Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-04-06
atonement for his wrong.doing, walked
meekly behind, carrying the luggage
QUEER sUPERsTITIONs.
Fr6Siik the Corahin Magazine.

QUEER sUPERSTITIONs.
FrSif the Corahill Magazine
The belief in spirits affords the best
explanation for I, set of customs no less
curious than disagreeable and ridicu-
lous. Wea llule to the worldwide SUI
perstitions connected with splitting
and sneezing. Many Englishmen spit
if they meet Il white horse, a squirt
ing man. or Il single magpie, or if, in
alvertently. they step under Il ladder,
or wash their hands in the same basin
with Il friend. In Lancashire, boys
spit over their fingers before begin
ming to fight; travellers OH leaving
home spit OH a stone and throw it
away; market people spit OH the first
money they receive in the day.
Swedish peasants spit thrice if they
cross water after dark, and even the
esthetic Athenian used to spit if he
met 4 mailman. So the savage New
Zealand priest spits OIL the two sticks
which. according as one of them falls
uppcrmost, are to foreshow the re-
suit of Il coming battle. Indeed, this
unpleasant habit seems i universal
charm for bringing good luck or avert
ing bad; but for what conceivable rea-
son than that the mouth was once re-
garded as the portal by which evil spir-
its got into a man, and by which alone
they could be forced to make their
exit! The Messalians used to make
splitting and nose-blowing part of
their religion, for they hoped thereby
to free themselves from the demons
with which they fancied the air to be
full.
This single case contains, probably,
the key to all the others. But why
should snecZing be SO generally re-.
gavded us 4 bad omen, and one to be
averted, if possible, by Fluctuations
and blessings! One explanation is. that
as it was the sign of returning conva-
lescence during the plague at Athens.
crisis was passed; another. that during
great plague that ragged in Germany
in the sixth century, and began it's ia
tai course with Il fit of sneezing. it was
usual to exclaim. MAY God help you
now rs soon as the sad death-signal
was heard. But the custom is of far
wider extent and older lineage than
such Explanations imply, and the only
possible hypothesis is one that adapts
itself to all races and all times. In
New Zealand 4 mother repeats Il charm
when her child sneeZes, lest any evil
result in consequence, and English
nurses do just the same. In the Meth
erlands. 4 sneeZe gives Il witch power
over Il person, unless some one invoke
a blessing from heaven. and in these
f.,nfS ,1Na1, 1,n
ton. For. taking into account that
every bodily arrangement is regarded
by savages us possession by evil spirits,
and that sneezing is always the precur.
sor Of those temporary bodily derange.
ments. often very severe. which we
know rs ''colds,' may it not be that in
those early times, when to precede is
the same as to cause. 4 sneeZing fit was
set down as Il sign or cause Of such a
possession. and charms were employed
to counteract it's effects.
If a cold was ever held to he 4 be-
Witchment. we can understand the use
OF charms and blessings at the earliest
stage Of the premonitory symptoms.
AS an involuntary act. a sneeZe would,
like I'LL other natural phenomena. be I,
series of consequences: and in course
OF time. rs men improved in observa-
ton and distinctions, it would grow to
be even suspicious under certain cir.
cumstances. Thus i'll our own country.
it is a good sign OH some days OF the
week. but 4 bad one OH others; and in
Scotland an infant is under fairy spells
until it Sneezes, Il belief apparently
connected with the absurd idea of the
incapacity Of idiots to sneeze. III
Greece, also. the distinctions drawn
about it raised sneeZing to an art; for
while it was unlucky in the afternoon,
OF when food was being cleared away.
or if it occurred three times, or more
than four. or OH the left-hand side; if
it occurred among persons i'll delib.
morning. or on the riglt-lland side, it
was accounted lucky omen. We read
that Themistoclcs, by Il judicious
sneeze Oh his right-hand side, per.
suadcd his soldiers to fight. and Memo.
pilon by Il similar act in the middle of
speech was elected general. And on
another occasion. SneeZe from 4
linesnlan just before battle was con-
sidered 50 ominous that public prayers
were deemed necessary III cOnse-
Quence.
FAITHFUL BRONZE.
The nOOntide was warm, and Miss
Gladys sat upon a rock to read. AS
she did so a tiny skitf skimmered along
as near the land rs the shallow water
would allow it. When the sailor who
was in it saw her. he waded to shore