Collectanea. 67
Her husband then went to Jenkins,^ who told him that Mrs. Jones, the other party, had stolen his fowls, and he went on to say that she would soon be coming to tell him to fetch them back; "But," he said, "don't you fetch them back, you let 'er bring them, and if she don't she'll never rest, I tell you, as long as she do live."
Sure enough, when Adams got back he heard that Mrs. Jones had been asking for him, and presently she appeared again. " Tom," says she, " if them fowls be your'n, do you come and fetch 'em."
" No," says Adams, " you took them, and you can bring 'em back." But she didn't, and, so Mrs. Briton says, she has never rested from that day to this, but is continually on the fidget — if you give her a drop of tea or anything she can't drink it for shaking ; she and her family always have bad luck. And in revenge Mrs. Adams has sworn that when Mrs. Jones dies and is carried to be buried she will walk before and "feather the way."
Mrs. Briton has promised to send me a book full of rhymes collected a long time ago. The only ones she has told me, though, are the following :
" Bathe your eyes on Bartimy day,'^ You may throw your spectacles away."
" Where the mistress is the master The parsley grows the faster."
The following are sayings about the places round : " Chepstow born and Chepstow bred,
Strong in the arm and weak in the head."
" I've been to Coleford — got both eyes open ! " ^
Beatrix A. Wherry.
^See vol. XV., p. 76.
^[Bartlemy Day = St. Bartholomew's Day. Possibly there is here some confusion with "blind Bartimseus, the son of Timaeus." — Ed.]
^[/.e. across the Wye, Compare the Bishop's Castle saying (Shropshire), "You've got to go over Clun Bridge to get sharpened." — Ed.]
