Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-10-21
TIE GAZETTE.
CHRISTENING AND CHILDREN.
FRIDAY MORNING. OCTOBER q, 1859.

tbs! 4 'Ws from our pen, whether W. believe
iu riukimg or H. immersion. or whom we
rr-ar,. u the Scriptural subjects OF Tins holy
sacrament. liz is not the rite wetreat Of, but
the u>age> lractiSei at lis celebration, ana
lie ~upcrsti,iuns that were once entertained
c,lrnmirgit. These notions and customs Of
conner DAYS have been preserved by the
minnie ,.arp Of those stu Tents Of curious lore,
whose collections We have So often visited
Th,a.h some may think that the researches
at ti,r-. antiquaricS among the ceremonies
ANA l.,hrs Of the past have been rewarded
only with frivolous knowledge that the
world would not have missed had il been sui
icrci q perish altogether, We are prepared
IL prove that the majority OF these p"pu-
lar antiquities are repieJe with solid knowl-
edge But even if they do not cdi!y, they
entertain, and the amusement they yield
j 81 the most pleasant and harmless char
aIcr.
MANY and strange We're the supersttlons
implicitly believed concerning chi!dren.-
SINE Of these still retain firm hold on thepup-
ular mind: others have been forced to relax
their grasp: the generations have tramp!cd
them under foot, and the winds have scatter
81 their dust. The parental heart is still
,rrturlcd if i child exhibits extraordinary
parts. or is silent, reserved and "bedient
beyond his years The very precoc'"us and
VERY good children, are supposed u be doomed
/, an early death. These are the shining
marks death loves. The origin of this no
ton may he traced 70 the vanity Of those
foolish people whp force the minds Of their
,n,Idrcn T. an unnatural dcveiopcmcnt: the
heating process ripens the fruit but kills
nj tart ~
>Ip,rstitinn that makes the pilgrimage ot
-,pG. Gentle, pure children 50 short, because
we i, Mt &c why the gave should be more
huusry for their plump forms, than Tor those
tnat are the abode OF spirits that delight IN
ml>.hict. and like 10 have their own way
rh, hi"grlphcrs oi piouS youths w"uid
ha,r,,> hriryr that children die Of goodness.
Il I>a>rner,ble superstition that the m
9.,ut who submits without crying t. the or
diuanrr al baptism. will not Sc many days.
In the DAYS when ChidrrmaS was u>hrrrd III
j., >.iual|S 81 children, il the first tooth
dian ,niln, appeared IN the upper Jaw, twas
believed that II would die while on ITS m"-
thrr~ breast. Old grannieS reJ"lced over
rhid hnrn with it, hand open, declaring that
Il would hc generous, truthful, and hencv"-
irut IL H. chr>tencd hy u lrit-handcd
priest Mas regarded - a calamity. luck
h., wight h-moaulng his miSiortuneS, eX-
,.ialm>-'i am the most wrrtchei fellow;
ur. SOM. lett handed priest christened me,
IN - uniurky.'
Infants "a whom the cnusccrated water oil
lin. ncraneni had moi been poured nrsprln-
iri were supposed t. h." susceptible 10 the
Malignant influences al spirits. TN no ac-
,,un, would IT." English chiliwi,es OF the
ull.n time suffer IN infant, III craile-cl"theS.
!. h. alone " night in Il lighted ro"m.--
Thr Danish mothers protected their suck
lings from thu nrxious spells "i these unseen
lrlu.s,, with an amulet Of some sort, which
tiry placed On the cradle or over the door
Ai.ut riillren'S nccks the wild Irish hung
ih" lightning Of Il. Johns Gasrri. 4 crook
,,inail nr i horseshoe. or II piece of Il VOLTS
kin; AMI both the >uckiug-chill and nurse
were grit with girlles finely plated with
wpinan'S hair.
\ crust of the bread sanctiiea for the
Eucharist. was supposed to be as potent us
PRAYER IN defeating the malicious designs OF
witches and hays. While this charm was
under the pillow Of the sleeping innocent,
these spirits of the air were powcrlesS to do 1t
any harm. Another f;ivorite charm has been
ia; int" verse:
"Lv; tie Superstit0us wife
Ncar the chiii's heart lay knife;
Point be up. and haft be down,
While She gosSips in the town.
Tbs. 'mongst other mystck charms.
EecI, the sleeping child from harms
Il was universally believed that when peo-
p}r's minds were in bondage to the phan-
toms 81 their own fears, those mrthtui little
..r,pl,. lie fairies, were addicted to the prac-
,.., Of exchanging babies with human moth
CPS. un,icr cover OF the darkness, while the
IA,,hc~s, were asleep. inhaptlzed infants
). Gic acre exposed 10 the arts 81 these tiny
creatures. and they were sagaci"as enough
.t5V4,s a. select the finest children, leaving
ia ,t,c rlei cradle puny, dull-eyed, long
lu,n,d .,arvcling Dwarfsh, dctormed, idl-
ut,,clildrcn were generally looked upon a
Gives Il i. had been brought III this stealihy
wa, Il. N fairy land. These silly and silent
rriG..n were called changeinss.
w. find this strange superstition IN the
i'lirir Queen:
..i.,a thence fairy thee unwectius rcit,
T i, thou Sccpst in tender swaddllns band,
Nh hgr base cliin brood there for thee lett:
sucn la,n H. changciings call, 50 changd by larry
hcil."
Mud Shakespeare puts these WORDS III tue
mouth !. Henry the Fourth when he Is II
,nrating the prohi.acy ofhis son:
20 tina. it could be proved
Fiat some ighi tripping fairy had exchange,
The rr;, lie clothes. children where they lay
ANA r,,i'i mine Percy, his Plantagcnet!
Tam Moald have his Harry, aud he mlne
the ruSsics Of the North Of England would
n ,nn face a ghost under willow tree IN
a graveyard. n step across the grave OF an
..... ,ri~rcnrd child The Scottish llighlan-
Grt, believed that wcanics dying unbaptis"d
r4.l !ere,l in dcsoate places weeping and
waln-. Those gifted with second sight,
ah.r'o
,.Scc the gliding ghosts Embodied troop,
>,crr often appalled, with the vision Of these
shal NV forms abandoned 10 eternal unrest
aui hopeless misery. for the SIN OF their pa
rents.
SPONSORS. in ancient times. acknowledged
III, honor conferred on them by presenting
their ,,d-chldren with gil, Spoons. These
>,.yrnS were called the Apostle spoons, be
su,e tie figures Of the twelve Apostles were
chased or carved on the tops OF the handles.
uournt SPONSORS gave the whole twelve
These in mlddlins circumstances gave tour.
III a a.