Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-05-16

count for some of their mats wearing out
too quickly, by reason of the canes hav-
ing been cut at the wrong time of the
moon. 1t is foolish, according to Suffolk
notions, to kill pig when the moon is
waning; for if pig be converted into pork
at that time, the meat will invariably
waste excessively when it comes to be
cooked. In Burray and South Ronaldsay
they carry the waxing and waning theory
still further, holding it unlucky to marry
except under growing moon. A skepti-
cal writer, sneering at one Of those who
might have bOasted, like Falstaff, "We be
men of good government, being governed
as the sea is, by our noble and chaste mis-
tress, the mOOn," says: "When the moon
is in Taurus he can never be persuaded
to take physic; lest that animal, which
cheWs the cud, should make him cast up
again. If at any time he has a mind to be
admitted into the presence Of prince, he
will wait till the moon is in conjunction
with the sun, for tits then the society of
an inferior with a superior is salutary and
successful"
1t was once and still may be, the Gus
tom of Highland DANES to salute
the new moon with solemn courtesy.
English country DANES were wont to sit
astride style or gate, waiting the new
moons appearance, to welcome her with,
GA fine moon, God bless her" Bachelors
were privileged to claim kiss and pair
Of gloves upon announcing the advent of
a new moon to the first maiden they met.
If, when first seen, the new moon was
upon the right hand, or directly before
the person making her acquaintance, good
fortune awaited the lucky individual on
the ensuing month: just the contrary re-
suit following its appearance on the left
hand, or at his or her back.
A lunar eclipse has been accounted an
omen dire, as it we'll might be, if the pop
ular notion in ancient times was correct,
and the moon was only eclipsed when suf-
fering from the spells of wicked magicians
seeking to draw her down to the earth, to
aid them in their unholy doings; fortu-
nately, their Vaccinations were Of no
avail, if honest people could make enough
noise to drown the songs of the en-
chanters.
To sing the moon out of the sky is
about as feasible feat as fishing her out
of pond. Attempting the latter, a hay
maker fixed nickname upon his Wilt
shire brethren forever. The story goes
that two Wiltshire haymakers, going home
from work, espied the reflection of the
moon in pond and took it for lump of
gold. One took off his boots and stock
ings, waded in, and tried to lay hold Of
the glittering prize; it was too deep for
his reach, so, Selling hold of his rake, he
began to rake the water, and persevered,
until a party Of Somersetshire mowers
came along, and jeered him as "moon-
raker." Anxious to remove the slur of
stupidity from his countryman, Mr.. AEer-
man ingeniously accounts for the Opprobi-
Gus nickname in this way: "Piple zay as
how they gied tn neame o. WoodTakers to
we Wiltshire vauk, bekase a passel o.
stupid bodies one night tried to rake the
shadow O. tn moon out O. tn bruk, and
tok't vor thin cheese But that's tn
wrong end o. tn story. The chaps as was
doin' o. this was smugglers, and they was
a-vishing up ZONE kegs O. sperits, and
only pertended to rake out cheese. So
the exciseman as axed 'em the question
had his grin at 'em; but they had good
laugh at he, when 'em got whoame the
stuff" BY the way, has the saying, 'The
moon is not made Of green cheese" any
connection with the Wiltshire tradition,
or with that respecting the Middletoni-
ans of Lancashire who are reproached
with taking the moons shadow for
Cheshire cheese, and trying to rake it out
of pit? We pause for reply, and shall
look for one in Notes and Quer5es.-ChGn0-
be3,s's ,TO2t9n0Z