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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 77597 ***
+
+
+
+
+  TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
+
+  Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
+
+  Bold text is denoted by =equal signs=.
+
+  Smallcaps text is denoted by +plus signs+.
+
+  The tables in this book are best viewed using a monospace font.
+
+  Some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book.
+
+
+
+
+                              SIGNS, OMENS
+                                  AND
+                             SUPERSTITIONS
+
+
+
+
+                              SIGNS, OMENS
+
+                                  AND
+
+                             SUPERSTITIONS
+
+                                   BY
+                              ASTRA CIELO
+                    Author of “Fortunes and Dreams”
+
+                    “_Signs, omens and predictions,
+                         Are not all fictions,
+                    And many facts does history cite
+                      To prove that I am right._”
+                                               --+The Mascot.+
+
+                                NEW YORK
+                         GEORGE SULLY & COMPANY
+
+
+
+
+                         +Copyright, 1918, by+
+                         GEORGE SULLY & COMPANY
+
+                         _All rights reserved_
+
+                          PRINTED IN U. S. A.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+  CHAPTER                                                           PAGE
+  I. Popular Superstitions                                             1
+
+  II. Wedding Superstitions                                            7
+
+        Lucky Periods for Marriages                                   11
+
+        Bridal Cake--Bridesmaids                                      12
+
+        Shoes and Weddings                                            14
+
+  III. Rings                                                          17
+
+        Engagement and Wedding Rings                                  20
+
+  IV. Lucky and Unlucky Days and Seasons                              23
+
+        New Year’s Superstitions                                      29
+
+        April Fool’s Day                                              31
+
+        Ascension Day                                                 32
+
+        Easter Superstitions                                          33
+
+        St. John’s Eve                                                35
+
+        Candlemas Day                                                 36
+
+        St. Valentine’s Day                                           36
+
+        Hallowe’en Customs                                            38
+
+        Harvest Superstitions                                         39
+
+        Christmas                                                     40
+
+  V. Signs of Good or Bad Luck                                        43
+
+        The Sign of the Cross                                         46
+
+        Knocking on Wood                                              48
+
+        VI. Lucky and Unlucky Omens                                   50
+
+        Christening Customs                                           51
+
+        Beliefs Concerning Children                                   52
+
+        Beliefs Concerning Eggs                                       54
+
+        Charms and Amulets                                            59
+
+        Mascots                                                       64
+
+        Horseshoe Lore                                                65
+
+        Pin Superstitions                                             67
+
+  VII. The Influences of Mythical Beings                              68
+
+        Witches                                                       73
+
+  VIII. Signs Connected with the Body                                 76
+
+        Sneezing                                                      76
+
+        Spitting                                                      78
+
+        Moles, Teeth, Warts, etc.                                     80
+
+        Yawning                                                       82
+
+        Tingling and Itching                                          83
+
+        Stumbling and Falling                                         84
+
+        Cutting Nails and Hair                                        86
+
+        Personal Appearance                                           87
+
+        Clothes Superstitions                                         88
+
+        On Arising                                                    90
+
+        Squinting, Crippled, and Hunchback Persons                    91
+
+        Death and Corpses                                             92
+
+        The Evil Eye                                                  93
+
+  IX. Household Beliefs                                               95
+
+        Looking-glass Omens                                           96
+
+        Spilling of Salt                                              97
+
+        Knife Superstitions                                           99
+
+        Candle Superstitions                                         100
+
+        Concerning Ladders                                           101
+
+  X. Divination                                                      102
+
+        The Mystery of Numbers                                       102
+
+        Lottery Numbers and Usages                                   104
+
+        Predictions of Wealth                                        106
+
+        Divination by Letters                                        107
+
+        Divination by Books                                          108
+
+        Precious Stones                                              110
+
+        Color Superstitions                                          112
+
+  XI. Plant Superstitions                                            115
+
+  XII. Bird (and Insect) Superstitions                               116
+
+        Insect Omens                                                 118
+
+        Bees                                                         118
+
+  XIII. Animal Portents                                              120
+
+        Howling of Dogs                                              122
+
+        Black Cats                                                   123
+
+  XIV. Meteorological Beliefs                                        124
+
+        Weather Signs and Portents                                   125
+
+        Comets and Meteors                                           128
+
+  XV. Vocational Superstitions                                       131
+
+        Superstitions of Kings                                       131
+
+        Card-players’ Superstitions                                  133
+
+        Actors’ Superstitions                                        135
+
+        Theatre Superstitions                                        138
+
+        Commercial Travellers’ Superstitions                         139
+
+        Dressmakers’ and Seamstresses’ Superstitions                 140
+
+        Sailors’ Superstitions                                       141
+
+        Fishermen’s Superstitions                                    144
+
+        Turfmen’s Superstitions                                      145
+
+        Baseball Superstitions                                       147
+
+        Waiters’ Superstitions                                       148
+
+  XVI. (Miscellaneous) Portents of Evil                              150
+
+        Breaking Friendship                                          150
+
+        Drinking Toasts                                              151
+
+        Pious Ejaculations                                           152
+
+  XVII. Superstitions of the Orthodox Jew                            155
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS
+
+
+It is an interesting question as to how the many superstitious beliefs
+and practices had their beginning. The origin of most of them is no
+doubt to be found in man’s efforts to explain the phenomena of nature,
+and in an attempt to propitiate an angry deity and to invite a better
+fortune. From these sources come many of the absurd notions still in
+vogue among primitive people, which have been handed down in modified
+form to us.
+
+Man has ever found it difficult to understand the mysteries surrounding
+him on all sides, and groping in the dark he has tried by prayer,
+incantation or peculiar practices to force nature to do his bidding.
+
+Superstition, therefore, arises primarily from ignorance. Early man
+believed that every phenomenon of nature was the work of a spirit or
+devil. His intelligence could not suggest any other explanation. To
+this belief was added fear. The thunder, the lightning, the earthquake,
+darkness--all filled him with fearful dread. To him they were the
+workings of spiteful powers to be propitiated. Where ignorance and
+fear are surrounded by danger they will always grope for a way of
+escape. Thus superstition is born. A belief in the existence of spirits
+antagonistic to man gave rise to most of the old superstitions.
+
+There is no nation, however ignorant or advanced, which does not
+recognize customs, rites, usages and beliefs which have their origin
+in superstition. The Bible speaks of such practices as had found their
+way from pagan sources into the monotheistic beliefs of the Israelites,
+calls them “abominations,” and warns the Jews against them. The penalty
+of death was attached to sorcery, yet many of the superstitious
+practices continued to be observed, as is proved by the invocation by
+Saul of Samuel’s spirit. All the prophets spoke strenuously against
+the existing immoral and superstitious rites, and Judaism was probably
+the first religion that attempted to free itself from their shackles.
+In Egypt, Greece and Rome, superstition gave birth to mythology with
+its pagan rites and ceremonies. During the Dark and Middle Ages when
+people were for the most part illiterate, superstition flourished with
+unprecedented vigor. Every religious sect gave rise to new beliefs. The
+Crusades had the effect of bringing to Europe many oriental practices
+and ideas that in the course of time became grafted on the religious
+habits of the people, and not a few of them have been handed down to
+our own times.
+
+It is, in fact, a difficult matter at times to draw the line between
+superstition and religion, for what appears as a sacred rite to one
+creed may appear as rank folly to the adherent of another. The Fiji
+Islander, for example, believes that thunder is a sign of God’s anger,
+and he falls flat on his face and mutters an invocation to appease the
+deity. To an enlightened European this becomes a superstition, yet this
+same European may wear an amulet or charm to ward off sickness or bad
+luck, and the Fiji Islander might be moved to laughter at the idea.
+
+In fact, certain superstitions had their origin in one sect trying
+to oppose the tenets of another sect. Again many superstitions were
+created by a literal or often a false interpretation of the Bible. For
+instance, among the Jews it was considered lucky to begin a journey on
+Tuesday, because in describing the third day of Creation, it is said:
+“God saw that it was good.” On the other hand, it was thought unlucky
+to commence anything on Monday, when God omitted to say it was good.
+
+Similarly Christians have a superstition that Friday is a bad day to
+begin an important work, because Christ was crucified on that day. The
+fear of sitting down with thirteen at table had its origin in the Last
+Supper and its sad ending.
+
+Many a superstition had its beginning in a command that was laid down
+to teach a lesson or avoid trouble. For instance, it is considered bad
+to step over a child. This may have had its beginning when a careful
+father feared that in stepping over a child one might accidentally step
+on it and cripple it. To drive the lesson home more effectively, it was
+stated that stepping over a child would stunt its growth, and in that
+form it is still held in respect by many at the present time. So also
+the belief that it is unlucky to sing before breakfast may have been
+taught by an indolent father who hated to have his morning slumbers
+disturbed by his daughter’s singing, and so frightened her off by an
+admonition appealing to her fear. Every superstition can probably be
+traced to a similar cause.
+
+There are few persons, no matter how rational or level-headed, who
+are not given to superstition in some form. With some there is a
+deep-seated belief that evil will result from an infraction of a rule.
+With others an amused idea that if a ceremony does no good it can do no
+harm, and so to be on the safe side they carry out some mummery. The
+lady who will not go to a card party, unless she wears some particular
+amulet or jewel, the man who will not speculate or play cards without
+first touching his lucky coin or pocket-piece, the fisherman who spits
+on his bait for good luck, are all descendants of the primitive savage
+who tried by some secret method to force nature to be good to him.
+
+One reason why superstition has not yet died out among intelligent
+people is because it is contagious. In colonial days in Salem even the
+learned professors and lawyers believed in witchcraft. It was in the
+very air. Children brought up in an atmosphere of credulity rarely
+rise above it. It is the hardest thing to shake off superstitious
+prejudices. They are sucked, as it were, with our mother’s milk, and
+become so interwoven with our thoughts that a very strong mind is
+required to shake them off. They become a sort of religion, semisacred
+in their appeal. No wonder that the lower classes cannot abandon them
+and that even men of intellect cling to them.
+
+It is the object of this book to review the subject of superstition
+without prejudice or condemnation, but to present the data and explain
+their origin wherever possible, leaving it to the reader to reject such
+beliefs as seem absurd and irreconcilable with modern culture.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+WEDDING SUPERSTITIONS
+
+
+In some countries it is customary to throw money over the heads of the
+bride and groom as they come out of church,--it insures fortune.
+
+In Scandinavian countries a speech is usually made at the wedding feast
+or a song is sung, which winds up in an unexpected crash. This sets
+everybody laughing and is a signal for general congratulations and good
+wishes.
+
+It was formerly customary in Germany to carry old dishes outside of
+the door and break them in the street. If a single piece escaped
+demolition, it was considered a bad sign.
+
+Sprinkling the bride with wheat is a lucky sign. It takes the place of
+rice in some sections. Both are considered emblems of fruitfulness.
+
+Among the Slavs a can of beer is poured over the horse belonging to the
+bridegroom.
+
+Flinging the stocking was an old custom on the bridal eve. The young
+men took the bride’s stockings and the girls those of the groom, and
+threw them over their heads. If they fell upon the bride or groom to
+whom they belonged, the thrower was sure to be married soon.
+
+In Yorkshire after the couple have gone away, the cook pours a kettle
+full of hot water on the stone before the front door in order that
+another wedding will soon occur from the same house.
+
+It is considered a sign of good luck if the bride does not walk into
+the groom’s house, but is lifted over the sill by her nearest relatives.
+
+It is lucky for the bridesmaids to throw away a pin on the wedding day,
+and unlucky to be stuck with one.
+
+In Brittany a girl who can secure the pins used to fasten the bride’s
+dress, is sure of an early marriage.
+
+It is considered unlucky for a pair to be married in church if there is
+an open grave in the churchyard.
+
+It is unlucky to be married in green.
+
+The wearing of orange blossoms at a wedding ensures good luck.
+
+In the Middle Ages it was considered a bad omen if the couple met a
+cat, dog, lizard, serpent or hare; but to meet a wolf, spider or toad
+was a good sign.
+
+It is unlucky for a bride to look into a mirror after she is
+completely dressed. Some article must be put on after she is through
+admiring herself.
+
+The sneezing of a cat on the eve of a wedding is a lucky omen.
+
+A man going to be married, who meets a male acquaintance, rubs his
+elbow to ensure good luck.
+
+In China, if a betrothal is being arranged, it is postponed in case
+anything unlucky, such as the breaking of a vase or bowl or the loss of
+anything, occurs.
+
+Among the Highlanders great care is taken that no dog runs between the
+couple on their way to be married.
+
+It was formerly considered unlucky if the bride did not weep at her
+wedding. It portended tears later on.
+
+A storm with thunder and lightning is a bad omen during a wedding
+ceremony.
+
+To marry a man whose name begins with the same letter as one’s own is
+sometimes considered unlucky.
+
+If a younger daughter chances to get married before her older sisters,
+the older girls should dance at her wedding barefoot.
+
+A clot of soot coming down a chimney at a wedding feast is a bad omen.
+
+If the bride accidentally breaks a dish at the wedding feast it is a
+bad sign.
+
+A bird dying in his cage on the day after a wedding is a bad sign. A
+bird sitting on the window sill chirping is a good omen.
+
+To meet a funeral either in going or coming from a wedding is always
+a sign of ill fortune. If the funeral is that of a male, it means an
+early death for the groom; if of a woman, the bride will soon die.
+
+It is unlucky for a woman to read the marriage service entirely
+through. She will never get a husband.
+
+Bees should be informed that a wedding is in progress and their hives
+decorated. It brings good luck.
+
+If at the wedding dinner an unmarried person sits between the bride and
+groom it means that there will soon be another wedding.
+
+Marriages on the last day of the year are considered lucky.
+
+Easter engagements are said to foretell money, those at Ascension,
+health, those at Trinity, a big family, those at Whitsuntide, peace and
+comfort at home.
+
+
+LUCKY PERIODS FOR MARRIAGES
+
+The notion that certain times of the year are more favorable to
+marriages than others, had its origin in the days of ancient Rome.
+The goddess Maia was not propitious to marital happiness, whereas
+Juno, as a good and virtuous wife of Jupiter, was the patron of happy
+marriages. Brides, therefore, selected June in preference to May, as
+their hymeneal month. For similar reasons March being dedicated to the
+god Mars, was not a favorable month, as disputes were apt to be the
+rule between the contracting parties. Every month had its good or bad
+influence.
+
+Even at the present time, May is considered an unlucky month for
+marriages. In Oriental countries, however, May being the month of
+flowers, is the proper month for orange blossoms.
+
+June is a popular month for marriages among Americans and Europeans.
+Some authorities believe that June’s having the longest day of the year
+is symbolical of a long and happy marriage.
+
+A wedding on St. Valentine’s Day or other popular holiday, indicates a
+happy union.
+
+Being married during a thunder storm is a sign of bad luck. If the sun
+shines right after a storm, the auspices are good for a happy union.
+
+Getting married on Sunday is a sure sign of a fortunate union. Friday
+is a bad day on which to get married. Other days of the week are about
+equal in their effect upon the destinies of a married pair.
+
+A marriage during a heavy snow-storm is considered lucky; although the
+contracting parties may never be wealthy, they will be happy.
+
+An old astrological almanac gives the following as lucky days on which
+to be married:--
+
+                    January,      2   4  11  19  21
+                    February,     1   3  10  19  21
+                    March,        3   5  12  20  23
+                    April,        2   4  12  20  22
+                    May,          2   4  12  20  23
+                    June,         1   3  11  19  21
+                    July,         1   3  12  19  21  31
+                    August,       2  11  18  20  30
+                    September,    1   9  16  18  28
+                    October,     15  17  18  27  29
+                    November,     5  11  13  22  25
+                    December,     1   8  10  19  23  29
+
+BRIDAL CAKES--BRIDESMAIDS
+
+Bride cakes, or wedding cakes, are a survival of an ancient Roman
+custom. When a wedding was solemnized the bride and groom ate a cake
+of wheat or barley in the presence of ten witnesses. The crumbs were
+carefully preserved by the unmarried women present to insure their
+getting husbands.
+
+Slices of cake passed thru the bride’s wedding ring and eaten by the
+bridesmaids, will bring a husband within a year.
+
+A piece of wedding cake should be put under the pillow of a maiden and
+if she dreams of a man, she will marry him within a year.
+
+In some countries a plain gold ring is baked in the wedding cake and
+the maiden who gets the slice with the ring will have the privilege of
+proposing to a man of her choice.
+
+Bridesmaids date from Anglo-Saxon times. It was the bridesmaid’s duty
+to escort the bride to church, and it was believed that the girl on
+whom this honor fell would be married within a year.
+
+A bridesmaid who stumbles on the way to the altar will die an old maid.
+
+It is a custom for the groom to present his attendants with some gift
+as a souvenir of the occasion. This must be carefully preserved. If
+lost, the loser is apt to remain unmarried.
+
+
+SHOES AND WEDDINGS
+
+Throwing a shoe over or at a newly married couple is a custom in many
+countries and is supposed to bring good luck. The origin is uncertain
+but the shoe has been considered a symbol of authority, and as the
+bride has just broken from her parent’s protection it is probable that
+the act symbolizes the breaking away from old associates. It has also
+been explained that it is thrown at the bridegroom in the spirit of
+retaliation for having carried off the bride.
+
+It is now looked upon as an augury of luck and of long life to the
+bride. In an old book by Fordham we read, “He would have been content
+had his neighbors thrown his old shoes after him when he went home, in
+sign of good luck.” Ben Jonson wrote in a letter, “Would I had Kemp’s
+shoes to throw after you,--” Kemp being a man remarkable for his good
+fortune. John Heywood in an old play says: “Now for good luck cast an
+old shoe after me.” Beaumont and Fletcher say in one of their comedies:
+“Your shoes are old, pray put ’em off and let one fling ’em after us.”
+
+In Scandinavia a shoe of the bride is thrown among the wedding guests
+and good luck or a speedy marriage attends the one who catches it.
+
+In Scotland a volley of old shoes or slippers is cast at the couple for
+luck, but true to Scottish thrift, they are all collected again after
+the couple has left.
+
+In the Isle of Man a shoe is thrown after the groom as he leaves his
+home on the way to be married. If by stratagem one of the bride’s shoes
+can be taken off her feet on the way to church, it has to be ransomed
+by the bridegroom, who must treat the entire crowd.
+
+Among the ancient Peruvians it used to be the custom for a prospective
+groom to go to the girl’s house and, after gaining her father’s
+consent, put a pair of shoes on her feet. If she consented, he led her
+to his home with the shoes on.
+
+In Russia it is the custom to throw an old shoe or broken crockery for
+luck at the door of a newly married couple,--crockery being cheaper
+than leather.
+
+In parts of Hungary it is customary on the wedding night for the groom
+to drink a toast to his fair lady out of her slipper.
+
+Among the Orthodox Jews the shoe has a different marital function. A
+childless widow is constrained, according to the Bible, to marry her
+deceased husband’s brother. If, however, she declines, he may give her
+a release. In that case she fastens the laces of his shoe and is free
+to marry whom she pleases.
+
+The shoe as a symbol of a fruitful marriage is celebrated in that
+well-known Mother Goose rhyme:
+
+ “There was an old woman who lived in a shoe; She had so many children
+ she didn’t know what to do.”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+RINGS
+
+
+Rings set with certain precious stones or engraved with mystic
+characters were in all times supposed to influence the character and
+conduct of people. There are many old legends about the wonderful
+effect of these charms.
+
+The ring worn by the Jewish High Priest was supposed to possess
+wonderful powers, given by heaven. The ring worn by Solomon gave him
+divine powers by which he acquired the knowledge of the laws of the
+universe.
+
+The wedding ring which Joseph was supposed to have given to the Virgin
+Mary was an object of adoration for many ages, and many miracles were
+accomplished by it. It is still shown in the Cathedral of Perugia,
+but it seems that other churches also make claim to possessing the
+original. This ring, however, has been described as a very thick gold
+circlet, large enough to fit a man’s thumb.
+
+The power of making its wearer invisible was ascribed to the ring worn
+by King Gyges of Lydia, and it had also many other powers, such as
+bringing together long separated friends, allaying jealously, etc.
+
+Astrological rings are worn to the present day, the stone or metal
+being in conformity with the signs of the planets, and thus bringing
+luck to the wearer.
+
+Rings are often used for divination. A number of rings, each inscribed
+with a name, are thrown into a bag, and one drawn at random. The answer
+to any question is thus given.
+
+Rings are considered a preventive of many diseases. For the cure of
+croup an amber ring is often worn. For cramp and abdominal pains,
+a ring made of a coffin nail is supposed to be efficacious. For
+rheumatism, a copper ring, or one of copper and zinc welded together,
+is thought to have curative powers.
+
+Marcellus, an old Roman physician, prescribed for a pain in the side, a
+gold ring inscribed with certain Greek characters and worn on the hand
+of the side opposite the pain. Trallian, another ancient doctor, cured
+colic and bilious complaints by an octangular ring of iron on which he
+engraved a message to the disease to leave the body.
+
+Rings on which were engraved the names of three kings of Cologne were
+considered efficacious in the cure of various disorders. On them were
+also engraved the words, “God is a remedy.”
+
+For sore eyes, a plain gold wedding ring is considered a sovereign
+remedy to this day.
+
+A ring made of a silver coin, taken from a beggar, is supposed to be a
+cure for epilepsy.
+
+Among the peasantry of France, before a couple are wed, a ring of iron
+is put on the forefinger of the bride. It is usually made of a nail of
+a horseshoe. In certain parts a ring of straw is used. These are first
+blessed by the priest and insure a happy life.
+
+In Russia, in order to discover which girl of a village shall be
+married first, each places a ring in a little heap of corn on the barn
+floor. A rooster is then let loose among the corn. He pecks at the
+grains until one ring is exposed. The owner will be married before her
+companions.
+
+In Sweden girls hide under teacups or kitchen pots a ring, a coin and a
+piece of black ribbon. If the ring comes to light first, the owner will
+marry, if the coin, she will get a rich husband, but if the ribbon, she
+will die an old maid.
+
+To find a ring is a sign of good luck if it be gold, of peace of mind
+if it be silver, but of trouble, if it be brass.
+
+
+ENGAGEMENT AND WEDDING RINGS
+
+Rings have figured prominently in marriages from prehistoric times, and
+many superstitions cling to them. It is not strange that a rite that
+is fraught with such serious results to the contracting parties should
+have awakened a sense of dread and a desire to foretell the future by
+speculation and divination.
+
+Among some peoples instead of exchanging rings a piece of gold or money
+is broken in halves, each party keeping a half. To lose one’s half is
+considered very unlucky.
+
+An engagement ring is supposed to be: is a harbinger of luck and
+happiness.
+
+An engagement ring with the bride’s birthstone
+
+  “A contract of eternal bond of love,
+  Confirmed by mutual joinder of your hands.”
+
+Formerly men wore engagement rings as well as women, but in the course
+of time left them off as being a sign of bondage.
+
+A diamond engagement ring is especially lucky, as diamonds are
+considered the highest form of gift, and the sparkle is supposed to
+originate in the fires of love.
+
+A pearl in a ring is unlucky, as pearls signify tears.
+
+To lose a stone out of an engagement ring foretells bad luck, unless it
+is replaced before the wedding takes place.
+
+During the Commonwealth in England, the Puritans tried to abolish
+wedding rings as being a remnant of heathen practice.
+
+The ring, being round and without end, is a symbol of never-ending love
+and affection that should continue to flow in an uninterrupted circle.
+
+If a wedding ring breaks, it is a sign of marital trouble.
+
+A wedding ring that has been worn to a thin thread is lucky and brings
+luck to the wearer’s children.
+
+The wedding ring is usually worn on the fourth finger of the left hand.
+The probable reason is that the left hand is not used as much as the
+right and the fourth finger is rarely used alone.
+
+It was formerly believed that a special artery led from the heart to
+the fourth finger.
+
+Among Orientals the ring is usually worn on the index finger of the
+left hand, which is called the lucky finger.
+
+A wedding ring rubbed three times on the eye is supposed to be a cure
+for styes.
+
+A wedding ring should be turned around three times if you want your
+wish to come true.
+
+It is unlucky to take off your wedding ring except in cases of
+necessity.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+LUCKY AND UNLUCKY DAYS AND SEASONS
+
+
+The belief that some days bring luck and others the opposite, is
+prevalent the world over and has its origin in astrology. Few
+intelligent people are free from this superstition.
+
+If a person has had luck on a certain day, three times in succession,
+it is safe to assume that it is his lucky day and any business
+undertaken on that day will prove successful. Conversely, if a day has
+shown itself unfortunate, business or travelling should be avoided on
+that day.
+
+A day that is good for one person may be correspondingly unlucky for
+another. What is one man’s food is another man’s poison.
+
+Religious persons believe that the last Monday in December is unlucky
+for serious matters, as Jesus was betrayed on that day.
+
+Friday is generally considered unlucky for any new undertaking, because
+Jesus was crucified on that day.
+
+If Friday falls on the thirteenth of any month, it is doubly unlucky
+for business or speculation.
+
+John Gibbons, an eminent scientist considered Friday an unusually lucky
+day. He was born, christened and married on that day and was fortunate
+in all of his undertakings.
+
+To move into a new home on Friday is unlucky. Monday and Wednesday are
+particularly fortunate.
+
+To be born on the 29th of February, leap year, is considered lucky and
+the person will be successful as a speculator.
+
+An old verse says:
+
+  “There are days of which the careful heed,
+  When enterprise will sure succeed.”
+
+Books on astrology give the following as unlucky days:
+
+  January,  1  2  4  5 10 15 17 29
+
+  February, 8 10 17 26 27 28
+
+  March,  16 17 20
+
+  April,   7  8 10 16 20 21
+
+  May,   3  6  7 15 20
+
+  June,   4  8 10 22
+
+  July,   15 21
+
+  August,  1  9 20 29 30
+
+  September, 3  4  6  7 21 23
+
+  October,  4  6 16 24
+
+  November, 5  6 15 20 29 30
+
+  December, 6  7  9 15 22
+
+Never undertake any important business on a day that has brought you
+any misfortune or calamity.
+
+According to old astrologers, six days are perilous to sick persons,
+and it is not safe to let blood on these days. They are January 3, July
+1, October 2, April 30, August 1, and December 31.
+
+Thursday in May was never to be regarded as a holy day, according to an
+ancient church authority.
+
+No vines are to be planted during leap year, as they will not thrive.
+
+An old missal gives the following predictions regarding certain days of
+the year:
+
+  January--
+
+  Of this first month the opening day
+  And seventh like a sword will slay.
+
+  February--
+
+  The third day bringeth down to death,
+  The fourth will stop a strong man’s breath.
+
+  March--
+
+  The first the greedy glutton slays,
+  The fourth cuts short the drunkard’s days.
+
+  April--
+
+  The tenth day and the eleventh too,
+  Are ready death’s fell work to do.
+
+  May--
+
+  The third to slay poor men had power,
+  The seventh destroyeth in an hour.
+
+  June--
+
+  The tenth a pallid visage shows,
+  No faith nor truce the fifteenth knows.
+
+  July--
+
+  The thirteenth is a fatal day,
+  The tenth alike will mortals slay.
+
+  August--
+
+  The first kills strong men at a blow,
+  The second lays a cohort low.
+
+  September--
+
+  The third day of the month September
+  And tenth bring evil to each member.
+
+  October--
+
+  The third and tenth with poisoned breath
+  To men are foes as foul as death.
+
+  November--
+
+  The fifth bears scorpion stings of pain,
+  The third comes with distraction’s train.
+
+  December--
+
+  The seventh is bad for human life,
+  The tenth with serpent’s sting is rife.
+
+  “The lucky have whole days in which to choose,
+  The unlucky have but hours, and these they
+  lose.”
+
+Sunday is a pun day, Monday’s a dun day, Tuesday’s a news day,
+Wednesday’s a friend’s day, Thursday’s a cursed day, Friday’s a dry
+day, Saturday’s the latter day.
+
+Born on Monday, fair of face; born on Tuesday, full of grace; born on
+Wednesday, sour and sad; born on Thursday, merry and glad; born on
+Friday, worthily given; born on Saturday, work hard for your living.
+Born on Sunday, you’ll never know want.
+
+The day of the week on which the 3rd of May falls is unlucky for taking
+an account of cattle on a farm. St. Stephen’s day is unlucky for
+bleeding horses.
+
+The Spanish have a proverb which says: Don’t wed, don’t go aboard a
+ship and don’t leave your wife on Thursday.
+
+According to a Spanish belief, Saturday always is sunny and therefore
+lucky. Wednesday in Passion Week is always rainy and therefore unlucky.
+On that day it is said that Peter went out and wept, hence heaven sends
+rain to commemorate his tears.
+
+An Italian belief fixes Tuesday and Friday as unlucky days for a voyage
+and for a marriage.
+
+The Japanese have designated five days of the year as unlucky, and in
+order to avert their bad influence have made them the days of great
+festivals. It is customary to wish one another happiness on those
+days in order to oppose their otherwise unhappy effects. They never
+begin a journey on an inauspicious day and there is a printed table
+in all their roadhouses and inns, showing what days of the month are
+unfavorable for travel.
+
+The French regard Sunday as a very lucky day for all enterprises.
+
+According to an old Hebraic tradition, the sun always shines on
+Wednesday, for according to the Bible, it was created on that day.
+Therefore, it is a good day for any enterprise.
+
+The 14th of April, 1360, was called “Black Monday.” King Edward III
+with his army lay before Paris and the day was so dark, cold and
+unhealthy that many soldiers died from exposure and were frozen on the
+backs of their horses. This day was commemorated in England for many
+years.
+
+The Turks consider the 13th, 14th and 15th of each month as lucky days
+to transact business and go on a voyage.
+
+It is considered unlucky to take a trip immediately after hearing of
+the death of a friend.
+
+In certain parts of England, Tuesday and Wednesday are lucky days. It
+is thought unlucky to turn a feather bed or mattress on Sunday.
+
+A Scotchman rarely begins anything on the day of the week on which May
+3rd falls. He calls it the “Dismal Day.”
+
+Among the Hindoos, Monday is considered a lucky day for a trip. Sunday
+is lucky for sowing seed or beginning a building. Tuesday is lucky for
+soldiers in battle. Wednesday is a lucky day for merchants and good for
+collecting debts. Thursday is good for beginning a new business. Friday
+is lucky for the making of friends and the wearing of new garments.
+Saturday is unlucky, as it excites quarrels.
+
+
+NEW YEAR’S SUPERSTITIONS
+
+The first day of the year is naturally a day of importance as its
+events may have a tendency to affect all the days that are to follow.
+Many a strange belief, therefore, centres about this day in all lands,
+and the symbols of future good or bad luck are eagerly sought in
+everything that occurs.
+
+In many parts of England it is believed that if a male person crosses
+the threshold first, it betokens good luck, whereas, if a female be the
+first to cross, bad luck is sure to follow. A man or boy, therefore, is
+often hired to enter a house before the occupants are up. Whole bands
+of males are employed for a small fee, for this purpose.
+
+If a clergyman be the first to enter a home on New Year’s Day the
+significance is good.
+
+Chimneys used to be cleaned on New Year’s Day in England, so that luck
+could descend and remain all the year.
+
+It was considered luckier for a dark-haired man than for a fair-haired
+man to be the first to enter a home. A bachelor was luckier than a
+married man. A widower brought bad luck.
+
+It is customary in some parts for the first visitor to bring a gift of
+a cake or loaf of bread, to indicate prosperity for the rest of the
+year.
+
+It is considered unlucky to remove anything from a house on New Year’s
+Day, until something has been brought in from without. Each visitor
+therefore brings a slight gift.
+
+Eating a cake is considered a sure bringer of luck on the first of the
+year. In rural districts, special New Year cakes are baked for this
+purpose.
+
+To lend something to a friend is sure to bring a good return.
+
+To put on new clothes on New Year is considered lucky, so also to bathe.
+
+Money earned on New Year’s Day will bring a hundredfold in its train.
+
+Resolutions made on New Year’s day should be carried out, if they are
+good, and will insure good luck.
+
+It is good to give alms on the New Year. In many parts poor folks are
+invited to partake of the family’s cheer.
+
+
+APRIL FOOL’S DAY
+
+The first of April was celebrated among the ancients as the beginning
+of the vernal equinox amid general frolicking, and from that is derived
+our own April Fool’s Day. It is customary to send people upon foolish
+errands and make them appear ridiculous.
+
+The celebration of this day is world wide. Even in pagan India the
+people join in the fun. In Mohammedan countries the highest castes vie
+with each other in playing practical jokes.
+
+To be fooled by a pretty girl denotes that you will marry the girl if
+you are single, or befriend her if already married.
+
+To lose your temper when sent on a fool’s errand, means bad luck.
+
+To get married on April Fool’s Day means that the lady will wear the
+breeches and the man play second fiddle.
+
+Children born on this day will be lucky in legitimate business but
+unlucky in speculation.
+
+
+ASCENSION DAY
+
+This day commemorates the ascension of the Savior into heaven and is
+the occasion of many superstitions.
+
+To work on this day, especially in underground quarries or mines,
+is considered unlucky in Catholic countries, and even in England
+underground work is suspended from dawn to dusk.
+
+Wells and reservoirs are decorated with flowers to insure pure water
+during the year.
+
+To fall or stumble is particularly unlucky, and means a loss of health
+or money. An ancient way of preventing disaster if you have fallen is
+to lie flat on the ground and say:
+
+“Raise me up and comfort me, Angel of Mercy.”
+
+Alms given to a blind or lame man on this day will come back a
+hundredfold.
+
+Begin the day by giving away a coin, however small. It will bring you
+an unexpected fortune within the year.
+
+
+EASTER SUPERSTITIONS
+
+Easter commemorates the resurrection of the Savior from the dead, and
+in all countries it is celebrated with peculiar rites and ceremonies.
+
+“Lifting” is an old custom that is supposed to illustrate the rising
+from the grave. Men and women would visit each other, and go through
+the following practice. A person would lie flat upon his back. Four
+others would take hold of him, one at each leg and arm and lift him
+up three times. There is a belief that if the recumbent person holds
+his breath, he can be lifted by the little finger of each of the four
+lifters.
+
+Girls were often put into a chair and lifted by boys who claimed a kiss
+for their trouble. This was also called “heaving.”
+
+Easter eggs had their origin in the belief that the egg was a symbol
+of the Resurrection. Some attribute their origin to their symbolizing
+Spring. Dyeing eggs in lively colors was a token of joy or gayety. Red
+dye was taken as a symbol of Christ’s blood.
+
+Eggs are often blessed on Easter before being eaten. They then keep
+away bodily ailments.
+
+To win an egg by “picking” brings good luck. It is a popular game with
+boys.
+
+To find two yokes in an Easter egg foretells a great gain in wealth.
+
+To refuse to eat an Easter egg, if offered by a friend, signifies a
+loss of friendship.
+
+Rabbits are supposed to lay eggs on Easter. This is an old Teutonic
+belief.
+
+Among the more popular Easter pastimes are rolling eggs down hill and
+finding hidden eggs. Both are considered lucky ceremonies.
+
+It is considered lucky to plant garden seed and potatoes on Good Friday.
+
+Good Friday is the best day in the year for weaning babies.
+
+It is a sign of luck to break pottery on Good Friday. It will save the
+house from damage during the rest of the year.
+
+
+ST. JOHN’S EVE.
+
+This is a popular day in England and Ireland and many a superstition is
+connected with it.
+
+Bonfires are built in memory of the ancient druids, and children dance
+around them. To jump over a bonfire insures luck for the next harvest.
+
+While looking into the fire, the men throw pieces of wheaten cake over
+their shoulders, saying:
+
+“This I give thee to preserve my horses, or my sheep.” This is supposed
+to propitiate the Biblical idol, Baal.
+
+When a Scotchman goes to bathe or drink at a fountain or well on this
+day, he always approaches by going around the spot from east to west on
+the south side, in imitation of the motion of the sun. This is called
+“going around the lucky way.”
+
+Dancing around a fire propitiates the forces of evil. It is also a
+demonstration of joy and a plea for good luck.
+
+Watch the flames and if you see a familiar face therein, beware of that
+person, as he will harm you.
+
+
+CANDLEMAS DAY
+
+This day is celebrated in Christian countries as the day of the
+“Purification of the Virgin.” It had its origin in Roman times in honor
+of the goddess Februa, after whom February was named.
+
+Every pious Catholic goes to church on that day with a lighted candle
+in supplication to “Our Lady” for success in household affairs.
+
+In many parts of England the day is connected with the collection of
+rents and leases are still made out beginning with Candlemas Day.
+
+The agent of an estate comes at midnight and knocks at the door of
+his tenant. “I come,” he cries, “to demand my lord’s just dues: eight
+groats and a penny, a loaf of bread, a cheese, a collar of brawn and a
+jack of beer. God save the King and the Lord of the manor.”
+
+To pay rent on Candlemas Day insures freedom from debt for the year.
+
+To light a candle dedicated to one’s saint, brings good luck.
+
+
+ST. VALENTINE’S DAY
+
+St. Valentine was a Christian bishop who suffered martyrdom in 270 A.
+D. on February 14th. He was later ordained the patron saint of true
+love. Maids and youths were accustomed to become engaged on that day
+in his honor.
+
+Sending verses and picture cards to one’s best beloved has become a
+popular pastime in England and America on Valentine’s Day. A girl who
+fails to receive a remembrance from some swain is doomed to die an old
+maid.
+
+  Says an old Valentine verse:
+  “When I go out, the first swain I see,
+  In spite of fortune shall my true love be.”
+
+On the eve of Valentine’s Day it was the custom for a man to get five
+bay leaves, pin four of them to the corners of his pillow and the fifth
+in the centre, and then go to sleep. If he dreamed of a girl, he would
+marry her before the year was out.
+
+Another custom was to write your friends’ names on pieces of paper,
+roll them in clay and throw them into a dish of water. The first paper
+that floated up indicated the one you would marry.
+
+If you expect a visit from your true love on that day, keep your eyes
+shut till he comes. If you see another man first, it may mean a loss of
+the other’s love.
+
+To be married on Valentine’s Day betokens happiness and success.
+
+
+HALLOWE’EN CUSTOMS
+
+Christian history has given us this day as sacred to all saints. In
+most countries there are curious rites and ceremonies connected with it.
+
+In Catholic lands it is a day of prayer and the people visit the
+churchyards and pray to the saints and to the departed of their
+families for success and for forgiveness of sins. In Protestant
+countries the day is given over to merriment.
+
+Hallowe’en was originally a day for remembering the dead. Ghosts and
+spirits are supposed to wander abroad at night.
+
+Witches and demons make the night their own, and woe to the person they
+catch after dark.
+
+Spectres made of pumpkins and sheets are used both to frighten men and
+to scare off evil spirits.
+
+To see your shadow cast by the moon is distinctly unlucky.
+
+It is a time full of portents, and there are various ways of divining
+the name of one’s future sweetheart.
+
+Place two nuts in the fire side by side. If they burst and fly apart it
+betokens bad luck and a separation. If they burn up together, it is a
+good omen, and means a happy marriage.
+
+Pare an apple so that the peel remains in one long piece. Swing this
+around your head three times and throw it on the floor. The letter it
+forms will be the initial of your sweetheart’s name.
+
+Walk backwards, looking into a mirror. The first man or maid whose
+reflection you see, will marry you.
+
+To find two kernels in an almond on Hallowe’en’s night is particularly
+lucky and means marriage within a month.
+
+
+HARVEST SUPERSTITIONS
+
+In ancient times, when the owners of land had gathered in their
+harvest, they feasted with their servants who helped till the ground.
+This idea has been perpetuated in our day in agricultural countries.
+Harvest Home is celebrated in most agricultural countries. In England
+it partakes of some of the aspects of Thanksgiving Day.
+
+The “Kern Baby” is much in evidence in these festivities. It is an
+image dressed up and decorated with corn or wheat and carried before
+the reapers as a sign of luck.
+
+In some places a big doll dressed up in tinsel with a sheaf of wheat
+under its arm is placed on a pole and the harvest hands dance around
+it, rejoicing.
+
+Sometimes a real girl is dressed up in a robe of wheat and is paraded
+around the field for luck. A corn supper in which all partake winds up
+the festivities.
+
+A special prayer to one’s favorite saint is usual before the harvest,
+to insure good weather till the wheat is all garnered.
+
+In Catholic countries, the first wheat garnered is shaped into a cross
+which is hung in front of the granary for good luck.
+
+A red ear of corn is considered a lucky find. It should be carefully
+preserved until the next harvest.
+
+An ear of corn with seven or fourteen rows is especially lucky and
+betokens a good harvest.
+
+
+CHRISTMAS
+
+A festival corresponding to Christmas was held in Rome in honor of
+Bacchus, but with the advent of Christianity it changed its character
+and was solemnized to celebrate the birth of Christ. Many of the old
+pagan rites and superstitions still remain.
+
+Mistletoe was held in high esteem by the druids and regarded with
+religious superstition. They used it in their incantations. It is
+used for decorating during Christmas, and is usually hung from the
+chandeliers.
+
+A girl standing under a piece of mistletoe may be kissed by any man who
+finds her there. If she refuses to be kissed, she invites bad luck. If
+she be kissed seven times in one day, she will marry one of the lucky
+fellows within a year.
+
+In olden days mistletoe was laid on the altars in churches as an emblem
+of the grace of the Savior, and betokened a prosperous year.
+
+In York, England, mistletoe is laid upon the altar of the cathedral and
+the priest proclaims freedom to all wicked souls.
+
+Evergreen leaves and boughs are also a relic of paganism, and are
+supposed to bring cheer and luck.
+
+The Christmas tree is a survival of northern mythology and was first
+made popular in Scandinavian countries when they adopted Christianity.
+It symbolizes the ever green and abiding power of salvation.
+
+Christmas candles probably had their origin in the Jewish festival of
+lights (Chanuca), which occurs at the same time. Lights are lit for
+seven days to commemorate the victories of the Maccabbees.
+
+Yule logs are large logs of wood that are thrown into the grate to make
+the Christmas eve more festive. The flame is supposed to keep out evil
+influences. Christmas candles serve the same end.
+
+To see a familiar face in the blaze of a yule log, betokens an early
+marriage with the person thus seen.
+
+To become engaged on Christmas eve, is a sure sign of a happy married
+life.
+
+A child born on Christmas day will be free from care and very lucky.
+
+St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus is the patron saint of Christmas. He
+is supposed to come down the chimney with his pack on his back and
+distribute toys and gifts to old and young. The only way to secure his
+favor is to be good and obedient.
+
+Kris Kringle is another name for Santa Claus. It is derived from the
+German “Krist Kindli” or Christ Child. He is represented as entering
+homes and making children happy on the “Holy Night.”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+SIGNS OF GOOD OR BAD LUCK
+
+
+“Good and ill luck,” says the French philosopher, Montaigne, “are in my
+opinion sovereign powers. It is absurd to think that human prudence is
+able to act the same part as Fortune will do.” Shakespeare says:
+
+               “There’s a divinity that shapes our ends,
+               Rough-hew them how we will.”
+
+The belief in the power of some object or some act to produce a change
+in one’s fortunes for better or for worse, is inherent in the human
+race. There are few words in our language that have such a universal
+application as LUCK. The man who believes in nothing else, believes in
+luck and performs some mummery to propitiate the goddess of Fortune,
+who moves in such mysterious ways to perform her deeds.
+
+Luck may be defined as chance, or if a man be religious, as Providence.
+Among the ancients, Fortuna was depicted as a blindfolded woman with a
+horn of plenty, or with a wheel as an emblem of instability and chance.
+
+
+The Romans had a habit of casting into an urn a stone every day, the
+color of the stone denoting whether the person was in good or bad luck.
+At the end of the year the stones were counted and a balance cast to
+see whether good or bad preponderated.
+
+It is unlucky to be recalled after starting away on a voyage. At least
+a day should be allowed to elapse before starting out again.
+
+To leave home and be compelled to come back for some article which was
+forgotten, is unlucky, unless you sit down for a moment before going
+out a second time.
+
+Carrying a crust of bread in one’s pocket is considered lucky and
+brings prosperity.
+
+If in eating you miss your mouth and the food falls, it is unlucky and
+denotes illness.
+
+A bent coin or one with a hole in it, are often carried for good luck.
+A crooked sixpence is popular for this purpose in England.
+
+In many rural districts it is customary to give back to a customer of
+corn or cattle a small part of the money he has just paid. This is
+called “luck money.”
+
+In some countries the buyer gives the seller a small coin to insure his
+luck.
+
+To count your gains is supposed to bring bad luck. To reckon on money
+you are to receive and lay out plans of spending it, is considered
+unlucky. One should never count one’s chickens before they are hatched.
+
+Burning tea leaves is supposed to bring good luck, but to burn the
+leaves of a rose is a bad omen.
+
+Finding a four-leaf clover is a sure sign of good luck. It should be
+worn in the lapel or pinned to one’s coat.
+
+There is a legend that Eve on being ejected from Paradise took a
+four-leaf clover with her.
+
+To pluck an ash leaf was considered lucky in olden times.
+
+On meeting a person out on new business, it is well to salute him with
+“I wish you good luck.”
+
+It is bad luck to shake hands with any one across the table.
+
+It is a bad omen to find the bellows on the dining table.
+
+It is a sign of ill luck to find money and not spend it. It should be
+spent in a good cause, or given in charity.
+
+  “See a pin and pick it up, all the day you’ll have good luck.
+  See a pin and leave it lay, you will have bad luck all the day.”
+
+It is lucky to throw a small coin into a well of drinking water.
+
+To sit crosslegged is considered a sign of good luck. To cross one’s
+fingers is another way of averting evil.
+
+
+THE SIGN OF THE CROSS
+
+The Cross, the emblem of Christianity, has served many superstitions.
+It is a bringer of good luck and wards off evil.
+
+Contrary to the generally accepted belief, the Cross did not have
+its origin as a religious emblem in Christianity. The Indians, when
+Columbus first landed, had similar devices. Cortez found the cross
+universally adored by the Aztecs, and this led the Spanish priests to
+claim that the devil had given it to them in order to damn them with
+a false religion. The Hindoos, too, had a cross among their religious
+symbols.
+
+Making the sign of the cross at rising or lying down, at going out or
+coming in, at lighting of candles or closing of windows, etc., is
+considered a pious and profitable ceremony.
+
+An old church writer says:
+
+“At the delivery of the bread and wine of the sacrament, the
+worshippers flourish with their thumbs like making the sign of the
+cross. They also do it when coming to church or saying their prayers.”
+
+In Spain, “no woman goes in a coach or travels without crossing
+herself. It keeps away evil and ensures a safe trip.”
+
+In Catholic countries, signposts and even tavern signs bear a cross as
+a sign of good luck.
+
+In some countries when a woman milks a cow she dips her finger in the
+milk with which she crosses the cow, muttering a prayer. This will make
+the milk flow freely.
+
+Easter buns are marked with a cross as a sign of faith.
+
+To hold up a crucifix, or anything resembling a cross was the
+surest way of defeating the devil. In “Faust,” Valentine drives off
+Mephistofeles by holding up the cross-shaped hilt of his sword.
+
+During a thunder storm or in the face of sudden danger, make the sign
+of the cross on your forehead or breast.
+
+To cross one’s fingers during a game of chance, brings luck, and the
+reverse to your opponent.
+
+To dream of a cross is a sign of good fortune to follow shortly.
+
+To cross knives or forks at table is a sign of bad luck.
+
+In Sicily a bandit will not attack his victim without first crossing
+himself and praying to his favorite saint for protection.
+
+
+KNOCKING ON WOOD
+
+One of the most prevalent customs, indulged in by men of science as
+well as the illiterate man in the slums, is by touching or knocking on
+wood to ward off evil or prevent disappointment. Its origin is very
+much in doubt. Some attribute it to the ancient religious rite of
+touching a crucifix when taking an oath. It is also ascribed to the
+beads of a rosary touched in prayer. Among the ignorant peasants of
+Europe it may have had its beginning in the habit of knocking loudly
+to keep out evil spirits. Its introduction into this country seems to
+have been of recent date, but it has become well-nigh universal; even a
+president of the United States is accused of resorting to it.
+
+To brag about good health or success, according to the general belief,
+invites the envy of the powers of evil, and to counteract this you
+must, according to some authorities, touch wood; while according to
+other wiseacres, you should knock on wood three times.
+
+Charms made of wood are often worn on watch chains so that the wearer
+may have an article handy for the purpose.
+
+From this practice other superstitions have originated. A well-known
+financier always plays with his massive gold watch chain in the belief
+that the touch of gold will insure success.
+
+Sir Walter Scott, while a student at college, always fumbled with a
+wooden button which was attached to his coat. This brought him success
+in his recitations. It is related that when his fellow students
+secretly cut off the button, he was so flustered on discovering its
+absence, that he failed hopelessly and was sent to the tail end of his
+class.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+LUCKY AND UNLUCKY OMENS
+
+
+“She that pricks bread with fork or knife, will never be a happy wife.”
+
+“Mend your clothes upon your back, sure you are to come to wrack.”
+
+It is unlucky to use elder wood or evergreen to make a fire.
+
+To find an old flint arrow is considered lucky.
+
+To find nine peas in a pod is a forerunner of luck.
+
+The extreme tip of a calf’s tongue, dried and carried in the pocket,
+will insure having some money always in your purse.
+
+A luck-stone, with a hole in it, is sure to bring luck.
+
+Four persons shaking hands in crosswise fashion, foretell a coming
+marriage.
+
+Two bells ringing in the house at one time foretell a parting. So also
+does a hollow cavity in a fresh-cut cake and a loaf that breaks in two
+while being cut.
+
+To enter a house with the left foot first brings bad luck to the
+occupants.
+
+
+CHRISTENING CUSTOMS
+
+Christening, as the name indicates, is a ceremony which has for its
+object the consecrating of a child to the service of Christ, and
+starting him on his career as a Christian. It had its origin in the
+rites of John the Baptist, who belonged to a sect that believed that
+immersion in water would wash away all sins and prepare the neophyte
+for the Kingdom of God, which was supposed to be near at hand.
+
+In the middle ages a child was usually presented by its godparents
+with silver or gold spoons. A rich sponsor often gave a set of twelve
+spoons, one for each of the disciples. Less wealthy people gave one or
+more spoons. These were considered lucky and induced the child to lead
+a virtuous life.
+
+The phrase “born with a silver spoon in its mouth,” arose from this
+custom.
+
+A silver cup is often given and the child that drinks from it is
+supposed to drink happiness during its life.
+
+The gift of coral and amber in the form of a chain or charm to a
+new-born baby is also believed to bring good luck. Coral is supposed
+to be a defense against “Fascination” or witchcraft. Amber keeps away
+infectious diseases.
+
+A Sunday christening is considered lucky and the child will grow up
+devout.
+
+A child should always be dressed in white at its christening. Red
+ribbons should be avoided.
+
+Three articles are frequently given a child when it is taken to
+be christened: egg, salt and a coin. These will give it strength,
+happiness and wealth.
+
+Baptism in a church is luckier than in private.
+
+When a child gives a lusty yell during its christening, it is a sign
+that it will have strong lungs through life.
+
+If two children, a male and a female, are baptised together, the male
+should have the preference or it will grow up to be effeminate.
+
+
+BELIEFS CONCERNING CHILDREN
+
+It is unlucky to measure a baby with a string or tape measure, as it
+may stop growing.
+
+To step over a young child is unlucky and may stunt its growth.
+
+To hand a child through an open window will stop the little one’s
+growth.
+
+Children that cry a lot are sure to be lucky. They will develop fine
+eyes and broad shoulders. This does not apply where the crying is
+caused by illness or pain.
+
+Women in pregnancy often refuse to take an oath before an officer of
+the court as it is supposed to influence the unborn child.
+
+It is supposed to be unlucky for a child to walk backward when going on
+an errand.
+
+In Scotland, when a young baby is taken out for its first airing, the
+mother or nurse gives something to eat to the first person she meets.
+This ensures the baby’s good luck. It is called “the bairn’s piece.”
+
+When a child is taken from its mother and carried out of the bedroom
+for the first time, it is luckier to take it upstairs than down. If
+there is no upstairs, the same effect can be accomplished by mounting a
+short elevation, a platform, or the rung of a ladder.
+
+When a baby is carried to church to be baptized, it should be carried
+by a woman who is known to have had good luck.
+
+When a baby is carried into a neighbor’s house for the first time, it
+should be carried there by the mother herself, in order to insure good
+luck. First of all, however, the baby should be carried to church.
+
+A creeping child will have better luck than one that does not creep.
+
+When a very young baby smiles in its sleep, it is supposed to hold
+converse with the angels.
+
+
+BELIEFS CONCERNING EGGS
+
+Eggs have many mystic meanings, and in olden times were supposed to
+symbolize the world. The yoke represented our earth, the white was its
+atmosphere, and the shell was the firmament. It was believed that the
+universe had its origin in an egg, and that God brooded over it until
+it was hatched out. Milton says: “Dovelike satst brooding o’er the vast
+abyss.”
+
+According to an old theorist, the egg typified the Messiah, the seed
+that was to bring forth salvation. The Abyssinians portray the world as
+a great ostrich egg.
+
+The Syrians used to speak of their ancestors as the progeny of eggs.
+The Hawaiians believe that their island was produced by the bursting of
+a huge egg which had been laid on the water by a bird.
+
+The ancients often said, “Everything springs from the egg. It is
+Nature’s cradle.”
+
+Egyptians worshipped Cneph, the architect of the world, who was
+represented with an egg coming out of his mouth.
+
+The druids used eggs in their religious festivals and considered it the
+symbol of fecundity. Every druid wore an egg about his neck, encased in
+gold, as a symbol of his priestly authority.
+
+The Jews use an egg in their Passover service as a symbol of Divine
+Power and help.
+
+Eggs laid on Good Friday are revered in Catholic countries as bringing
+good luck, and are carefully kept all year as talismans. They are
+supposed to keep the house free from fire.
+
+In Scotland an “eirack’s” egg, that is, the first egg that is laid by
+a young hen, is gathered as the principal ingredient of Hallowe’en
+charm. At midnight the egg is broken so that the white issues out drop
+by drop. It is allowed to fall into a wine glass two-thirds full of
+water. The palm of the hand is placed over the rim of the glass which
+is turned bottom up, and the albumen settles down near the hand. It
+assumes vague, shadowy forms which foretell the occupation the person
+will best thrive in. Thus, if it looks like a ship, the man should
+become a sailor.
+
+Another custom in connection with an “eirack’s” egg, is to take the
+white in one’s mouth and go out into the night without swallowing a
+drop. If one hears the name of a man or woman called out aloud, it
+foretells the name of the future wife or husband.
+
+Among other curious Hallowe’en customs is the following: Take a
+hard-boiled egg, remove some of the yoke, and fill it up with salt.
+Then eat the egg, salt and shell. Do not drink a drop of water till
+morning. If you dream of a person of the opposite sex, it means a
+marriage, but if the person you dream of seems to offer you a glass of
+water, it means that you will be jilted.
+
+Birds’ eggs have been believed to have many mysterious qualities. The
+eggs of an owl put into the cup of a drunkard will cause a loathing of
+liquor.
+
+A stork’s egg was also considered as a cure of the habit of drinking.
+
+Persons afflicted with ague are instructed to visit the nearest
+crossroads five times in succession and there bury a new-laid egg.
+Their disease will leave them by morning and never return. Strict
+silence must be maintained during the whole operation, as to speak to
+any one would prevent its success.
+
+For the plague, eggs were often prescribed. They were usually filled
+with drugs.
+
+It is believed in England’s rural districts that if one brings
+primroses into a house, the number must be at least thirteen, as the
+hens about the place will only hatch so many eggs during the season as
+there are primroses.
+
+When flowers blossom early and are numerous, it is believed that hens
+lay more than in other seasons.
+
+When owners of horses eat eggs, it is said that they should eat an even
+number, otherwise some mischief will befall their horses. Grooms are
+not allowed to eat eggs, and jockeys must wash their hands after eating
+them.
+
+Farmers’ wives usually set their hens on an odd number of eggs, for to
+set them on an even number often results in a failure to hatch out a
+brood.
+
+In Derbyshire the number of eggs put under a hen must be either eleven
+or thirteen. If twelve eggs are set, the brood will not hatch out, or
+will come to grief afterward.
+
+In setting a litter of eggs under a hen it is lucky to swing a lighted
+candle over the nest as a charm to prevent hawks or other animals from
+destroying the eggs or the young chicks.
+
+In some Catholic countries, the tenth egg laid by a fowl is supposed to
+be bigger than the rest, and is usually offered to the priest.
+
+Breaking egg shells over a child is supposed to keep him safe from
+witchcraft.
+
+The goose that lays a golden egg is a popular myth in many countries.
+To receive such a valuable gift, it is necessary to invoke the name and
+help of the devil.
+
+In some sections, it is considered unlucky to let eggs go out of the
+house after sunset. It is also considered unlucky to gather eggs after
+dark. All eggs should be gathered in the forenoon. It is unlucky to
+gather eggs on Sunday or to set a hen on the Sabbath.
+
+Duck’s eggs, brought into the house after sunset will never hatch.
+
+Egg shells should not be burned, or the hens will cease to lay.
+
+Eggs brought into the house or barn over running water, will not hatch.
+
+When a child visits a house for the first time, it is lucky to give
+him an egg that was laid that morning. It will give the child a “start
+in life” that will bring success.
+
+To dream of an egg is lucky and means that a fortune is at hand.
+
+Strings of blown egg shells hung up in a dwelling are unlucky, but if
+hung up in an outhouse, bring good luck.
+
+Bats were supposed to come from eggs that had been hatched out by toads.
+
+In Java the bride, as a sign of submission, kneels before her master,
+then treads upon an egg and washes his feet with the yoke.
+
+The offering of an omelette to a newly married man by his
+mother-in-law, as a sign of devotion, is an old custom in Russia.
+
+
+CHARMS AND AMULETS
+
+The word “amulet” comes from the Arab, “Hamala,” which means to carry
+about. It is a charm or object usually hung about the neck or on the
+wrist to ward off sickness and evil. A charm is similar in its effect.
+
+People are spoken of as having a charmed life, which means that they
+seem to be immune to accidents or illness. Many wear charms to insure
+this result.
+
+Some charms are engraved with peculiar figures called “talismans,”
+which are supposed to have the power to prevent loss or illness. They
+are often engraved on some seal or precious stone, and worn on the
+finger or on a chain about the neck.
+
+The practice of wearing charms or amulets is very ancient, and many of
+the objects found in Egyptian tombs are amulets, intended to serve the
+spirits of the dead. Many charms have obtained historic importance, as
+for instance the famous Spanish opal in the British museum.
+
+The czar was supposed to be fond of an ancient ring in which is
+embedded a piece of the true cross. It was supposed to shield its
+wearer from death and danger, although it hardly helped him to keep
+his throne. He attached such importance to it, that on one occasion
+he started out on a journey without it, when suddenly discovering his
+loss, he delayed the trip eight hours till a messenger went and got it.
+
+Oriental wrestlers will not go into the prize ring without wearing a
+charm about their necks.
+
+Modern folks for the most part wear some sort of amulet, or carry a
+charm in their pockets, but they do it secretly. They may not actually
+believe in its efficacy but want to get the benefit of it in case it
+should have some hidden virtue.
+
+Horseshoe-shaped pins, or charms, are considered very lucky, so is
+four-leaved clover. Wishbones, too, have come into favor in recent
+years as they are supposed to have the power of making one’s wishes
+come true.
+
+Little pigs are popular as charms, as they are supposed to bring good
+luck. In fact, the Germans say, “_Ich habe Schwein_,” when they want to
+signify that they are lucky.
+
+Lucky pennies or other coins are to be found in many pockets. They
+drive away evil influences in business operations and bring luck in
+money matters. They must be turned over in one’s pocket at the time of
+the transaction.
+
+Horse chestnuts or a small potato are considered efficacious charms
+against rheumatism. They must be carried in the pocket where they soon
+become hard and absorb all tendency to disease.
+
+The relics of the saints, such as particles of bones, bits of hair,
+etc., or splinters from the cross, have been revered in all Christian
+lands for their miracle-working powers. Many churches have been
+erected and many shrines dedicated to house some such precious relic.
+
+At St. Ann de Beau Pre Church near Quebec, and at St. Ann Church in
+New York, wonders are performed daily and many cripples healed through
+touching the particle of bone of the Virgin’s mother.
+
+A charm with the figure of a fish or the word “Ichthus,” formed by the
+Greek initials of the name of Jesus, is worn by the Greek Christians
+and brings success.
+
+Coins and bits of metal stamped with a cross are worn about the neck in
+many lands as a guarantee of good luck. They are also looked upon as a
+cure of epilepsy.
+
+Rings with religious signs and symbols are often used to cure disease
+or insure success of the crops.
+
+In the Orient, jade or ornaments from this stone are used as charms
+against disease or disaster. They usually have some symbolic figures
+carved upon them.
+
+Jet was and in some countries is still supposed to exert a remarkable
+power over the brain and nerves, and is therefore much prized for
+jewelry and charms. It was supposed in olden days to drive away devils
+and serpents.
+
+Amber is a favorite substance for charms in countries adjoining the
+Mediterranean. It is supposed to keep off infectious disease, epilepsy
+and other evils. It is frequently made into necklaces for babies.
+
+Many other stones, gems or natural substances are used the world over
+for their supposed curative powers, and huge volumes have been written
+concerning them.
+
+Adder stones are supposed to be efficacious against disease of cattle.
+
+Carrying a human molar tooth as a charm is often considered a remedy
+for toothache.
+
+Amulets to insure victory are frequent, and many a soldier goes into
+battle in the firm belief that the amulet he wears about his neck or on
+his arm will see him safely through. Bibles carried about the person
+are supposed to be the most efficacious of these, and in point of fact
+many a bullet has been stopped by a Bible placed near the heart.
+
+During a plague in England red tape was in great demand to ward off the
+evil. It was cut into half-yard lengths and worn about the neck until
+all danger was past.
+
+Amber and coral necklaces are often placed on children to give them
+relief from teething. Rings and nipples of these substances are
+provided for similar purposes.
+
+A charm consisting of laurel leaves is often worn as a protection
+against lightning.
+
+Scapulars, pieces of brown cloth in which are stitched certain verses
+from the New Testament, are worn to a great extent by Catholics as a
+preventive against perils of flood and sickness.
+
+
+MASCOTS
+
+The word “mascot” is of French origin and designates anything from a
+piece of string to a human being that is supposed to influence the
+Fates for the benefit of the possessor. A comic opera has been built
+around the idea, in which a king has very bad luck, until a pretty girl
+is sent to him as a mascot, when his fortune begins.
+
+Ships often take a mascot on board before they sail. This is usually a
+dog, monkey or goat, and insures a pleasant voyage.
+
+Regiments of soldiers usually adopt a mascot, an animal that
+accompanies them on their marches.
+
+Baseball and football teams take a mascot with them to insure victory.
+
+Mascots frequently take the shape of a horseshoe, charm, four-leaf
+clover or amulet to be worn on the person.
+
+The popularity of mascots and in fact all objects that are supposed
+to bring luck is best explained by the fact that they suggest luck,
+and the owner acts on the suggestion. A person believing that some
+object is going to bring him fortune, will act with greater faith and
+assurance, thus bringing about the condition which he desires.
+
+In regard to charms the decorative feature appeals to many; fear and
+imagination come next in their influence on the mind.
+
+Regarding human mascots, their influence is supposed to be hereditary.
+
+
+HORSESHOE LORE
+
+The origin of a belief in the horseshoe as an emblem of good luck can
+be traced to the ancient days of phallic worship. The peculiar shape of
+the shoe became the emblem of sex and of productivity. It is a very old
+belief, therefore, that a horseshoe will have an influence for good.
+
+The Moors believed in the horseshoe to such an extent that their
+architecture reflects it. Their mosque and temples all show an arch
+formation that had its origin in the form of a shoe, and they believed
+that this would insure stability.
+
+The druids also believed in its efficacy, and many of their religious
+places, like Stonehenge in England, have the semi-circular form of a
+horseshoe.
+
+An old Roman general ascribed his defeat to the loss of a horseshoe.
+Benjamin Franklin paraphrased this by writing: “Through the loss of
+a nail a shoe was lost, through the loss of a shoe a horse was lost,
+through the loss of a horse a battle was lost.”
+
+To find a horseshoe is considered lucky. It should be hung over the
+door of the house or barn. It will ensure a good harvest if suspended
+over the barn.
+
+A horseshoe should be hung with the open ends upwards, so that it will
+“hold luck.” If hung the other way, it will “spill luck.”
+
+When going on a long voyage, it will bring luck to carry a horseshoe in
+your baggage.
+
+A scarfpin or watch charm in the shape of a horseshoe is lucky.
+
+The wishbone, or collar bone of a chicken, is considered lucky on
+account of its resemblance in shape to a horseshoe. Two people, each
+pulling at one end, can determine who will get married first. The
+longer piece is the lucky one.
+
+A horseshoe should have seven holes for nails, three on one side and
+four on the other side of the center heel. This will ensure double
+luck, as seven is a number of good fortune.
+
+Rings made of horseshoe nails are sovereign remedies against bad luck,
+disease and trouble.
+
+
+PIN SUPERSTITIONS
+
+To pick up a pin is lucky; let it lie, is bad luck.
+
+If a pin lies with its head toward you it is a good sign, but beware of
+trouble if the point is towards you.
+
+To prick yourself with a pin on starting on a trip is a bad omen.
+
+It will break friendship to present any one with a pin, such as a
+scarfpin or the like. Such a gift should be bought. A cent or article
+of minor importance must be given in exchange.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+THE INFLUENCES OF MYTHICAL BEINGS
+
+
+The belief in fairies and other supernatural beings is universal,
+not only among children but among grown people as well, and many a
+quaint and interesting legend has been spun about these fascinating
+individuals. Fairy lore comprises the greater part of our books for
+young people, and without fairy tales the lives of children would
+be barren indeed. So, also, have many superstitions grown up about
+fairies, and they are believed in by folks that are intelligent as well
+as by those that are ignorant.
+
+Fairies are supposed to be supernatural beings, human in form but very
+often diminutive, with superior powers for good or evil. They have the
+power of invisibility, but can become visible when they wish. They are
+often invoked for aid, but are never worshipped as were the goddesses
+of the pagan world. They enter the habitations of mortals and spread
+their gifts. Sometimes they do mischief. It is well to keep in the good
+graces of fairies.
+
+The Hindoos believe in a kind of fairy that they call “Acvins.” These
+assist in bringing lovers together, give succor in trouble and bring
+wealth to the deserving.
+
+Persians believe in Peris, delicate ethereal females, who while not
+immortal, live very long. To assist or otherwise get into the good
+graces of a Peri means good luck, but to offend one, brings bad luck.
+
+The Arabian “Jinns” are fairies of a more austere kind. They are males
+who can do great damage if offended and whom it is therefore well to
+placate. They are supposed to have lived before Adam and were once a
+mighty race, but war and accident have slain many. Every time a star
+shoots across the sky it means the death of a jinn. They have the power
+to make themselves visible or invisible.
+
+The Jews believed in Shedim, a species of fairy that was the offspring
+of Adam. These beings have wings, are similar to angels, eat, drink,
+make merry, and help any mortal who is kind to them.
+
+The Greeks and Romans had their own conceptions of fairies. They called
+them dryads, naiads, fauns, satyrs, etc. They mingled with mortals
+and often intermarried with them. They brought luck or the reverse as
+they were favorably inclined. They rewarded any kindness and punished
+transgressions.
+
+Fata Morgana is the Italian conception of a fairy, the personification
+of Fortune. Happy the person who wins her favor.
+
+In France, fairies have different names and characteristics. There
+are “_follets_” who are always invisible but whose voices are often
+heard. They are mischievous and pelt the peasants with stones. They
+often enter a house and throw about the utensils and create disorder
+from a sense of humor that is often hard to understand. Where a man is
+in their good graces, however, they do good and reward virtues. It is
+considered lucky to come across their tracks or circles in the grass.
+
+The French also believe in _fees_, _lutins_ and goblins. These dance in
+circles, or fairy rings by night, haunt solitary springs and grottoes,
+ride horses and tie up the horses’ manes to form stirrups. They preside
+at births, bring luck to babies in whom they take an interest, give
+presents, help along the lovelorn, and do other stunts. They often take
+a child out of its cradle and leave one of their own brood in its
+place. This is called a “changeling,” and while such child is apt to be
+beautiful, its propensities are for evil.
+
+Scandinavians believe in elves, playful, malicious beings that are up
+to all sorts of mischief. They delight in perplexing people, tie the
+hair of sleeping children into knots, steal away articles, and cause
+no end of trouble. It is well to propitiate them by kindness, and
+by leaving something for them to eat in the grottoes where they are
+supposed to dwell.
+
+Teutonic races have their fairies, trolls, gnomes, dwarfs, who do all
+manner of mischief. Many are the strange tales told about them, and
+many are the rites and ceremonies resorted to by the peasantry to get
+into their good graces.
+
+The Irish are great believers in fairies, and their literature is
+filled with tales of their deeds. Their superstitions concerning them
+would fill a good-sized book. They dress in green, are very pretty and
+benevolent, help the peasants, bring lovers together, avoid law suits,
+do good by stealth, etc.
+
+Brownies and kelpies are the Scotch brand of fairies. They often
+appear in the form of cattle or horses, and when people ride on them,
+they throw them off and play other tricks. They are as mischievous as
+children, but do nothing particularly praiseworthy.
+
+English have their fairies, hobgoblins, Robin Goodfellow, Puck, and
+other well-known characters. Shakespeare assembled them in one large
+clan, with Oberon as their king and Titania as their queen. They are a
+well-behaved crew, full of mischief but with good traits as well.
+
+Some of the more prominent superstitions concerning fairies are the
+following:
+
+A mole or defect on a person is supposed to be caused by a fairy
+nipping him before birth.
+
+A matted lock near the neck of a sleeping child is called an elflock
+and is the deed of a mischievous fairy.
+
+To throw away a peach stone out of a window is dangerous as it might
+strike a fairy and kill it. This would bring bad luck for seven years.
+
+Four-leaved clover usually marks the spot where fairies congregate and
+bring good luck.
+
+Round circles often found in the grass indicate the place where fairies
+dance. To sit in such a circle with one of the opposite sex, is sure to
+bring about a marriage.
+
+When a child is lucky it is a sure proof that a fairy godmother stood
+at its cradle at its birth.
+
+Fossil Echini turned up by the plow, are called fairy loaves. If you
+keep a fairy loaf in the house, you will never want for bread.
+
+If one comes across a “fairy ring,” it is luckier to walk around it
+than across it.
+
+If you run around a “fairy ring” nine times, you can hear the sounds of
+merriment caused by the fairies dancing under ground.
+
+Fairies reward servants for cleanliness by putting a coin in their
+shoes.
+
+A fairy entering a dairy spoils the cream.
+
+In many sections of England a prayerbook is put under a child’s pillow
+to keep away fairies and pixies.
+
+Lumbago, epilepsy and fits are supposed to be caused by a shot from a
+malignant fairy.
+
+A knot hole in a deal door is bad as it will let fairies in. It must be
+plugged up at once.
+
+
+WITCHES
+
+The belief in witches is very old. At times in the history of mankind
+it has become epidemic and done untold damage. In the seventeenth
+century thousands of old women were burned at the stake for their
+supposed intercourse with the devil. Doctors and judges as well as
+ignorant people believed in this nonsense. The witch was supposed to be
+a woman who had sold her soul to the devil, and frequented the Devil’s
+Sabbath, riding thither on a broomstick. In rural districts the belief
+still prevails to some extent.
+
+When horses break out in a sweat in the stable, it is believed that a
+witch has been riding them.
+
+When a horse’s mane is tangled, a witch is supposed to have tied the
+knot to use as a stirrup.
+
+Shoulder bones of sheep are called “hag-bones” because witches are
+believed to ride on them.
+
+Eggshells must be broken and not left to lie about the house, or they
+may be used by witches as boats.
+
+When sick people go into a decline, they are said to be “overlooked” or
+bewitched, and there is little hope for their recovery.
+
+A white witch is one who has the power to remove the spell of a bad
+witch. There are various incantations by which this is done.
+
+To prevent a witch from injuring a person, he must make an image of
+wax of the witch and stick it full of pins. This will cause the witch
+to become impotent and die.
+
+Wearing the left stocking inside out, horseshoes, spittle, hagstones,
+etc., are good antidotes to a witch’s power. The sign of the cross also
+prevents their evil.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+SIGNS CONNECTED WITH THE BODY.
+
+
+SNEEZING
+
+The custom of muttering a prayer or a pious wish after sneezing is as
+old as history. It was accounted very ancient in the time of Aristotle,
+who in his “Problems” endeavored to account for it, but knew nothing of
+its origin. According to him the ancients believed that the head was
+the seat of the soul and that sneezing in some way affected the spirit.
+Hence the necessity of uttering an invocation to preserve the soul from
+harm.
+
+The Greeks and Romans had a number of formulas for sneezing, such as,
+“Long may you live!” “May you enjoy good health!” “Jupiter preserve
+you!”
+
+Sneezing was often considered a lucky omen among the ancients. Their
+history is full of events of importance which were ushered in by a
+sneeze. The “Odyssey” tells of the “lucky sneeze of Telemachus.”
+History tells of the soldiers’ sneezing in adoration of a god that
+rose before them in the ranks, an event which Xenophon regarded as a
+favorable omen.
+
+Aristotle considered a sneeze as divine, but a cough as vulgar.
+Petronius mentions the custom of saying, “_Salve_” (hail), when a
+soldier sneezed. Tiberius Cæsar never neglected to observe this formula.
+
+When a Hindoo sneezes, bystanders say, “Live!” and he replies, “With
+you!” The Zulus believe that an angry spirit enters the body and that a
+sneeze is an effort of nature to expel it.
+
+Aristotle believed that sneezing from noon till midnight was a good
+omen, but from midnight till the next noon was a sign of bad luck.
+
+All nations have some formula for sneezing. The Germans say, “_Zur
+Gesundheit!_” The English say, “God bless you!” The French say, “_A vos
+souhaits_.”
+
+If some one sneezes after you have made a statement, it places the seal
+of truth upon it and the statement may not be doubted.
+
+According to mythology Prometheus made an artificial man, and the first
+sign of life he gave was to sneeze. It was through the nostril that
+life entered into his body.
+
+In the time of Pope St. Gregory the Great, there was an epidemic of
+sneezing, and many of the afflicted died. The pope thereupon declared
+that a certain prayer should be uttered every time a person sneezed, to
+avert the calamity.
+
+To sneeze three times in rapid succession is considered a good omen.
+
+Physiologically considered in the light of modern science, sneezing is
+bad, as it spreads the germs of many diseases by spraying them into the
+air. One should always sneeze into a handkerchief.
+
+
+SPITTING
+
+In ancient times spitting was considered as having the virtue of
+averting witchcraft, and even in our time many superstitions cling to
+the habit.
+
+Spit was considered as a charm against all kinds of fascination.
+Theocritus says:
+
+“Thrice on my breast I spit to guard me safe from fascinating charms.”
+
+Superstitious nurses will spit on their children to keep them from harm.
+
+Alluding to this custom an ancient writer says:
+
+  “His lips are wet with lustral spittle, thus
+  They think to make the gods propitious.”
+
+Bruisers and boxers before attacking their adversary, spit on their
+hands to insure success.
+
+Boys, when making a pledge or asserting a thing to be “honor bright,”
+often spit on the ground to give emphasis to their good faith.
+
+Coal miners in England when they form a union for any purpose, sit in
+a circle and spit on a stone, by way of cementing their friendship and
+loyalty.
+
+Devout people often spit at the mention of the name of his satanic
+majesty, in an effort to keep away evil influences.
+
+Mohammedans are said to spit at the mention of the name of Jesus.
+
+To spit on one’s hands before undertaking a piece of manual work
+insures a successful result.
+
+Spitting three times into their bosoms, was considered by the Greeks as
+preventive of danger when in the presence of a madman or an epileptic.
+
+When a man hit another and felt remorse for the blow, he spit into the
+hollow of his hand, and thus freed the other from pain. This was a
+superstition of the Middle Ages.
+
+Spitting to avert evil influences is still resorted to among country
+folks, and in some countries is almost considered a religious act.
+
+In Ireland it is considered unlucky to praise a horse or other animal
+unless you spit on him and say, “God save him,” or other similar
+prayer. If after three days, any bad luck befalls the animal, it is
+necessary to find the person who praised him so that he may whisper the
+Lord’s Prayer into the animal’s right ear.
+
+Hucksters, peddlers, and other tradespeople, have a habit of spitting
+for good luck when making a sale. The first money they receive in the
+morning is spat upon to insure good luck for the day.
+
+It is customary in some parts when a rainbow appears to make a cross on
+the ground and spit on each of the four corners.
+
+
+MOLES, TEETH, WARTS, ETC.
+
+Moles may denote good or bad fortune according to where they are found.
+
+On the throat they are lucky; on the lower jaw, especially of a woman,
+they denote the opposite. On the back of the neck they are said to
+predict a hanging.
+
+Red or black moles are considered unlucky, but brown ones are lucky.
+If raised like a wart they foretell luck.
+
+A mole on the forehead brings good fortune, so also one on the chin. As
+a rule moles denote coming wealth.
+
+The hairs growing out of moles are considered harbingers of fortune
+and in some countries are carefully guarded and cultivated. In Latin
+countries one can see men go about with long hairs growing out of moles
+on their faces. They are careful never to shave them.
+
+When a child loses a tooth it will hasten the growth of the new tooth,
+if the old is thrown into the fire.
+
+When a tooth is pulled it should be thrown into the fire. In
+Switzerland it is carefully wrapped in paper with a pinch of salt and
+burned.
+
+To cure a toothache, the name of St. Apollonia is invoked in Latin
+countries. She suffered martyrdom by having her teeth pulled out, and
+has since been the patron saint of those who suffer from similar pangs.
+
+To dream of losing a tooth, foretells the death of a friend.
+
+If a baby’s tooth first appears in the upper jaw, it is a sign that the
+child will die in infancy.
+
+If the teeth are very irregular it is a sign of bad luck.
+
+If there is a gap between the two upper middle teeth large enough to
+pass a coin through, it foretells wealth.
+
+The Greeks believed that it was unlucky to count one’s warts as they
+would increase in number.
+
+To charm away a wart, buy it from the possessor for a pin, and it will
+disappear within a week.
+
+Another way to charm away a wart is to rub it with half an apple. Tie
+the two halves together with a thread, and bury it at the foot of a
+tree. Within a week the wart will have disappeared.
+
+Spots in the nails foretell riches. If many, the person showing them
+will gain a fortune. White specks often foretell happenings without
+wealth. On the thumb-nail, they indicate honors.
+
+
+YAWNING
+
+Among many peoples, yawning is considered a sign of possession or
+obsession by an evil spirit.
+
+When the Hindoo yawns, he snaps his thumb and finger and repeats the
+name of one of his deities. To neglect this brings misfortune.
+
+When a Moslem yawns he puts the back of his left hand to his mouth and
+says, “I seek refuge with Allah from Satan.”
+
+There is an old belief that when one yawns the devil may leap into the
+open mouth; hence the necessity of holding a hand over the mouth.
+
+To yawn in the midst of saying one’s prayers, is a bad omen. It is
+better to say the prayer from the beginning again.
+
+
+TINGLING AND ITCHING
+
+It is a common superstition that when one’s ears tingle some one is
+talking about him.
+
+Shakespeare says in “Much Ado About Nothing,” “What fire is in mine
+ears?” Beatrice deduces from this that a friend is talking about her.
+
+Even the old Roman historian, Pliny, says: “It is an opinion generally
+received that when our ears do glow and tingle, there be some that in
+our absence do talk of us.”
+
+The tingling of the right ear is taken to mean that good is spoken;
+while, that of the left ear is a token of the fact that evil is spoken.
+
+
+Herrick writes:
+
+                    “My ear tingles, some there be
+                    That are snarling now at me.”
+
+The itching of the palm is considered an indication that the person
+will get some unexpected money. If continued for any length of time, a
+fortune will come to him.
+
+The itching of the thumb or nose denotes a visitor, sometimes an
+unwelcome intruder.
+
+One of the witches in “Macbeth” says:
+
+                    “By the pricking of my thumbs,
+                    Something wicked this way comes.”
+
+
+STUMBLING AND FALLING
+
+Falling has always been associated with the idea of evil, and its
+effects can only be averted by a quick-witted remark or a muttered
+invocation.
+
+When Cæsar landed at Adrumetum in Africa, it is related that he tripped
+and fell upon his face. This was considered as an ill omen by his
+soldiers, but with great presence of mind he exclaimed: “Thus do I take
+possession of thee, O Africa.” Thus he changed a sign of bad to one of
+good fortune.
+
+When William the Conqueror landed in England, he fell prone upon the
+ground. A great cry of despair went up from his army, but he raised
+himself smilingly and said: “I have seized the country with both my
+hands.”
+
+To fall while going upstairs is a sure sign that the victim will not
+marry within a year.
+
+The falling of a picture from the wall is universally regarded as a bad
+omen and frequently foretells the death of the original of the picture
+in the case of a portrait.
+
+It is related that a well-known English archbishop on entering his
+study one day, found his portrait lying on the floor, the cord that
+held it on the hook, having snapped. The sight so unnerved the prelate
+that he became ill, and died shortly after.
+
+The Duke of Buckingham had a similar misadventure. On entering the
+council chamber, he found his portrait lying at full length on the
+floor. He died soon after.
+
+A fall from a horse, besides being very inconvenient and often painful,
+is supposed to bring evil consequences. If two persons part on
+horseback, and one of them falls off his mount, the two will never meet
+again.
+
+The fall of a window blind is accounted unlucky, but the evil can be
+averted by at once replacing it in its sockets.
+
+The fall of a knife or fork to the floor is usually considered a good
+omen and foretells a visit from a friend; a female in the case of a
+knife, or a male in the case of a fork.
+
+To fall downstairs is a very bad sign and signifies loss of health or
+money.
+
+To stumble in the morning on coming downstairs is a sign of ill luck
+during the day.
+
+A horse stumbling on the highway brings bad luck to his owner.
+
+Stumbling at a grave is considered a bad omen. Shakespeare says:
+
+ “How oft to-night
+ “Have my old feet stumbled at graves!
+ “For many men that stumble at the threshold
+ “Are well foretold that danger lurks within.”
+
+If you stumble over a stick or stone, turn back and kick it out of the
+way to avert trouble.
+
+
+CUTTING NAILS AND HAIR
+
+The paring of nails has given rise to some strange beliefs. So also
+has the cutting of hair. This is natural, as the clipping away of
+one’s body is in itself uncanny and apt to give rise to superstitious
+conjectures.
+
+Sailors believe that to cut the nails or hair during a calm will
+provoke contrary winds. They, therefore, only cut them in a storm.
+
+The ancients declared that nails and hair should not be pared or cut
+when in the presence of the gods, but in the secrecy of one’s home.
+
+Among the Arabians it is considered lucky to cut the nails and hair on
+Friday.
+
+In some countries it is considered unlucky to cut a child’s nails till
+it is a year old. They have to be bitten off.
+
+In Scotland it is believed that if a child’s nails are cut before it
+is a year old, it will grow up to be a thief. In other lands, it is
+thought the child will stammer.
+
+The Jews burn their nail parings with a piece of wood, as a species of
+offering to insure good luck.
+
+
+PERSONAL APPEARANCE
+
+When a woman’s eyebrows meet across her nose, it is a good sign. She
+will be happy whether she marries or not.
+
+A woman whose hair grows down over her forehead in the shape of a peak,
+will never marry.
+
+
+CLOTHES SUPERSTITIONS
+
+On rising in the morning, great care must be given to the way one
+dresses, as accidents often foretell trouble during the day.
+
+Augustus Cæsar put on his left sandal awry and nearly lost his life in
+a mutiny. A well-known writer says:
+
+  “Augustus by an oversight
+  Put on his left shoe before his right;
+  Had like to have been slain that day
+  By soldiers mutinying for pay.”
+
+To put your shirt inside out is a good omen, providing you discover it
+in time and change it. If left on all day, beware of accidents.
+
+To button your vest so that the buttons and holes come out uneven is a
+good sign.
+
+It is well to put on the stocking of your right foot first and the shoe
+of your left foot.
+
+To tear off a button while dressing is a bad sign. It should be
+remedied at once before going out of the house.
+
+A hole in one’s stocking is a good sign on the first day, but brings
+bad luck on the second.
+
+To put the right shoe on the left foot or the reverse, is a sign of
+coming trouble.
+
+To rip a garment the first time you put it on, is a bad sign.
+
+To rend one’s garments was in former days considered a symbol of
+mourning.
+
+If you meet a person wearing new clothes, pinch him for good luck.
+
+A proverbial saying when meeting a person with new clothes, is, “May
+you have health to wear it, strength to tear it, and money to buy
+another.”
+
+Coin given to a person wearing a new suit will bring him good fortune
+as long as the clothes last.
+
+To put on a suit for the first time on Monday signifies that it will
+soon tear. You will have bad luck in wearing it.
+
+Tuesday--Beware lest the suit catch fire. Keep out of speculation.
+
+Wednesday--Things will go well with you. Your speculations will succeed.
+
+Thursday--You will always appear neat and well dressed. You will make a
+good impression and get what you are after.
+
+Friday--Not a good day to put on new attire. You will be successful
+only as long as the clothes remain fresh.
+
+Saturday--Beware of catching cold. There is an element of bad luck in a
+new suit on this day.
+
+Sunday--Happiness and good luck will follow him who puts on a new suit
+on the Sabbath.
+
+
+ON ARISING
+
+To get out of bed with the left foot is considered a forecast of bad
+luck. When a person is cross or irritable, we often say, “He got out of
+bed with the wrong foot.”
+
+To put your foot on a soft carpet or rug, on arising, foretells a
+successful day.
+
+To stumble on getting up, is bad. You should go back to bed and try it
+again.
+
+To say “Good luck” on arising, will insure success during the day.
+
+It is considered unlucky to sing before breakfast. You may cry before
+supper.
+
+It is unlucky to relate a bad dream before breakfast. It may come true.
+
+To find a coin early in the morning is a sign for you to beware lest
+you lose money before the day is spent.
+
+
+SQUINTING, CRIPPLED AND HUNCHBACK PERSONS
+
+To meet a squinting or cross-eyed person on going out in the morning is
+a sign of trouble. It is well to go back a block or two and start over.
+
+To walk with a cross-eyed person is sure to bring bad luck.
+
+To touch a hunchback’s hump brings good luck. Gamblers, especially,
+often resort to this method to change their luck from bad to good.
+
+To have a hunchback about the premises brings good fortune. In former
+years kings used to have a court fool who was usually a hunchback, not
+only to make merriment for them, but to insure good fortune.
+
+To shake hands with a left-handed person is often regarded as unlucky.
+
+To touch a blind man’s garment or brush past him is a sign of ill
+fortune. To help a blind man on his way, is an omen of good luck.
+
+To be baptized by a left-handed priest is considered unlucky.
+
+To meet a priest the first thing in the morning is a bad omen. This may
+be averted by throwing a pin at him.
+
+To have a cripple tread on your toes is a very bad omen.
+
+To meet a beggar as you leave your house in the morning, is a bad sign,
+and you should at once return and start over.
+
+To give a coin to a cripple insures good luck.
+
+
+DEATH AND CORPSES
+
+Feathers or a bird in the room of a sick person are supposed to delay
+death. This idea is often resorted to where it is advisable to delay
+the last breath till some absent friend arrives.
+
+At the moment of death the doors and windows are often opened to allow
+the spirit free egress.
+
+Looking-glasses and pictures are covered as long as the corpse is in
+the house, to prevent the spirit from seeing its reflection.
+
+In Scotland a piece of iron is thrust into all eatables right after a
+death, to prevent the attraction of other spirits.
+
+A plate of salt is put upon the breast of a new corpse in Wales to
+purge out all the sins of the defunct.
+
+Candles are lit at the head of the corpse, to ward off evil spirits.
+
+A watch is usually kept by the side of the body until the funeral, to
+ward off evil spirits and also rats.
+
+Tolling of the bell is usual in most countries. After some minutes of
+tolling there is a pause, and three times three tolls for a male and
+twice three for a female, is the rule.
+
+Where bees are kept it is customary to tell the bees that their owner
+is dead and that they must remain and work for the new owner.
+
+In Ireland a wake is the rule. Friends of the departed meet and discuss
+the good points and foibles of the dead. Refreshments are served.
+
+
+THE EVIL EYE
+
+The fear of the evil eye is very prevalent among the Latin races, and
+even in this country there is a belief that certain persons possess the
+“_mal occhio_” and can bewitch by merely looking with hatred or envy
+upon another. Many charms and amulets have and are still being worn to
+counteract any bad effects.
+
+A cross of jet is frequently used as an amulet against the evil eye. It
+is believed that it will split if looked upon by a person having evil
+intentions.
+
+The following are a few of the many substances used for averting the
+evil from this source. Skin from a hyenna’s forehead; madwort hung up
+in the home; Catochites, a species of stone, worn in a ring or about
+the neck; spitting on the right shoe before putting it on; a necklace
+of jacinth, etc.
+
+Sweeping a child’s face with the bough of a pine tree, is considered a
+very successful preventive; so is hanging up the key of the house over
+a child’s cradle.
+
+Other means of preventing the blasting effects of the evil eye are:
+Laying turf, dug from a grave, upon the cradle of a child; laying
+crumbs on the cradle; giving the child a piece of coral that was dipped
+in the font in which the child was baptized.
+
+Hindoos decorate their children with a profusion of jewels to
+antagonize the evil eye. Mohammedans suspend articles from the ceiling
+over the cradle for the same purpose.
+
+In Roumania a child or grown person decorated with red ribbons is
+supposed to be impervious to this terrible influence, and hence most
+people wear something scarlet about their bodies, and even the oxen in
+the field have something red tied about their horns.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+HOUSEHOLD BELIEFS
+
+
+If the keys of a careful housewife get rusty in spite of her care, it
+means that some one is saving money for her.
+
+A hot cinder jumping out of the grate signifies the coming of good
+fortune.
+
+If meat shrinks while being boiled in a pot, it is a bad sign, but if
+it swells, it means that prosperity is in store.
+
+The first cake taken out of an oven should be broken, not cut;
+otherwise all the rest of the cakes baked that day will be soggy.
+
+Do not sweep the dust out of the front door. It indicates that your
+good luck will be swept out with it.
+
+If a leaf of soot hangs in the grate, it announces the coming of a
+guest.
+
+If a rooster stands upon the threshold of your house and crows, a
+stranger may be expected.
+
+If you neglect to close down the lid of your teapot, a guest will come
+and have tea with you.
+
+If your tea-kettle sings, it is a sign of contentment in the home.
+
+In sweeping, beware not to sweep the dirt over a girl’s feet, as it
+will prevent her from marrying that year.
+
+If you wash your hands and face in a bowl of water that has been used
+by some one else, it foretells a quarrel with that other person.
+
+Trousers made on Friday are unlucky and will soon tear.
+
+To break up your bread into crumbs at the table is an omen of coming
+poverty.
+
+To drop a coarse comb foretells a visit by a man,--a fine-tooth-comb
+means a visit from a woman.
+
+To throw away a piece of bread is an indication of carelessness and
+brings bad luck.
+
+
+LOOKING-GLASS OMENS
+
+Mirrors have always been regarded as divine instruments and used as
+objects of divination, hence a certain amount of superstition attaches
+to them. It is wonderful, indeed, that by nature’s law of reflection,
+one can see the image of that which is outside of the glass, and it has
+been considered unlucky to destroy in any way that power to reflect.
+
+To break a looking-glass is considered unlucky, and the person
+breaking one will have bad fortune for seven years.
+
+If the looking-glass is willfully broken and thrown away, it has no
+effect upon one’s fortune.
+
+In Catholic countries a person accidentally breaking a mirror, crosses
+himself and says: “May the Saints avert ill fortune.” The curse is
+thereby lifted.
+
+In the days of ancient Greece, divination was performed by means of
+water and a looking-glass. This was called catoptromancy. The mirror
+was dipped into the water and a sick person was asked to look into the
+glass. If his image appeared distorted, he was likely to die; if clear,
+he would live.
+
+Looking-glasses are often used by fortune tellers in a way similar
+to crystal globes. They can tell from the nature of the images they
+perceive what will be the future of the inquirer.
+
+To break the glass over a friend’s portrait is a bad sign. It often
+betokens the death of the person who is the original of the picture.
+
+It is considered ill luck to see your face in a mirror by candlelight.
+
+
+SPILLING OF SALT
+
+Salt has usually been considered in the light of a sacrificial
+element. Greeks and Romans mixed it with their cakes that were offered
+up on the altars of their deities. It was a necessary part of the
+sacrifice. Hence any accident to the salt on a table was considered
+unlucky.
+
+Among pagans salt was regarded as having redemptive power and was used
+when doing any important business as a preventive of ill luck. It was
+thrown on the ground with an invocation that was supposed to ward off
+unfriendly spirits.
+
+Among the Jews, it is still a mark of hospitality to break bread with a
+stranger, and the bread is first dipped into salt. “Sharing one’s salt
+with a stranger,” has become synonymous with hospitality.
+
+Salt has been regarded as the symbol of friendship, therefore the
+overturning of a salt-cellar is looked upon as the breaking of
+friendship.
+
+To spill salt at table is considered unlucky. To change the spell,
+however, it is only necessary to take a pinch of the salt and throw it
+over the left shoulder.
+
+In Da Vinci’s picture of the Last Supper, Judas Iscariot is represented
+as overturning the salt. It is evident from this that the spilling of
+salt was considered a bad omen in the epoch when this picture was
+painted.
+
+In some Eastern countries, the spilling of flour is viewed with the
+same feeling of awe as in the case of salt.
+
+To put too much salt into the food when cooking, is supposed to be
+proof that the cook is in love.
+
+
+KNIFE SUPERSTITIONS
+
+It is considered unlucky to accept a knife from a friend without giving
+something in return. You therefore buy the knife and avert the “cutting
+of friendship.”
+
+A penny is usually offered in exchange for a knife, but among some
+believers, a pin is all that is necessary.
+
+To drop a knife on the floor, means the coming of a visitor.
+
+Knife and fork should never be crossed at the table, as this would
+presage bad luck. They should be laid side by side.
+
+To cross knives is to invite a cross or misfortune. The origin of this
+belief probably lay in the disinclination to make the sign of the cross
+sacrilegiously.
+
+To leave a penknife open after you are through with it is a sign of
+danger and is unlucky.
+
+To drop a knife accidentally so that the point penetrates into the
+ground and it stands upright is a sign of coming success.
+
+To place an open knife near a sleeping child is considered a good omen.
+
+
+CANDLE SUPERSTITIONS
+
+Candles have always had a peculiarly religious character, and have from
+time immemorial been used in the service of churches and for sacred
+rites. Many queer superstitions attach to them.
+
+In Catholic countries it is customary to bring candles to church in
+honor of one’s favorite saint or of the Madonna. The size of the candle
+and its decoration gave evidence of the donor’s religious enthusiasm.
+
+Many of the saints had their own peculiar preferences as to the color
+of the candles.
+
+A birthday cake should have as many candles on it as there are years in
+the person’s age. This will ensure another year of happiness.
+
+When the wax of a candle forms a loop like a handle, it is called a
+“coffin handle,” and portends bad luck.
+
+The dripping of tallow or wax down the side of a candle, is called a
+“shroud” and foretells death to the person towards whom it is directed.
+
+A spark in the wick is called a “letter” and foretells the arrival of
+good news.
+
+A knot in the wick, burning with a red glow, indicates the visit of a
+stranger.
+
+A wick charred but remaining over the flame is a sign of good luck.
+
+To kill a moth hovering about a candle is a harbinger of good luck.
+
+
+CONCERNING LADDERS
+
+To walk under a ladder when it is leaning against a wall, is a sign of
+bad luck.
+
+To pass under a ladder that is hung horizontally does not influence
+your luck for good or evil.
+
+To climb a ladder with an odd number of rungs is a good sign and leads
+to success.
+
+To be on a ladder with a pretty girl is a good sign and foretells
+matrimony.
+
+To fall from a ladder is an omen of ill luck and foretells a loss of
+money.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+DIVINATION
+
+
+THE MYSTERY OF NUMBERS
+
+That there is virtue in numbers and that every person is under the
+influence of certain numbers was taught as far back as the days of
+Pythagoras, and a vast collection of books have been written concerning
+this phase of superstition.
+
+Any clairvoyant to whom you may go to have your fortune told will ask
+you on what day of the month you were born and in what year. From this
+she will tell you whether to expect good or evil fortune in the coming
+year. The basis for these calculations has been handed down from very
+ancient times.
+
+According to astrologers, every letter in one’s name corresponds to a
+number, so that if you understand how to calculate the numerical value
+of your name you can foretell your future.
+
+The planets have numbers, and the influence they exert on you depends
+in how far their numbers correspond with those in your name and dates
+of important events in your life.
+
+In horse racing, the names of the horses, taken according to their
+numerical value, often predict the result of the race.
+
+Every nation had its lucky and unlucky numbers that occur in their
+mythology and history. The Greeks believed in the sacredness of the
+number nine. They had nine muses, nine principal deities, nine oracles,
+etc.
+
+The Romans believed in the mystic three, the Egyptians in twelve, etc.
+
+The Jews revered the number seven, and its recurrence throughout the
+Bible is remarkable: Seven days of creation, seven lean years, seven
+fat years, seven stars, seven times bathing in the Jordan, seven years
+followed by a year of jubilee, etc. This number, according to Kabala
+was obtained by adding the letters of Man and God together.
+
+Thirteen, as we know, has been regarded by Christians as a very unlucky
+number on account of the events following the Last Supper.
+
+Divination by numbers is a favorite pastime and leads to some
+remarkable results. Many historical events have been prophesied by this
+method. Thus Napoleon III was born in 1808 and assumed the empire in
+1852. Add 1-8-0-8 to 1852 and you have 1869, which foretold the end of
+the empire about that time.
+
+The French Revolution occurred in 1789; add this date to the sum of its
+numbers and you have 1814, which foretells the end of Napoleon’s reign.
+
+The dates of other personalities can be worked out the same way and the
+result is often remarkably correct.
+
+Kabala, or the occult science of the Jews of the Middle Ages, depended
+almost entirely upon the mystic powers of numbers.
+
+Many problems in modern mathematics depend on the mystic number nine
+and both nine and seven are used by fortune tellers in divining the
+future.
+
+
+LOTTERY NUMBERS AND USAGES
+
+Lotteries are practically a thing of the past in America, but there was
+a time when they flourished and when everybody from the wage earner to
+the millionaire wagered his pile on some lucky number. In the South
+the fever raged particularly strong, and the Louisiana Lottery and the
+Dismal Swamp Lottery counted their victims by the million. Policy, too,
+was very prevalent, and is still being conducted secretly in many
+parts of the country. Both lottery and policy were similar in that a
+certain price was paid for a ticket or a paper with numbers. On stated
+occasions numbers were drawn out of a wheel and these were announced.
+The holder of the lucky number won an amount that differed according to
+the occasion.
+
+A man’s age, or that of his wife or children, was frequently taken as
+the number. Some men added the figures in the date, month, etc.
+
+Dreams are considered particularly efficacious in playing policy. Most
+dream books give policy numbers coinciding with every possible dream,
+and these when played are supposed to make a winning.
+
+Among the numbers often taken are the date of the year, or the date of
+an important event. The numbers on a freight car have been known to
+bring fortunate results.
+
+In the case of a murder committed in a community, certain numbers are
+supposed to have a peculiar significance and bring luck.
+
+In the South many negroes make a comfortable living by interpreting
+dreams, signs and omens and telling the proper numbers they signify for
+the playing of policy.
+
+In buying several lottery tickets, it is not lucky to have them all
+follow each other consecutively. An interval should separate them.
+
+Odd numbers are more apt to bring prizes than even numbers. Numbers
+ending in three, nine, twelve or seven are the most likely to strike
+luck.
+
+A number given you by a cripple is sure to be successful, but that
+given by a cross-eyed man or woman is bound to lose.
+
+
+PREDICTIONS OF WEALTH
+
+To have lots of hair on your arms and fingers is a sign of coming
+wealth.
+
+When you throw a lump of sugar into your coffee or tea, the number of
+bubbles that arise are an indication of your future wealth.
+
+Many moles over your body indicate that you will be wealthy.
+
+To be born with a caul indicates that you will have luck and amass
+wealth.
+
+A birthmark in the middle of the back indicates a wealthy marriage.
+
+To be born during an eclipse, denotes hardship and poverty.
+
+
+DIVINATION BY LETTERS
+
+The most celebrated arrangement of letters by which fortunes were told
+or cures effected was the ABRACADABRA. It is attributed to Serenus, a
+celebrated physician of the second century. It is often written so that
+reading from the apex like an inverted pyramid up to the right side,
+the same word will be spelled as at the top. Thus:
+
+                         A B R A C A D A B R A
+                          A B R A C A D A B R
+                           A B R A C A D A B
+                            A B R A C A D A
+                             A B R A C A D
+                              A B R A C A
+                               A B R A C
+                                A B R A
+                                 A B R
+                                  A B
+                                   A
+
+The belief in the wonderful powers of this word are well-nigh
+universal. By writing it on a parchment and hanging it about the
+neck of a sick person, it would staunch blood, heal disorders, cure
+toothache, etc.
+
+The Jews used a similar word, Abracalam, to cure disorders. In the
+Middle Ages the word, Anamazaptas, if whispered into a man’s ear, was
+supposed to cure epilepsy.
+
+The word “Bedooh” inscribed on rings and charms or on helmets or sabres
+is supposed to bring good luck. It comes from an Arab word which means
+“he has walked well.”
+
+The word “Osy” was used as a charm against serpents, and caused them to
+lie still as the dead.
+
+Pythagoras considered the letter Y a symbol of life, and used it in his
+divinations.
+
+Anagrams are often used to tell fortunes and to decide the career of a
+person. Thus Eleanor Davies, a well-known English woman and the wife of
+a poet, became a prophetess because she found that the letters of her
+name could be transposed to read, “Reveal O Daniel.”
+
+In many countries, charms worn about the neck and engraved with mystic
+letters have the power to keep away evil and cure disease.
+
+
+DIVINATION BY BOOKS
+
+In ancient Greece, when people wanted counsel on important matters,
+they opened a scroll of Homer at random and noted the lines covered by
+the thumb. At the present time the Bible is the book usually employed
+for that purpose.
+
+If in distress, open the Bible and put your index finger on the page
+at random. The text will tell you what to do. If the words have no
+apparent bearing on the question, you should consider it an unfavorable
+reply.
+
+To decide Yes or No in any doubtful matter, open the Bible and note the
+first word on the left-hand page. If it has an even number of letters,
+the answer is No; if an odd number of letters, the answer is Yes.
+
+If things have gone wrong with you, open the Bible and say:
+
+  “Mark and Matthew, Luke and John,
+  Counsel, that I may get on.”
+
+Then retire and inspiration will come in your sleep.
+
+A singular mode of divination for girls who desire to know their fate
+is described in an old book, as follows:
+
+“When you go to bed place under your pillow a prayer book opened at the
+part of the matrimonial service which begins, ‘With this ring I thee
+wed,’ etc. Place a key on it, a ring, a flower, a sprig of willow, a
+small heart-shaped cake, a crust of bread and a pack of playing cards.
+Wrap these up in a thin handkerchief and, on getting into bed, cross
+your thumbs and say:
+
+                     ‘Luna, every woman’s friend,
+                     To me thy goodness condescend;
+                     Let me this night in visions see
+                     Emblems of my destiny.’”
+
+On New Year’s Day a Bible is laid on the table, in some parts of
+England, and each member of the family opens it at random and from the
+contents of the two open pages reads his destiny for the ensuing year.
+
+The last chapter of the Book of Proverbs contains thirty-one verses,
+each of which is supposed to have reference to one day of a month. By
+consulting these for the day of the month on which you were born, you
+will have an indication as to which kind of occupation you will be most
+successful in. Thus, the twenty-fourth verse speaks of “fine linen,”
+which indicates that the person born on that day will be successful as
+a manufacturer or seller of linen.
+
+
+PRECIOUS STONES
+
+Precious stones are supposed in all countries to have a special
+province in inducing fortunate or unlucky occurrences. The proper
+stone is chosen according to the month of one’s birth, each month being
+governed by a different gem.
+
+The following is the list of birth stones according to the generally
+accepted belief:
+
+                       January,           Garnet
+                       February,        Amethyst
+                       March,         Bloodstone
+                       April,            Diamond
+                       May,              Emerald
+                       June,               Agate
+                       July,                Ruby
+                       August,          Sardonyx
+                       September,       Sapphire
+                       October,             Opal
+                       November,           Topaz
+                       December,       Turquoise
+
+In the dictionary of “Phrase and Fable,” we find a different
+arrangement based on astrological lore. It is as follows:--
+
+            Sign of Zodiac           Month       Stone
+            Aries, the ram,          April       Amethyst
+            Taurus, the bull,        May         Agate
+            Gemini, the twins,       June        Beryl
+            Cancer, the crab,        July        Emerald
+            Leo, the virgin,         August      Ruby
+            Libra, the balance,      September   Jasper
+            Scorpio, the scorpion,   October     Diamond
+            Sagittarius, archer,     November    Topaz
+            Capricorn, the goat,     January     Onyx
+            Aquarius, waterman,      February    Sapphire
+            Pisces, the fishes,      March       Chrysolite
+
+A ring presented to a person with his or her birthstone is sure to
+bring good fortune.
+
+One’s birthstone in a charm or locket, worn about the neck, will bring
+luck in business or speculation.
+
+
+COLOR SUPERSTITIONS
+
+There has always been a disposition to connect one’s personality with
+colors. People are supposed not only to have a fortunate number but a
+lucky hue as well. Planets have a certain hue, and a person’s color
+chart agrees with that of his star.
+
+Modern scientific research has proved the importance of color in a
+curative sense. No matter whether your native color is red or blue,
+it is a fact that the color of your wall paper may have a beneficial
+or harmful effect on you if you are ill. Color undoubtedly has an
+influence on mental conditions.
+
+Infusoria and the lower forms of life develop faster under one kind of
+color than under another, red and yellow being most favorable. Flies,
+ants and other insects die under the effect of blue or violet light.
+Why then should color not also have its influence on man?
+
+Insane people have been cured by placing them in a room that was
+flooded with light of a certain color that corresponded with their
+aura. Blue light was thought particularly efficacious for melancholy
+people.
+
+The following beliefs are current in regard to colors:
+
+ Red governs love, affection or lust.
+ Scarlet rules emotion and anger.
+ Crimson is the color of animal passion.
+ Bright red gives courage and confidence.
+ Orange is the color of simplicity or ignorance.
+ Brown is the hue of worldly wisdom.
+ Yellow, of jealousy and silliness.
+
+In the Bible, sin is supposed to be scarlet in color, hence that color
+is to be avoided by virtuous people.
+
+The devil, as the incarnation of sin, is always represented as dressed
+in scarlet.
+
+Yellow and gold, according to some philosophers, correspond to the
+intellectual, red to the sensual, and blue to the spiritual, moral and
+religious nature of man.
+
+White is the color of innocence, hence brides dress in white.
+
+Black is the color of mourning in European and American nations, but
+white is the mourning hue in oriental countries.
+
+Purple was considered the color of royalty in ancient days, probably on
+account of its former scarcity and expensiveness. It is also used for
+second mourning, as being a compromise between black and gay colors.
+
+There is a belief that every jealous person had green eyes. This
+idea no doubt was formed by the fact that some people’s eyes become
+phosphorescent under great emotion.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+PLANT SUPERSTITIONS
+
+
+Quaking grass, also called maidenhair, if brought into the house brings
+bad luck.
+
+If mandrake is turned up in one’s garden it should be burnt at once.
+Many strange beliefs centre about this root. Some believe it will cause
+blindness if looked at too long.
+
+To pick flowers before they are full blown, is said to cause a stye.
+
+March marigolds will cause drinking habits if looked at too long.
+
+If poppies are held to the eyes, it is believed they will blind one.
+
+Primroses should not be brought into a house where there are laying
+hens, or the chickens will not hatch out.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+BIRD AND INSECT SUPERSTITIONS
+
+
+Owls are considered unlucky birds. Their hoarse and repellent voice is
+a bad omen and means coming disaster.
+
+Chaucer says: “The owl brings tidings of death.”
+
+History tells that an owl once flew into the city of Rome and as a
+result the place was purified and sacrifices offered to propitiate the
+gods and avert trouble.
+
+Before the death of the Roman emperor, Antoninus, an owl was observed
+to sit over his chamber door.
+
+The Actian War was foretold by owls flying into the Temple of Concord
+in Rome.
+
+In the Middle Ages the screeching of owls was supposed to foretell
+plague or other calamities.
+
+Ravens were considered equally unlucky. To have a raven fly into one’s
+bedroom foretold disaster. The celebrated poem by Poe, “The Raven,” has
+this belief for its motive.
+
+Robins are considered lucky birds and it is bad to kill one. The
+farmers believe that they will avert poor crops.
+
+The high esteem in which the robin is held probably originated from the
+story of the “Babes in the Wood” who were covered up with leaves by the
+robin redbreasts after they were left to starve by their cruel guardian.
+
+The cuckoo has long been considered as a bird of bad omen, if it enters
+one’s home; but to hear a cuckoo cry in the woods is a good sign.
+
+Boys take their money out of their pockets and spit on it for luck when
+they hear a cuckoo cry. It is a bad sign not to have any money in your
+pocket when you hear the cuckoo’s first cry in spring.
+
+A white bird or a crow flying against a window by night, foretells a
+death in the house within a year.
+
+A robin is a bringer of good luck if it flies into the house.
+
+Magpies have different meanings according to the number that fly about.
+“One for sorrow, two for mirth, three for a wedding, four for a birth,
+five for silver, six for gold, seven a secret that dare not be told.”
+
+To avert the evil influence of magpies, make a cross with the foot for
+every one in sight.
+
+It is unlucky to look into an owl’s nest.
+
+It is a bad omen to kill a swallow or a wren or take their eggs.
+
+Martins and swallows are God’s teachers and scholars and must not be
+annoyed.
+
+
+INSECT OMENS
+
+It is unlucky to kill a spider. If you wish to thrive, let the spider
+stay alive.
+
+A spider’s web, encountered on the road should not be disturbed.
+
+A little red ant, if it crawls into the pocket, brings money.
+
+Crickets are considered harbingers of luck; but in some countries the
+contrary holds good.
+
+To kill a red ant, brings rain.
+
+Bees swarming on a house means that some one will die there.
+
+If you see a black snail, throw it over your head for luck.
+
+To kill a toad will make the bees swarm.
+
+
+BEES
+
+When putting bees into a new hive, one must knock three times on top of
+the old hive and tell them; otherwise they will sting you.
+
+If any one dies in a house where bees are kept, they must be told,
+otherwise they will stop gathering honey and die too.
+
+In some country hives are turned around when a member of the family
+dies, otherwise the bees will also die.
+
+Bees are supposed to have a religious nature and to be subject to the
+emotions of their owners.
+
+In Yorkshire there is a custom of watching the hives on Christmas Eve.
+The people profess to be able to tell by the humming noise the bees
+make whether the holiday is to be a joyful one or not.
+
+Bees have often been used for divination and the size of the swarm and
+the general behavior of the bees prophesies good or bad crops.
+
+If a hive of bees dies out, it is a sign of a coming bad harvest and
+the farmer looks for another place to ply his profession.
+
+To be stung by a bee, if not followed by a swelling, is a sign of
+coming fortune.
+
+If three bees alight upon you at one time, it is a sign that your plans
+will meet with success.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+ANIMAL PORTENTS
+
+
+The following are believed to foretell death: Rats leaving a house; a
+hare or white rabbit crossing your path; a cow lowing three times in
+your face; a shrewmouse running over your foot.
+
+It is unlucky to keep a kitten born in May. It should be drowned, as a
+May cat is supposed to suck a child’s breath.
+
+Goslings hatched in May bring no luck to the owner.
+
+It is unlucky to bid a price for an animal that is not for sale. The
+animal is apt to die within a month.
+
+To covet another’s beast will bring you bad luck.
+
+If a pig is killed while the moon is waning, it will be unprofitable
+and the bacon will shrink in the pot.
+
+A gray horse brings good luck. Spit on the little finger and rub it on
+the horse, and money will come to you.
+
+If you see a young spring lamb with the head towards you, it means good
+fortune.
+
+It foretells bad luck if rats gnaw one’s clothing.
+
+It is unlucky to kill a cricket. These insects were esteemed by the
+ancients as a symbol of hospitality. Their singing was often used to
+foretell good or bad events.
+
+A hare crossing the path of a traveller is a sign of bad fortune. A
+white hare, however, is regarded as a good sign.
+
+A pig appearing to a traveller is a good sign. If a sow be accompanied
+by a litter of pigs, it denotes a successful trip.
+
+The tail of a lizard is considered a lucky mascot in France, just as is
+the hind leg of a rabbit in this country.
+
+To meet a white horse is considered unlucky unless the person spits at
+it to avert trouble.
+
+To meet a white horse indicates that you will soon see a red-haired
+girl.
+
+Rooks are believed to foretell death by leaving the house near which
+they have built their nests.
+
+Killing a spider is considered unlucky. Small spiders, called
+“money-spinners,” indicate good luck, and their webs are not to be
+destroyed.
+
+If black ants appear in a house it is a sign of good luck, but red ants
+bring misfortune.
+
+To meet a goat unexpectedly is bad luck; to meet a sheep is a good sign.
+
+
+HOWLING OF DOGS
+
+The howling of dogs has always been considered a sign of coming
+disaster. Dogs are supposed to have a peculiar sense of coming trouble.
+In case of sickness, a dog is supposed to foretell the outcome.
+
+An old writer says: “As odd and unaccountable as it may seem, dogs
+scent death even before it seizes a person.”
+
+In the “Odyssey,” the dogs of Eumæus are described as terrified at the
+sight of Minerva though she was invisible to human eyes.
+
+The howling of dogs is believed to presage death, especially in houses
+where some one is lying ill.
+
+When dogs tremble and wallow upon the earth it is a sign of wind and
+storm.
+
+Horses and cattle are often supposed to have this trait in common with
+dogs: Their keen sense of smell, or perhaps some sense which mortals do
+not possess, enables them to discover illness and danger.
+
+
+BLACK CATS
+
+There are conflicting beliefs regarding the influence of black cats.
+Some consider them a sure sign of good luck, others regard them with
+dread and awe.
+
+A black cat without a single white hair is lucky, particularly if it
+comes to you unsolicited.
+
+If you start out to undertake any new work or to hunt and a black cat
+crosses your path, you will be very lucky in your undertaking.
+
+If you try to coax a black cat to come and he runs away, you will be
+disappointed in your results.
+
+To kill a black cat is very unlucky, and means misfortune for a year.
+
+Among Egyptians, cats were regarded with religious awe. They were
+mummified and buried in the graves with human beings.
+
+Witches had a fondness for black cats, and used them in their
+divinations. In soothsaying, cats have always played an important role.
+
+The brain of a black cat was considered an important ingredient in the
+recipes and prescriptions of the witches in the Middle Ages.
+
+The meowing of a black cat at midnight is a bad omen, and foretells a
+death.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+METEOROLOGICAL BELIEFS
+
+
+To walk under a rainbow is supposed to be unlucky, as the light of a
+rainbow, while good in itself, harms the one it shines on.
+
+To be out in a sunshower is good luck, and whatever you venture in that
+hour will be successful.
+
+Thunder and lightning are both lucky and unlucky according to the
+direction from which they come.
+
+An even number of thunder reports in quick succession have no effect,
+but an uneven number will bring luck.
+
+The ancients considered thunder as an indication that Jove was angry.
+
+Thunder from a cloudless sky, is considered an indication of luck.
+
+To see a new moon for the first time after a change on the right-hand
+side or directly in front of you betokens good luck, but to see it
+behind you on your left, is a bad omen.
+
+To begin a journey or other important work in the last quarter of the
+moon is bad, and the venture will be a failure.
+
+To see the new moon through a window for the first time, indicates bad
+luck.
+
+The new moon seen over the right shoulder brings good fortune, over the
+left shoulder means failure, and straight ahead of you denotes good
+luck till the end of the season.
+
+The Friday on which the new moon first appears is a bad day and Sunday
+is equally unfavorable for a full moon.
+
+Red ants swarming through the earth, indicate coming of rain.
+
+If it rains on St. Swithin’s Day, it will rain for forty days more.
+
+If the hedgehog emerges from his hole on Michaelmas and sees his
+shadow, prepare for thirty days more of winter.
+
+
+WEATHER SIGNS AND PORTENTS
+
+Small fleecy clouds of “curdled” appearance, indicate neither long wet
+nor long dry. Long streaky clouds, indicate fair weather.
+
+Thick bands of clouds across the west, indicate stormy weather.
+
+A “weather breeder” is a fine, warm day out of season and foretells
+bad weather in the near future.
+
+Streaks of light radiating out of clouds behind the sun foretell rain.
+The sun is said to be sucking up moisture.
+
+“The moon on her back holds water in her lap.”
+
+A halo around the moon indicates rain. The bigger the wheel, the nearer
+the moisture.
+
+If the evening star is in front of the moon, look out for rain.
+
+When a guinea fowl or peacock calls, prepare for rain.
+
+The call of the green woodpecker is a sign of rain.
+
+Rooks gathering in large numbers and flying in a circle, foretell rain.
+
+If it rains on Friday, it will surely rain on the next Sunday.
+
+Shooting of corns or the aching of an old wound foretell rain.
+
+If during the harvest a rake is carried with its teeth up, it will be a
+wet harvest.
+
+When the cat scratches the leg of the table, sneezes, draws her paw
+over her forehead in washing her face or frisks about the house, it is
+a sure sign of rain.
+
+The following are indications of rain: When crickets chirp louder than
+usually, when a rooster flies on the gate and crows, when a dog eats
+grass, and when snails are abundant.
+
+  “Wind in the east is good neither for man or beast.
+  Wind in the west suits everybody best.”
+
+When the robins sing high in the tree, the weather will be fine, but if
+they sing low down, it will rain soon.
+
+Sea gulls on land bring rain.
+
+  “Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight.
+  Red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning.”
+
+Early mist indicates a fine day.
+
+If ice will bear a man before Christmas, it will not bear a mouse
+afterwards.
+
+If the sun shines through the apple trees on Christmas, it foretells a
+fine crop of apples.
+
+  “If in February there be no rain,
+  The hay won’t prosper nor the grain.”
+
+All other months of the year curse a fine February.
+
+If a cat lies in the sun in February, she will creep under the grate in
+March.
+
+“When the oak comes before the ash, summer will be dry and mash.”
+
+“Rain on Good Friday and Easter Day, brings lots of grass but little
+hay.”
+
+Cold May, short hay! Leaky June, plenty of corn!
+
+If it rains on St. Swithin’s Day, the apples are christened and the
+early kind may be picked.
+
+Warm October means a cold February.
+
+Snow that lingers will bring more snow.
+
+
+COMETS AND METEORS
+
+That the sudden appearance of a big star with a long tail should cause
+fear and apprehension is but natural. Primitive man, in fact until a
+few decades ago, saw in the fiery celestial visitor a sure omen of
+disaster. In religious countries in the Middle Ages, the appearance of
+a comet was associated with the second coming of Christ.
+
+In the year 1712, Whiston, a clergyman and astronomer, predicted the
+appearance of a comet and stated that the world would be destroyed by
+fire a few days thereafter. The comet appeared punctually according
+to his calculations, and the inhabitants of England began to prepare
+for the end of the world. People got into boats believing that the
+water was the safest place. Divine service was held in all churches,
+and rich men parted with their wealth. The comet left without having
+accomplished any damage.
+
+Comets have often been regarded as the precursor of war and famine and
+nearly every big war occurred soon after the appearance of a comet.
+
+Although we know now that comets are harmless things, and rarely
+trouble the earth, superstition still clings to them.
+
+Special prayers were instituted by various popes to nullify the evil
+a comet might do. In Catholic countries these are still used as a
+preventive of trouble.
+
+It is considered unlucky to engage in any new business during the
+continuation of a comet in the sky.
+
+Children born during a comet will have a difficult time of it, and are
+subject to sudden death.
+
+Shooting stars or meteors have also been the subject of many strange
+beliefs. When a shooting star flashes across the sky, wish for money,
+and you will be sure to get it.
+
+A sick person, seeing a shooting star, will recover within a month.
+
+If you set out on a voyage at night and see a shooting star, your trip
+will be successful.
+
+Lovers seeing shooting stars and wishing for health, wealth or
+happiness, will have their wish gratified.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+VOCATIONAL SUPERSTITIONS
+
+
+SUPERSTITIONS OF KINGS
+
+King Harold of England considered Saturday his lucky day.
+
+According to Celtic chronicles, each king of Scotland had some favorite
+day, and was forbidden by the astrologers of his reign from doing
+certain things on designated days.
+
+The kings of Ireland were not allowed to have the sun fall on their
+beds at Tara Castle.
+
+The King of Munster was forbidden to have a feast at Killarney from
+Monday to the end of the week.
+
+The King of Connaught believed it ill luck to wear a speckled garment
+or to ride a speckled horse.
+
+The King of Ulster would not go to certain parts of his kingdom during
+March for fear of disaster.
+
+October 14th was supposed to be a lucky day for the kings of England.
+
+The sixth of April was a lucky day for Alexander the Great. On that day
+he conquered Darius and won a great sea battle.
+
+The sixth of April was also lucky for Alexander’s father, Phillip of
+Macedon. On that day he captured Potidæa, his general overthrew the
+Illyrians, and his horse won at the Olympian games.
+
+The month of January has been unlucky for kings. Charles I was beheaded
+that month. Napoleon III and King Victor Emmanuel of Italy died in
+January.
+
+King Louis XVI of France found the 21st an important day. On April
+21st, 1770, he was married, and every great event of his reign occurred
+on that day. On January 21st, 1793, he was beheaded.
+
+Cromwell considered the 3rd of September as his lucky day. He gained
+several great victories on that date.
+
+The Duke of Monmouth was told by a fortuneteller that if he survived
+St. Swithin’s Day he would be a great man. He died on that day.
+
+Napoleon Bonaparte considered Friday his unlucky day and Monday his
+fortunate day.
+
+Henry IV of France considered Friday lucky and preferred to undertake
+important things on that day.
+
+The late Emperor of Austria was superstitious and attributed all his
+family troubles to a curse that was launched against him by a countess
+who believed herself injured by him.
+
+The Hohenzollern family, of which the kaiser is the most talked-of
+member, have their pet superstitions, one of them being that the
+apparition of a woman in white betokens the death of one of the family.
+
+
+CARD PLAYERS’ SUPERSTITIONS
+
+Luck plays such an important part with gamblers and card players
+that it is not surprising they have a multitude of beliefs and
+superstitions. Where every move is connected with blind chance and
+skill is entirely secondary, every detail of the game is watched for
+some sign of import or some omen that will bring success. Here are some
+of the many beliefs that are current in English-speaking countries:
+
+To play cards on a table without a cover is considered unlucky.
+
+A green cover is the most fortunate to play on.
+
+To lend money to an adversary with which to play is unlucky. To borrow
+money during a game is lucky.
+
+In Monte Carlo and other gambling places there is a belief that after a
+suicide of an unlucky player, all those playing against the bank will
+win. When the news of a suicide becomes known, therefore, the card
+rooms at once fill with eager players.
+
+If you wish a friend to win at cards, stick a pin in the lapel of his
+coat.
+
+To drop a card on the floor during a game is a bad sign, and means the
+loss of that game.
+
+Singing, while playing, is a sign that your side will lose.
+
+To have another person look over your shoulder while playing, or put
+his foot on the rung of your chair, is a forerunner of bad luck.
+
+To play at the same table with a cross-eyed man is a sign that you will
+lose.
+
+To lose your temper or get into a passion over the game is a sign of a
+loss.
+
+The four of clubs is an unlucky card to get. It is called the devil’s
+bedstead.
+
+It helps your luck to keep the chips carefully stacked up before you.
+
+Most players have their own private superstitions based on past
+experiences. A certain hand always foretells good luck, while the
+cards coming in a certain order may mean the reverse.
+
+Winning the first game often means that you will win the third. Holding
+your cards in a certain way brings success.
+
+Playing on certain days is unlucky for some, lucky for others. To play
+before 6 P. M. on Fridays is unlucky.
+
+Turning one’s chair around three times is often resorted to to change
+one’s luck.
+
+Playing with a fresh deck of cards is another way of forcing the
+goddess of fortune to be propitious.
+
+Most players have a lucky card which they touch with the index finger
+before sitting down to play. This insures good fortune.
+
+
+ACTORS’ SUPERSTITIONS
+
+Actors may be counted among the most superstitious people in the world.
+Their success depends upon so many unforeseen contingencies, and so
+many elements enter into their enterprises, that they look with awe and
+misgiving upon every trivial incident. In different countries they have
+different rites and beliefs, but the following seem to be the most
+prevalent in English-speaking lands:
+
+Whistling in a theatre is a sign of very bad luck, and there is no
+offense that is more quickly frowned upon by the manager. It was
+formerly difficult for a vaudeville artist who made a specialty of
+whistling in his act to get an engagement.
+
+It is considered bad luck to change the costume in which an actor first
+made his success in a piece. In cases of a long run the garment is
+often worn until it becomes threadbare.
+
+The witches’ song in Macbeth is believed to have an uncanny power for
+evil, and many actors cannot be induced to play in that tragedy.
+
+To repeat the last lines of a play at rehearsals is considered an ill
+omen.
+
+The pictures of an ostrich or peacock are considered unlucky.
+
+To turn the handle of the wrong door in seeking a manager or
+play-broker is considered very unlucky. To ward against failure, the
+applicant must return home and start out afresh next day.
+
+Yellow is an unlucky color for an actor. The color of one’s costume
+often creates a loss of memory while learning a part.
+
+The looping of a drop curtain is a sure forerunner of evil.
+
+Wigs bring luck, and many an actor wears one although his part does not
+call for it.
+
+If an actor’s shoes squeak on making his entrance it is a sign that he
+will have the applause of the audience.
+
+If an actor kicks off his shoes and they alight on their soles, it is a
+good omen; but if they fall on their sides, it is a bad sign.
+
+Cats are considered very lucky by actors, and to have a cat run across
+the stage during a rehearsal is considered very lucky. It brings bad
+luck to kick a cat.
+
+To have a person look over the actor’s shoulder while he is making up
+and looking at himself in the glass is unlucky.
+
+To stumble over anything in making an entrance is bad, and will cause
+him to fail in his lines.
+
+If his costume catches in the scenery as he enters he must go back and
+make a new entrance or else have bad luck during the act.
+
+The peep-hole through which the actor looks out at the audience is
+usually in the centre, as either side may bring bad luck.
+
+
+THEATRE SUPERSTITIONS
+
+Managers have their pet superstitions as well as actors.
+
+To accept a play that has not been refused by at least one manager is
+considered by some as a sign of failure.
+
+If the first purchaser of seats for a performance is an old man or old
+woman it means that the play will have a long run. A young person means
+the reverse.
+
+To receive a torn bank note for a ticket is a bad sign for the box
+office man, and means a loss of position. A big bill for which he must
+make change is a good omen.
+
+If an usher seats a person in seat thirteen or a multiple thereof, he
+will have bad luck.
+
+An usher considers it bad luck to have a lady tip him for a program,
+but a gentleman’s tip insures good luck.
+
+The first tip of the season is briskly rubbed on the leg of the usher’s
+trousers and then kept in his pocket as a lucky piece.
+
+To receive a smile from an actor over the footlights is a good omen.
+
+A woman fainting in a theatre is considered a bad sign and means that
+the play will come to a speedy end.
+
+A death in a playhouse during a performance is a certain hoodoo, and
+usually ends in an unexpected termination of the run of the play.
+
+
+COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS’ SUPERSTITIONS
+
+Travelling men, whose lives are a constant struggle after orders, are
+apt to consider trifles as an index of coming fortune, or the reverse,
+and many are their peculiar beliefs.
+
+When, on starting out, a drummer finds he has forgotten his order book,
+he will take no orders till it is sent after him.
+
+A necktie worn when the first order is taken is often worn till the
+end of the trip, as it brings good luck. With some, the suit takes the
+place of the tie.
+
+A salesman often goes into a stranger’s store and tries to sell a bill
+before tackling his own regular customer. He believes that if he is
+turned down by one, he will be sure to sell to the right man.
+
+A flock of sheep seen on starting out is a good sign. A pig or drove of
+pigs is even better.
+
+If no order has been taken for several days, the conscientious
+traveller will rest up for a day, take a bath and change his clothes
+for a change of luck.
+
+Muttering some incantation or wish while a difficult customer is making
+up his mind is often resorted to.
+
+A lucky pocket-piece twirled in the left hand is supposed to insure an
+order where the customer is undecided.
+
+A horseshoe carried in the bottom of a sample trunk is supposed to
+insure success during the trip.
+
+
+DRESSMAKERS AND SEAMSTRESSES
+
+Seamstresses have a code of beliefs of their own, many of which are
+curious.
+
+To prick a finger and draw blood while sewing a bride’s dress bodes ill
+for the bride’s married life. To stain the dress with blood means an
+early death for the wearer.
+
+To try on a bride’s dress by the seamstress and wear it for an hour
+before the bride wears it betokens an engagement for the seamstress.
+
+To lose a thimble while making a bride’s dress means exceptionally good
+luck for the bride.
+
+To be employed to make a mourning outfit for a young widow betokens an
+early marriage for the seamstress.
+
+To turn the material on the wrong side and sew it thus by mistake so
+that the dress will have to be ripped and resewn means good luck for
+the wearer.
+
+To drop your scissors on the floor means a visitor who will bring
+welcome news. Should the scissors break, it means a keen disappointment.
+
+To sew with the wrong colored silk or thread by mistake is a sign of
+bad luck for the wearer unless the work is ripped and sewn over.
+
+To make an all white dress is always productive of luck.
+
+A spot of dirt or oil on a new dress where it will show means
+disappointment for the wearer.
+
+It was formerly considered unlucky for a bride to help sew her own
+wedding dress.
+
+
+SAILORS’ SUPERSTITIONS
+
+The sea is one of the greatest marvels of creation, and perhaps the
+most mysterious. It is full of dangers, and from time immemorial has
+been the subject of many superstitions. It is natural that sailors
+should attach a meaning to everything that promises a safe voyage.
+
+The sea is supposed to be filled with monsters that cause no end of
+trouble if they are not propitiated by some rite. A fleet on the sea
+drives away these monsters.
+
+A sailing vessel is supposed to sail faster when running from an enemy
+than otherwise.
+
+By speaking to his sailing vessel as he would to a horse, many an old
+salt believes he gets greater speed.
+
+A kingfisher hanged by a nail to the mast is used to prophesy the
+direction of the wind.
+
+When a great auk, an aquatic bird, appears, sailors believe they will
+have a speedy voyage. If the bird settles on deck it is a good omen.
+
+Seeing three magpies predicts a successful voyage. One magpie, however,
+is a sign of bad luck.
+
+A seal is considered a lucky omen, and it is wicked to kill one.
+
+An albatross brings good luck and creates favorable winds. To kill an
+albatross is an omen of very bad luck. This is portrayed in the “Rime
+of the Ancient Mariner.”
+
+A dove alighting on a ship is a sign of favorable winds.
+
+Dolphins and porpoises playing about a ship presage a storm.
+
+An eight-arm cuttlefish is regarded by sailors as a bad omen.
+
+Barnacles that cling to a ship are believed to change into birds after
+the vessel has been on a cruise for six months.
+
+French sailors dread the nocturnal visits of a sort of mischievous Puck
+or sprite who is supposed to play pranks while they sleep.
+
+An appeal to the Virgin is supposed by Latin sailors to calm a storm at
+sea.
+
+Sailing on Friday is considered bad luck. Steamers do not now fear this
+day as much as formerly.
+
+When a Chinese junk is ready to go to sea, priests are invited to go on
+board to chant a prayer and offer a sacrifice to Tien How, the god of
+the sea. Gongs and drums are beaten.
+
+A shark following a ship is looked upon as a sure sign of death of one
+of the passengers or crew.
+
+When a storm arises and a vessel is in danger it is supposed that a
+sinful person is on board and causes the trouble. This belief grew out
+of the story of Jonah.
+
+Most sailors make the sign of the cross before launching a boat in an
+angry sea.
+
+Christening new ships is a relic of an ancient rite when wine was
+offered to Neptune as a propitiatory sacrifice to insure his favor.
+
+The custom of blessing a ship is an old one and is supposed to keep a
+ship from harm.
+
+Carrying dead bodies on shipboard is regarded with superstitious dread
+by sailors, and those that die during a voyage are usually buried at
+sea.
+
+
+FISHERMEN’S SUPERSTITIONS
+
+During oyster dredging, fishermen often keep up a monotonous chant to
+charm the oysters into their net. This has given rise to the following
+verse, reprinted from an old book on fishermen’s lore:
+
+                “The herring loves the merry moonlight,
+                The mackerel loves the wind;
+                But the oyster loves the dredger’s song,
+                For he comes of gentle kind.”
+
+Norwegian fishermen perform a sort of sacred rite before going on the
+hunt for herring. They drink a “white lug,” a sort of toddy. They
+believe it insures a big catch.
+
+In many countries fishermen are afraid to assist a drowning man for
+fear that the water sprite will be offended and drive the fish from the
+nets.
+
+Burmese fishermen offer fruit and rice to “Nat,” the spirit of the
+water, otherwise he will scare away the fish.
+
+Many fishermen believe that spitting on the bait before casting the
+hook will make the catch certain.
+
+Portuguese fishermen during a storm attach an image of St. Anthony to
+the mast and pray to it. If that don’t help, they curse and beat the
+image to make it behave and do their behests.
+
+It is considered lucky to throw the first fish caught back into the
+water to induce other fish to come to the hook.
+
+
+TURFMEN’S SUPERSTITIONS
+
+Men who follow the races and make their living on the turf are in the
+same category as card players and gamblers. Their winnings depend
+exclusively on chance, and it is easy to understand how they invest
+every occurrence with some mysterious meaning and believe that certain
+signs or omens will bring good or bad luck. Some of their superstitions
+are childish, but their belief in them often brings the desired results.
+
+On the way to the races, if a turfman sees a name like that of the
+horse that is run that day, he takes it for an omen that the horse will
+win.
+
+The initials of names on signboards or the headlines in the paper he is
+reading are all made to do service in spelling the name of the horse
+that is to be victorious.
+
+To meet a funeral on the way to the track is a bad omen, although an
+empty hearse denotes good luck.
+
+To dream of a horse that is entered for a race is lucky, but it will
+not win the first time it is run. It is sure to win the second time,
+however, and it is safe to bet on it then.
+
+To meet a cross-eyed man on the way to the track is very bad, but to
+meet a cross-eyed woman is lucky. A cross-eyed negro foretells the best
+kind of luck.
+
+To meet a black cat brings bad luck, while a white cat is excellent.
+To be followed by a strange dog is a good sign. To see a piebald horse
+means success.
+
+To give alms to a blind beggar brings good luck and to touch the hump
+of a hunchback man is a sure sign of success.
+
+When the saddle girth of a horse gets loose and the jockey is obliged
+to get off and tighten it, it is a sure bet that the horse will win.
+
+Money that is won should be carried loose in the pocket, and not in a
+purse or wallet. It will then pave the way for more.
+
+To find money on the track is a bad thing. It should be given away in
+charity.
+
+
+BASEBALL SUPERSTITIONS
+
+Baseball players have a curious code of beliefs, which differ with
+nearly every team. They have their mascots, that are supposed to bring
+them good luck, and stand in awe of the “jinx” that often defeats their
+best plans.
+
+When a team runs behind in its score a change of pitcher or catcher
+often retrieves their chances.
+
+It is unlucky to play with a bat that is split, even if the damage is
+slight. A new bat must be procured.
+
+If on the way to the game any name is encountered that suggests the
+name of one of the teams, that team will be successful.
+
+If any part of a player’s uniform is missing or torn, it means bad luck
+for the team.
+
+A cross-eyed umpire is tabooed as a hoodoo.
+
+To have a “southpaw,” or left-handed pitcher, brings good luck to the
+team.
+
+It is a common belief that the team losing the first innings will win
+the game at the end.
+
+
+WAITERS’ SUPERSTITIONS
+
+Waiters, depending as they must upon chance tips, are very prone to be
+superstitious, and have developed a series of rites and ceremonies that
+are supposed to bring them the coveted fee.
+
+Drawing out a chair for the customer to seat himself is sure to bring a
+good-sized fee. If the customer for any reason takes a different seat
+from that indicated it is a bad omen.
+
+A certain arrangement of knife and fork is sure to produce a good
+result. The fork must lie near the plate and the knife on the outside
+and parallel. Any other arrangement is bad.
+
+Opening up the napkin for the customer is a good sign.
+
+To bring a customer a second portion of butter before he asks for it is
+good. If a customer sends out a dish for any reason, it means bad luck
+for the rest of the day.
+
+To receive a big tip early in the day is a bad sign. All the rest of
+the tips are apt to be small.
+
+To break a dish is a very bad omen. It means not only loss of wages,
+but the loss of tips as well.
+
+If a waiter finds that a certain salutation results in a tip, he must
+use the same salutation on all clients during the day.
+
+To wait on a hunchback customer is a sign of good luck and results in a
+good inflow of tips. To wait on a one-armed man is bad.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+MISCELLANEOUS
+
+
+PORTENTS OF EVIL
+
+Furniture creaking at night without visible cause, is a sign of death
+or illness.
+
+Letters crossing in the mail betoken evil fortune.
+
+When the church bell strikes while the parson is giving out his text,
+some one in the congregation will die.
+
+Ringing sounds in the ear foretell trouble.
+
+Three people making up a bed is a bad sign, and foretells illness to
+one of them.
+
+The ticking of a “death tick,” a minute insect that lives in wood, is a
+sign of coming trouble.
+
+
+BREAKING FRIENDSHIP
+
+When poker and tongs hang both on the same side of the fireplace it
+betokens a breaking of friendship.
+
+Passing a friend on the stairs, foretells a rupture.
+
+When two persons kindle a fire together, it foretells that they will
+soon quarrel.
+
+Two persons washing their hands in the same basin or using the same
+towel at the same time, had better beware, for their friendship will be
+of short duration.
+
+In all of the above cases, making a cross with the thumb will prevent
+the evil from being carried out.
+
+
+DRINKING TOASTS
+
+Drinking to the health of a friend is a very old custom and goes back
+to the beginning of civilization. The Roman gallant would drink as many
+glasses as there were letters in the name of his sweetheart.
+
+The origin of the word “toast” is uncertain. An old writer claims
+that in the reign of Charles the Second, a piece of toasted bread was
+dropped in the wine, and that a wit, seeing that the wine had all been
+quaffed, remarked: “If I can’t drink the wine, I can at least have the
+toast.”
+
+To give or drink a toast signifies to offer a sentiment in honor of
+some dear person, and wish him or her good health. It is supposed to be
+efficacious.
+
+The ancients poured wine upon the ground in honor of the gods. The
+modern feaster prefers to pour it into himself in honor of his friends.
+Many a man drinks to the health of others and forgets about his own
+health.
+
+To break a glass while drinking a toast is a bad omen, and may result
+in the early death of the person toasted.
+
+To spill wine while drinking a toast is a good omen, and brings health
+and happiness to the one concerned.
+
+
+PIOUS EJACULATIONS
+
+The custom of qualifying an assertion or a wish with some pious remark
+in order to avert trouble, is well-nigh universal and was as prevalent
+among the ancients as with us.
+
+The Romans, whenever they told of their intended movements or of
+anything they expected to accomplish in the future, always prefixed
+their remarks with “_Deo Volente_,” or some similar words.
+
+The modern American says, “God willing,” when he tells of something he
+expects to do. This is supposed to remove any hoodoo that may interfere
+with his anticipated deed.
+
+Similarly the German says, “_So Gott will_.” The Frenchman says, “_A
+Dieu ne deplaise_,” and so every language has its equivalent.
+
+In speaking about the possibility of anything evil happening to one’s
+dear ones, it is customary to say, “God forbid.”
+
+In discussing the merits or deeds of one’s wife or other dear relative,
+we often say “God bless her or him,” which is supposed to remove any
+occult influence for evil.
+
+Jews, when discussing the good points or praiseworthy traits of their
+dear ones, say, “_Unbeschrien_,” which literally means “without wishing
+to praise.” This prevents the praise from reacting and becoming a
+reproach.
+
+In speaking of their dead, the Germans often add the word “_selig_”
+to the name. This means “blessed” or of “blessed memory,” and is
+equivalent to saying, “Peace to his ashes.”
+
+The English expressions of “Dear me,” “My goodness” and “Goodness
+gracious,” are really modifications of “_dio mio_,” “My God,” “Gracious
+God,” etc., and had their origin in the desire to call on the Deity to
+bring comfort or help. So also “Hully Gee” is a corruption of “Holy
+Jesus.”
+
+The Europeans think nothing of interjecting the name of the Deity into
+their ordinary conversation. “_Mein Gott_,” “_Ach Gott_,” “_Mon Dieu_,”
+etc., take place of our “Dear me,” etc. They are not used in the spirit
+of blasphemy, but as pious words to avert evil.
+
+Many people before starting out on any errand, or even before entering
+a room, say to themselves, “Good luck,” or other phrase, in the nature
+of a silent prayer.
+
+Birthday wishes, festival wishes and congratulations are all related
+to this same class of prayers or pious wishes, and are supposed to
+influence the mysterious power that rules the universe, to send its
+best gifts and to keep away harm.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+SUPERSTITIONS OF THE ORTHODOX JEWS
+
+
+The following is a list of some of the most common beliefs of the
+orthodox Hebrews. Many of them have their original in some Biblical
+quotation or in some interpretation of a Biblical text. This collection
+is taken from the pages of the “Jewish Encyclopedia.”
+
+Animal:--To see an animal in an unexpected place indicates the finding
+of a treasure.
+
+Bachelor:--Bachelors are not looked on with favor. As it is not good
+to be alone, every man is supposed to marry. Sand is strewn before the
+hearse when a bachelor is buried, as a reproach.
+
+Barrenness:--To cure barrenness, water was prescribed in which moss
+taken from the Temple wall in Jerusalem was cooked.
+
+Bat:--To kill a bat with a gold coin was considered lucky.
+
+Bathtub:--A child’s bathtub was not to be used for any other purpose,
+or the child would meet with misfortune.
+
+Bear:--To eat a bear’s heart would convert the eater into a tyrant.
+
+Bed:--It is considered lucky for girls to sit on a bride’s bed, and
+will cause other marriages.
+
+Blood:--As blood was supposed to carry the life of the animal and was
+used on the altar, it is not eaten by professing Jews.
+
+Blood as a cure:--For many illnesses, blood was smeared on the breast
+and forehead. The blood of a rooster was usually taken for this purpose.
+
+Bone:--When a fishbone has been swallowed, place another fishbone on
+the head, and the offending bone will be either ejected or swallowed
+completely.
+
+Book:--It is dangerous to go away and leave a book open.
+
+Bread:--After saying the usual blessing over bread at a meal (grace),
+the bread should be cut in two before eating.
+
+Bride:--If on the return from the marriage canopy, the bride takes the
+groom’s hand, she will be the ruling power in the family. If the groom
+takes the bride’s hand, he will be boss.
+
+Broom:--A table should never be brushed off with a broom, as it may
+bring poverty.
+
+Brothers:--It is unlucky for three married brothers to live in the same
+town.
+
+Buckets:--It is unlucky to come across an empty bucket in going out of
+a house, or a full bucket in coming in.
+
+Cat:--When a cat licks her paws, be prepared for company.
+
+Convulsions:--When a child has convulsions, break an earthenware pot in
+front of its face, to drive away the demon.
+
+Cemetery:--In order to allay the fears of any member of a community
+of being the first to be buried in a new cemetery, a rooster is often
+slaughtered and buried.
+
+Curse:--An undeserved curse, usually rebounds on the one who curses,
+and brings him bad luck.
+
+Dead:--A dead person is supposed to know what is going on until the
+last spade-full of earth is placed on his grave.
+
+Dirt:--It is unlucky to throw dirt after a man who is leaving a house.
+
+Eggs:--To steal an egg brings poverty.
+
+Epidemics:--In case of an epidemic, never open the door of your home to
+any one until he has knocked three times.
+
+Evil Eye:--To avert the curse of the evil eye, spit three times on
+your finger tips and make a quick movement with your hand through the
+air.
+
+Eye:--If the right eye itches, rejoice; if the left, you will grieve.
+
+Fingers:--When washing the fingers, hold them downwards so that the
+water will drip off. Evil spirits will depart with the water.
+
+Feet:--Itching of the feet denotes that you will make a voyage to a
+place you have never been to.
+
+Hair:--If child’s hair is cut on certain days, an elflock will grow.
+
+Looking back:--In running from danger, never look back, or like Lot’s
+wife, you will come to grief.
+
+Money:--In taking money out of a purse or box, always leave a coin,
+however small, as a luck token.
+
+Money:--Dreaming of money is a sign of bad luck.
+
+Mourning:--Don’t weep too long for the departed or you may have to
+weep for some one else. Weep three days, mourn seven, and refrain from
+wearing jewelry for thirty days.
+
+Oven:--It is unlucky to leave an oven empty. When you are not baking in
+it, keep a piece of wood within, or you may not have anything to bake.
+
+Rats:--If rats leave one house for another, it is a sign of bad luck
+for the first and good luck for the second.
+
+Shoes:--Never walk out with only one shoe or slipper on your foot. It
+may forecast a death.
+
+Shroud:--In making a shroud, avoid knots.
+
+Sisters:--Two sisters should not marry on the same day, nor should two
+brothers marry two sisters. Both bring bad luck.
+
+Sweeping:--It is unlucky to sweep out a room at night or to throw
+sweepings into the street after sundown.
+
+Widowhood:--The fourth husband of a widow will die soon after his
+marriage.
+
+Spitting:--When a person spits at another, he takes over the other’s
+sins.
+
+Travelling:--Monday is a bad day for travelling, but Tuesday is a lucky
+day.
+
+
+
+
+  TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
+
+  Page 9: “bethrothal” changed to “betrothal”
+  Page 12: “October, 18 15 17 27 29” changed to “October, 15 17 18 27 29”
+  Page 20: “to the conracting” changed to “to the contracting”
+  Page 37: “Valentine Day” changed to “Valentine’s Day”
+  Page 43: “them how will will.” changed to “them how we will.”
+  Page 49: “to other wisacres” changed to “to other wiseacres”
+  Page 52: “Three aritcles” changed to “Three articles”
+  Page 57: “hens are set” changed to “eggs are set”
+  Page 68: “as were the godesses” changed to “as were the goddesses”
+  Page 70: “tie up the horses” changed to “tie up the horses’”
+  Page 81: “tooth first appars” changed to “tooth first appears”
+  Page 86: “Have my old feet stumbled at graves!”” changed to
+           “Have my old feet stumbled at graves!”
+  Page 92: “breadth till some” changed to “breath till some”
+  Page 94: “hyenna’s forehead,” changed to “hyenna’s forehead;”
+  Page 99: “sign of the cross sacreligiously” changed to
+           “sign of the cross sacrilegiously”
+  Page 102: “Any clairvoyant to whom you may go to have fortune will
+            ask you on what day of the month” changed to
+            “Any clairvoyant to whom you may go to have”
+  Page 109: “thee wed,’ etc.”” changed to “thee wed,’ etc.”
+  Page 122: “dogs. Their keen” changed to “dogs: Their keen”
+  Page 139: “sell the right man.” changed to “sell to the right man.”
+  Page 154: ““_Mein Gott_,” “_Act Gott_”” changed to
+            ““_Mein Gott_,” “_Ach Gott_””
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 77597 ***