The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1874-11-13

Traditions, legends and superstitions
closely linked as they often are, remain
very distinct in themselves and in their
influence. A tradition may be true a
legend is not only untrue, but improb-
able and superstition is foolish be.
lief in the supernatural and impossible
The first two are apt to be full of inter
est and charm ~ the last is always a
blight, wherever it may settle. The
world abounds in wild and marvellous
stories that are believed in by the un-
educated. For instance, in almost
every country Ghere are legends about
long sleepers. According to them,
Charlemagne sleeps in Hess, seated on
his throne, with crown on head and
swerd in hand, waiting till Antichrist
shall come !; the seven youths of Ephe-
sus, who refused to bow down to the
idol of the Emperor Decius, sleep on,
their faces fresh as roses, till the resur-
rection-day !; Epimenides slept fifty
seven years; Christian priest sleeps
in ST. Sophia till the Turk shall be cast
out; three Bohemian miners sleep in
the heart of the Kuttenburg /; and Rip
Van Winkle slept twenty years in
kaatskills. In the great hills of Thur
ingia still sleep Frederic Barbarossa
and his six knights. A shepherd ones
penetrated into long winding cave in
the heart of the mountain, and there
found the seven all asleep, the EN-
peror's red beard having grown through
the marble table. The noise of foot
steps awakened him, and he asked
DO the ravens still fly over the
mountains ?"
eyes" replied the shepherd, "they
do
"Then we must sleep another hun
dred years., answered the monarch,
and turned again to rest.
In Switzerland three William Tells
sleep in a cave. brave boy once
crept in.
sWhat o'clock is it?" asked the
third Tell.
'Noon," replied the lad.
so dear the time has not yet
come," said Tell, and he lay down again.
There are many superstitions about
the man in the moon, and almost every
country in the world has story about
him. In New England the nurses tell
the children that this man was found
by Moses gathering sticks on a SAB
bath, and that, for being so wicked, he
was doomed to reside in the moon till
the last day.
eff you don't believe it." they say,
"look in the. Bible. It is all told in the
fifteenth chapter of Numbers.
The Germans have the tale this way.
Ages ago there went one Sunday morn.
ing an old man into the forest to cut
wood When he had made a bundle he
slung it on his staff, cast it over his
shoulder, and started for home. Or
his way he met minister, all in his
bands and robes, who asked him:
IS, Don't you know, my friend, that il
is Sunday on earth, when all must rest
from their labors -
Sunday on earth, or Monday il
Ie heaven, it is all one to me ! " laughed
r. the woodman.
I'd "Then bear your burden forever,
la said the priest land as you value no
v. Sunday on earth, you shall have Mon
I'd day in heaven till the great day"
i. Thereupon the speaker vanished, an6
er the man was caught up, with cane ant
faggots, into the moon, where you cal
as see him any clear night.
ST In Norway they think they see both
.'s man and woman, and the story goei
ut that the former threw brambles at peo
m pie going to church, and the latter made
10 butter on Sunday. In the clear, colo
~ man carrying his bundle Of thorns, ant
AZ the woman her butter-tub- S
1t Dodge, IN So. Nicholas for NoUem6e1'
- The White Flag.
A few weeks ago, dear children.
Sc read paper in the Christian about rail
v. way flags, which made me think o
er ago.
ad When I was a very little girl I wa
er travelling one day to Manchester with m
mamma We had to go a long railwa,
4 /: journey in order to reach the place t.
IN which we were going, but all was new t.
i'll me, and I liked to watch the peopl
lie getting in and out of the carriages.
be Mamma gave little books to all on
of fellow passengers, and I was very muc
| hn n
at ways in which the little books wer
g. received.
elf At last at one station (I think it wa
ne Crewe) an old man got into the carriage
he He had a nice face, and looked bot
at happy and sad, and I wondered wha
nd made him have that look on his face.
it When mamma gave him little bool
and spoke to him of Jesus, the sad loo
lie quite went away from his face, and b
i'll smiled and said, "Ah, yes too Low
he the Lord Jesus.
at I think mamma had noticed the sa
to look on his face, for she said somethin
ew to him about the Comforter" an
an about God being "the God of all con
ht fort and consolation"
Is, Then I saw the old man bend forwar
ee and tell her that only the week befor
his wife died +" fallen asleep in Jesus,
Mt I think he said.
en- SnOulu 1lh0 10 G01I JOu SC1AcEA1l
TX about her, if you will let me- the oil
Id man said and mamma told him sh
he would like very much to hear abor
nv her.
or "I am a station-master, at a 'sma
| a station on the line,'' he said and N
ar wife used often to sit in the little wiz
s a dow of our parlor, and watch me wavin
7as the different colored flags as the trai1
his came in. We both loved the Lon
Jesus, and used often to speak t,
gether of him we loved so dearly, and
. his great salvation. She was an il
d,s valid, and at last began to droop Ia
ite idly.
ND ND zone evening she called n. te
~. he and said, John, there will be a fs
az, az held out to-night-a flag in the hand
sbe Jesus. It will not be red flag, f
there is no danger; and it will not be
,od green flag, for, thank God, there is I
hi. hi doubt but it will be pure white fla
ino for all is perfect safety and peace, al
vas am very nearly at my journeys enc
The And that night my wife died"
har I cannot remember any mere of Il
the old mans story, dear children b
,ar whenever see the white flag waved,
think of the evening at the little ua