Summary:
"The Stoneground Ghost Tales" by E. G. Swain is a collection of supernatural short stories written in the early 20th century. The tales revolve around the solitary figure of the Reverend Roland Batchel, vicar of the fictional village of Stoneground, as he navigates curious and eerie happenings that blend humor and haunting elements, often tied to the local history and its inhabitants. The opening of the book introduces us to the character of Mr. Batchel and his quaint, albeit changed, parish of Stoneground, located near the Fens of East Anglia. We learn about the vicarage's picturesque garden and its history of former vicars. The narrative quickly unveils the main plot involving Mr. Batchel's fascination with a photograph taken by a boy during a summer visit, which surprisingly reveals the presence of a spectral figure—an unsettling man with a roller. The mysterious occurrences motivate Mr. Batchel to investigate the puzzling image, leading to a blend of eerie phenomena and historical references that foreshadow the blend of intrigue and wit typical of the tales to follow. (This is an automatically generated summary.)