Smyrna times., 1873-07-09
Omens and Superstition.

II am not bit superStitious, though I'll
own L had rather see the new moon over nv
right shoulder"
Yes you are superstitious in many other
things beside the moon; and you will find very
few people that are not-though scarcely any
are honest enough to admit it. How far did
you make me walk out Of my way, the other
morning, to avoid going under ladder? And
didn't you go into the mud to pick up that
horseshoe for luck ?'
We read that Lord Nelson had great faith in
the horseshoe, and had one nailed to the mast
of the ship Victory. Lucky DIR. James" at
tributed the success of his fever powders to his
finding horseshoe, which he adopted as the
crest upon his carriage. This belief in the
horseshoe may have led to its adoption as the
ornamental portion of a scarf-pin.
Aubrey, in his "Misccllanies, says: Gun
der the porch of Staninfed church, in Suffolk,
saw tile with horseshoe upon it-placed
there to hinder the power of witches though
one would imagine that the holy water would
have been sufficient"
The charm of the horseshoe lies in its being
forked and presenting two points.
Herrick, in his Hesperides, says:
Hang up hooks and shears to scare
Hence the hag that rides the mare,
Till they be all over wet
With the mire and with the sweat
This observed, the names shall be
Of your horses all knot-tree." :"
Even the two fore fingers held out apart are
thought to avert the evil eye or to prevent the
Vaccinations of the lord and master of the
neither world.
The pentacle, or seal of Solomon, issupposed
to possess great power-being composed of
two trlangles presenting six forked ends, and
therefore enormously called "pentacle"
Mr.. limbs states that when Monmouth street
was fashionable locality of London it was
noted for its number of hOrseshoes nailed over
the dOorways or on the sis. In 1913 Sir Henry
Ellis counted, here, seventeen. In lS4l there
were six; but in 1852 there were eleven.
! The French, when going on a voyage, throw
piece of silver to the waves, by way of super
stitiOus appeal to the god of fortune.
1t Is a German custom, think, to throw an
old shoe after the carriage when friend-espe-
clally bride-starts on a journey, to insure
them safe return. An English cattle dealer
desired his wife to "trull her left shoe arter
him" when he started for Norwich to buy a
lottery ticket, and looking round to see if she
practiced the charm, he received the shoe in
his face with such force as to blacken his eyes.
lie bought the ticket, which turned out prize
of 5000!
One Summer afternoon, as | sat alone in my
room with a sick babe, | noticed little bird fy
against the closed windOwpane two or three
times Mentioning it to some friends, they ex
claimed: 'Oh! that's bad omen-sure sign Of
death - My little one did pass away in few
days after. Perhaps the bird was wiser than
the doctors, and came to give warning. Who
of US cannot remember, when we were children
and pretty large ones, too-huuting for four
leaved cloves on finding one of which we were
sure of good luck; but, if it chauced to be FIVE
leaved it was considered very bad omen?
Find odd leaved ash and even-leaved clove
And you II see your true-love before the day
| over "