to look all over, to stare at) is the usual Irish phrase for the "Evil Eye."—I am, Sir, &c.,
DUBLINER.
Previous page
