Connecticut western news., 1877-06-01
Turkish Superstition.

To draw us still nearer to God.
 Turkish Superstition.
 A sdy writing in the Cornhill Maga- zine on Turkish Ways and Turkish Women" says: The crescent is Hot a chance representation or symbol of the Mohammedan faith; the new moon Is inseparably connected in the Mussul- man mind with special acts of devotion; its appearance is watched for with eager expectancy, and the moment the eye lights on the slight thread of silver in the western twilight it remains fixed there while prayers of thanksgiving and praise are offered, the hands being held up by the face, the palms upward and open, and afterward passed three times over the visage, the gaze still re- maining immovable. The eyes are snatched of, if possible, to be turned straight on some lucky face or preci- Ous object. A fond mother will send for her child to be near at hand before she takes her first look at the new moon, and, as she concludes her prayer, she will look into it's eyes and kiss it; but not it's eye-lds; that would be sure sign that the two would shortly be parted. Favorite slaves covered their faces till they could find the young and beautiful Princess, and then, as they looked into her eyes, would make their apology, which was sure to be accepted. I was in request for the same purpose, and nna rooro ;1hoh;%od ;v &ba hcS.r% of Stamboul, was besieRed at the new moon by those who held the supersti tion that it was unlucky to see it through glass, and who Hooked to my three windows because they had no kaffs, and could be thrown up (for they looked into a narrow court, and could not be seen from the street). I could not find it in my heart to rebuff these poor girls, while I smiled at their su- perstitious observances; and I gave permission to relay after relay of those who asked leave to station themselves at my windows and look straight from the moon into my face. Who can bring us better luck than youi' they would say; you wish good to every one, and you are not slave.' Mussulmans have c very special reverence for the rain bow as an actual renewal, whenever it appears, of the promise of God not again to destroy the earth at any time. Their faith in it as distinct sign to them is all the more vivid from their being in most cases quite ignorant of the natural causes which produce the rainbow. In such things they are, for the most part, like simple, untaught children, not looking for the physical causes of the phenomena of nature, but attributing the latter to some unseen power in regions of the supernatural. The popular belief among the ignorant classes in Turkey respecting the cause of an eclipse is an instance of this. To the ordinary Turkish mind the dark ened luminary is being attacked by some evil spirit clambering over it, en- deavoring to quench it's brightness and threatening it's very existence. Never shall l forget my extreme astonishment one still winter evening, to hear 8 sud- den firing of guns and 8 running back ward and forward in the streets, with shouting and noise, and to discover that all this excitement was occasioned by the people having perceived that the moon was getting darkened. The monster was at its fell work once more and must be frightened off! So those who had them brought guns, and dis charged volleys of shot in the direction of the helpless victim, and to make the defense more effective the Imams also discharged their firearms, with the same aim, from the balconies of the minarets. The struggle was watched with intense interest by men and boyi and poor women crowding below, anG by ladies and slaves, who witnessed these proceedings from the harem win
 dows; and the triumph and relief were greas when the pious invectives anG righteous missiles of the Imams were found to have so far wrought terror il the vampire that it began slowly to re lax its hold on It's prey, and the moor gradually regained it's efulgence. Com
 placent ejaculations of victory followe,
 happy thought that the Hfndoos wer
 gaining great deal from their connec tion with Great Britain. Such emotion
 are not to be confused with the coars
 interests which keep up pilgrimages fo
 publican coffers, and make it the las
 excess of infidelity to doubt Satani
 phenomena when near the Devil' Dyke, when two dourishing inns an'
 an omnibus line might be endangere'
 by the heresy.-M. D Coneody.