Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1863-04-03


The oule eke, that of deth the bode sringeth y
And Edmund Spencer has the following
distich on the venerable superstition
| "The rueful strich still waiting on tn. beers,
The whistler shri, that whose hears doth die"
| The raven was also supposed to feel the
shadow of coming calamity. The croak of
this bird portended death. 1t is stated that
one of those gloomy birds premonished
Cicero of his approaching death.
Crows we're also accounted prophe, teal
birds. When flying in focks, they were
watched by the Romans with trembling. for
ifihey passed on the right hand, they boded
good; if on the left, evil The flight of
crow over house three times in succession.
with eroak each time, was sure 10 be fol-
lowed by death in the family. An old
writer was so confoundedly convinced of the
propsetical powers of this lover of corn that
he expresses the belief that God sheweth
lhis neTy counsayle 10 the Groves"
Several of the superslitions of the olden
stime have been preserved by salt The
spilling of this Indispensable substance has
turned many a ruddy cheek pale, and in
stan,ly silenoed the most gleesome laughter.
If by an uulucky accident any one over
turns the salLceler, tile eye of an evil doom
is thought 10 be fixed upon him. And the
llperson toward whom the salt fall is also
supposed 10 be about to suffer some mis-
chance; but this mag be averted by hav-
ing wine poured on tAe lap, or by finging
some of the split salt over the left shoulder
into the fire.
The occult science OF omens pronounced
the putting df shoe or stocking on the
wrong foSt q most unluoky occurance.
Throwing an old shoe after fac bridegroom
and bride on leaving their respective houses
was supposed to secure for the couple tie
most desirable blessings.
The custom of dreaRiag OF wedding
cake dates back to very remote period
A sEce of this charmed cake placed beneath
the pillow was supposed to bring before the
inner eyes OF the fair sleeper the person
who was destsaed to b. her loved lcrd.
1t used to be eustossary 10 so@e countries
of Europe for the bride, after she entered
her chamber, to turn and fling her shoe
among the crowd gathered ;loeUt the door.
The person &ho succeeded in getting it was
sure to be married before many mooas.
These occasens were productive Of Rauch
noisy 5oility, and this simple soroery was
never emitted.
+ Superstition has always set apart certain
days as good. and others as evil. Friday is
the most ill-omened day in the calendar,
and there are many who still believe that
the fifth day in the week exers baneful
influence upon fresh resolves. and new en-
terprises. The Firms never begin anything
of importance on Monday. or Friday. Lord
Burghly, in letter TO his son, admonishes
him against three Mondays. His lordship
specifies these evil Mondays, and assigns a
sufficient reason for regarding them as un-
lucky: The first Munday in April, which
day Game acas born and has brother Abel
slaine; the second Munday in August,
which day .Sodome and Gonamordh ,eas de-
stroyed and the last Munday in December.
which day Judas nas born, that betrayed
/ Saviour Christ"
Sneezing has been considered good
omen from time Immemorial. Prometheus
is said to have been the first 10 bless the
sneezer. The person who uttered this joy
Gus sound, and received the benediction of
the fire-thief, was the man he had fashioned
of clay. The Rabbis tell us that not long
after the creation, the Lord ordained every
f human being should sneeze but once, and
that the soul should leave the body at the
moment of sternutation, but the decree was
revoked through the supplications OF the
patriarch Jacob. When the King Of Meso-
potomia sneezes the auspicious event is
. celebrated throughout bis realm with ban
quet, dance and song, aud every demonsera-
tien of joy.