The Democratic advocate., 1877-11-24

Whatever special religion it may have
been the accident of ones life to be born
to, and therefore to consider as the only
means of salvation, admitting the chosen
few of the peculiar cult to the bliss of
Paradise, aud sending the balance of hu-
manity incontinently to perdition, still
whatever that peculiar educational inau-
ence may be, whether Mohamedan, Par
eeism, Buddhist, Christianity with its bun
die of isms, or any other-still, outside
of this all nations and each individual
have some tenet of faith not embraced in
their creed, and accordingly designated
superstition.
1t is all very well to assert that one is
not superstitious, but watch any Of your
friends, and see if each has not some little
proverb or wise saying upon which he or
she pins certain portion of faith. How
many people thoroughly up in the science
of the day shudder when a mirror falls
and breaks without any apparent cause.
For weeks they 60 about with gloomy
forboding Of death; aud, if within a year
there is the slightest incidental fact, these
early impressions assume all the dignity
of facts supported by circumstantial evil
dence.
Grave and reyerned signors have been
unhappy at seeing tho moon over the left
shoulder, aud every matter that goes
wrong during the succeeding month is
mentally, if not orally, laid to the charge
of that unlucky look over the leftshoulder.
1t is the greatest difficulty that you
can get your Scandinavian maid to sweep
down spiders web. You show it to her
and leave the room. Return and you will
find the whole place scrupulously neat
with the exception of the still pendent
lace suggestors. Standing beside her, you
insist that her broom shall be used to re,
move the eye sores, aud you then learn that
she will brush her chance Of lovers away il
she disturbs these webs. If you are an
American, married, and not seeking high.
er inspirations than your husband eau
afford you, you relieve her and yourself
by vigorous handling of the broom your.
self. Your daughter, however, has over
heard the remark. There may be some
thing in it, and, until the ring is on hei
finger, she too, carefully abstains from
touching the spiders web. He may spin
across her window pane, or in the corner.
Of her room, and although she has nc
special love for the Arachnide, she still
refuses to cut the thread of fate this one
of the family is spinning.
Your little girl is told by her nurse that
she must not undress or dress each foot
consecutiyoly, but must alternate the
putting on or OFF of the coverings. II
would not be lucky for her during the
day if she put shoes, stockings and garter
on the right foot, and then on the left;
but she must make some inroad, such as
both stockings followed by shoe aud gar
ter, or uice rersd, or in fact, any change by
which she can vary it. Taught this in
childhood, she half unconsciously car.
ries it out thro life, and if, by an accident
she breaks the rule, she is uneasy for the
day, and on the lookout for i'll luck. Al
ways pick up pin when the head is to-
wards you; but if the point presents itself
first let it lie. Never mind what necessi-
ties Of comfortably or decently apparreling
yourself make that pin absolutely needful,
you must not pick it up. Go around all
day with an uncomfortable feeling at your
throat because the button is off your shirt
and your collar is loose, but don't touch
that pin unless the head is toward you.
If you are nearsighted and your glasses
are in some unknown place search for
them until you find them, or 60 down
on your hands and knees and examine
the position. If it is an extreme case,
in which total Generalization of attire
may depend upon the securing of that
particular pin, then you may walk carefully
around il three times, saying, in low and
solemn tone, seven times;