Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-09-16
0mens and SuperstitiOns.

Omcns and SuperstitiOns.
The tingling of the right ear taught
that some one praised the left that
some one was abusing us. Pliny calls
titan invisible Mercury teaching US
to hear by touch" Theocritus says
that if the right eye itched we should
see something very pleasant; ana
Melton says the itching OF the nose
shows the arrival of strangers though
he Southern negroes regard IL AZ a
sure and certain sign of approaching
anger or disputes. The itching OF the
palm has always been significant OF
canning money; and the itching OF
thumbs signifies danger comes that
way" .,
Back spots on the finger nails
Burtom in his Anatomy of Melan-
choly" is at considerable pains to
nroya ominous of all kinds OF evil
fortune, while white ones are certain
fores had owing of an access OF all
the Gifts of wealth and friendship.
Yellow spots he considers as fore
telling the death of the person on
whose fingers nails they appear.
It was also subject of some I'M
portence to cut the nails on proper
DAYS. since if cut on Sunday the
devil would rule the next week.
Monday brought health Tuesday
wealth, Wednesday lover, Thursday
letter, Friday sorrow, Saturday a
journey.
In going out of the house in the
morning it was considered very III =
/ lucky to meet lame or a squirting
person, or a priest; but fortunate to
meet horcs labOring, or Cxen plowlng,
sheep, or large, honest looking dogs.
! 4 prominent merchant in this city
told me not long ago that he always
took the right hand side of the road
when going on important business:
Cat; have never been friendly to
humanity since the days of then
Egyptian divinity. Yet if n cat
>neezes in a house were marriage is IL
contemplation it is to be considered
a mark of great honor, and every one
known that when a cat washes hel
face company is coming. Sailors
have a particular dislike to cats they
say hat before a storm they are
/ frantically and umcannity merry.
! And as cats are highly electrical
theie may be more truth than superStl'
ton in this observation.
Rats and mice are always disagreed
bic omens,and if they gnaw the furni'
ture or clothing it is sign of change
or misfortune Crickets on the con-
trary are the very germs of home
happiness Pliny cnumerates then
among the kindly influences, anC
+, Dickens has embalmed them in low
ing and perpetual memory.
There are great many omens sup
! posed to prefigure death besides thOst
already named /; indeed the attemp
collect them would lengthen the sub
iect indefinitely, for almost every fam
lily has some peculiar token.
prefer to notice some funeral customs
| which still linger in the linger in tn,
byways of English society.
In Yorkshire, Derbyshire. anC
Wales, it is believed that no one cal
die on pigeon feathers. Again. il
many places, they believe that tn,
opening of doors and windows facili
tates the parting of soul and body
| Many writers notice this superstition
and sever years ago / heard a very EN-
inent physician say in regard to dy
ing patient; He is dying, open tn,
doors and windows " He afterward
told me that it was superstition tina
he had believed in for years, ant
which he could not help fancying wa
sustained by experience. Dickens IL
David copperfield" notices super
stitiou common i'll all sea-bOard cOun
tries: "He is going out with the tide
If he lives till it turns, he'll hold hi:
own till past the flood, and go on
with the next tide"
After death in the north of Scot
land they lock up ali the cate, and GOV
erall the looking glasses until the bod!
is inferred. Throughout Cumberland
il is common 10 set a small table Gov
cred with white cloth outside th
door, on which is plate containin!
little salt and rosemary. In boil
countries it is believed that tear fall
ing on the face of the dead is disturb
ing to them, and fatal to the living
The custom of leaving the face uncOv
cred until the hour of burial dates from
the Saxon Heptarchy. In Flintshir
they say the Lords prayer over
corpse as it leaves the house--In Dur
ham they never use the knocker o
bell when bid to funeral, but RAJ
with key which they bring wit
them for the purpose.
Throughout the north of England
is customary TO offer the company a
a funeral spioed wine and rich cak
a spTig al rosemary. The rosemary
carried 20 the grave and east into
with the coffin In the Isle of Man
have seen very respectable person
buried without Il coilip, the body be
ing simply wound il the blue blank
cts manufactured - every COTTAGE
Tho funerals here are immense pro
ce>sions of horse and foOtmen, all @
whom are feasted on their return {
the house with cold provis ons an
brandy or rum.