part with those they love to withdraw from the
room so that death may enter and claim his rights.

"It be held to be a sure sign that an ailing body will die if there be a
downcome of soot.

"It be also a sure sign that death be awaiting for his own if an ullot
[owlet] do thrice hoot so that the ailing one do hear it and remark
thereon.

"It be an ill sign if a death glow be seen to settle upon the face of an
ailing one or if such cry out they do see a shroud o' the quilt.

"If there be a death watch heard, then the ailing one need not longer hold
on to hope, for it be for that time gone from that house and will not
enter again until a corpse be hugged out.

"It be an ill sign to the dying if a dark winged moth make at the bed
light and fall at it, but it be a good sign should a light winged one come
thrice and go its way unharmed. Even if it do fall at it, it doth say
nothing worse than the ailing one will soon die but that the death shall
be the freeing of a happy soul.

"An ailing one shall surely die if a dog come and howl thrice under the
window.

"It be a good sign of peace to a parting soul if there do come near to the
window a white dove.

"It be the custom as soon as death doth enter the chamber for one present
to immediate rake out the fire, turn the seeing glass to the wall and on
the instant stop the clock, but this stopping of the clock in the
death-room be not at all places a common practise. After the boddy hath
been attended to in all its proper officies it be a good sign if the eyes
do shut of themselves, if not then but a few years sen it was held to be
the work of some evil spirits in some cases owing to a misspent life. In
those days it was the common thing for to get or borrow a pair of leaden
sigs (charms) from some wise dame or good neighbour, the like of those
made by Betty Strother and others wise in such matters. They being magic
made did ward off not only from about the bed but from the room itself all
the deamons of every sort and kind and did hold the een fast shutten so
that neither witch or hellspell could get aback of their power and cungel
them open again.

"Many there be who yet do grace their dead with a salt platter putten upon
the breast of the corpse, and all those friends who do view the dead and
it be the common custom for all so to do, do first touch the corpse on the
face or hands and then lay their own hands upon the platter first having
full and free forgiven the d