_badness_

badness nPeople dressing up to frighten others. JW. What sort of live people used to frighten people in the old times? M. Eh? ........ M. Oh yes, (they used) to dress up to frighten, so they wouldn't want 'em out around, and even fellers dressed up and frighten 'em. They used to do that for devilment! JW. Any time of the year, just for a trick? M. Yes, A bad...bad...it was badness they used to do that for! They was that bad! Now them people wasn't afraid, but that's the fellers should get a fright; - a feller goes out to frighten you! There should be something come then give he a damn good one! JW. What sort of things would he...would they dress up in to frighten someone at other times of the year? M. Oh they blacken their face and put on some kind o' old hat, you know, old long coat and...perhaps a big long nightdress and stand out there. Another feller [would] get in the graveyard; he('D HAVE) a flashlight stickin' down the snow, see. Stick the flashlight down the snow. He'd COME along, he('d) see the light...I see the light in the graveyard last night, and the bugger was a flashlight stuck down the snow, stowed away. They do that, you know! Used to do that here. Yes, the girls goin' over Spencer's Dock. Now the girls won't go over now, see. (THEY) Get a chance now to get off with 'em, see! They gets up and sees a light there in the graveyard! There's a fellow in there now, gone ahead! Ah, they will not go HOME (if) they see (a) light in the graveyard. Out jumps the fellar and away they goes! (THEY) can't go home! Stops over to another house all night! Used to do that. I come down here one night and there is a feller goin' to OVER [Reverse] (IT WAS).... frighten somebody down here, and the road wasn't here then; that was a holler, see, down there. When I walks to come in through the gate I seed the light. Ah! I walks over; the light is covered over with the snow, a little bit o' thin snow. The flashlight's down in the snow, on the hill. I goes over an' looks at it. 'Tis a flashlight. I('M) not lookin' for the pla(ce)...I sees the falshlight (AND) went on lookin' for the man. I walked out over the hill, I said, "What in the (?) ARE you doin' down there?" "He said," I had that there," he said, "to frighten so-and-so!" "Now," I said, "look here, boys," I said, "you're...you're doin' a bad thing! Might be the wrong person come along there," I said, "my son, and then," I said, "you got to go in clink! But," I said, " I got a damn good mind you wouldn't get that flashlight now! And I put un out in the salt water! And I said, "[IN] regard o' frightenin' me," I said, " with lights, or _the Devil_, " I said, "I didn't care if 'twas _the Devil_ he was comin' to take ME,I'd let un come on and take me! Eh? What DID I want to get frightened for or go back? (AND THAT WAY I'D GIVE UN HIS RIGHT??) He had that light buried up! Now that might be a woman comin' along there! My God! (THE) wonderful things they do, you know! You got to think about stuff like that. And he was out stowed away down the snow. I went down over the rock 'cause and I found un. The reason I thought when I seen the flashlight (I) thought it was a feller come down there drinkin', see? And he fell out over the cliff, and his light went out in the snow, 'cause he fell...'twas happened there before, and I picked up his pipe. They used to ( ?? ). So I pick(ed)...I said, "That must be so-and-so's.. light, but I got to look for the...(NO?/KNOW?)," I said, "the man is around here." Then I. ..I found he then. Tryin' to frighten somebody, he said.YesJ. WIDDOSON J. WIDDOSONDNE-citUsed IUsed IUsed IChecked by Suzanne Power on Wed 24 Jun 2015; This is the reverse side of B_1562; Only a very small section of slip is cite