The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-08-24
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

the most popular in connection with
love and marriage we place before our
readers.
On st. Marks Eve the custom still
fingers among the maidens of North
amptonshire to make the dumb cGhe.
The number of the party never eX-
cceds three. They meet in silence to
make the cake, and as soon as the
clock strikes twelve they each break
portion of to eat and when done:
tlev walk UP to bed backward, with
out speaking wOrd-tor, If one
speaks the spell is broken. Those
thai are to be married see the likeness
Of their swcelhearts hurrying after
them. Those are to die unmarried
neither hear nor see anything; but
they have terrible dreams, which are
sure to be of new made graves, wind
ing sheets, and churchyards, and OF
rings that will fit no finger or whicn,
if they do. cIumble into dlst as soon
as put on.
There is another dumb ceremony also
prevalent in Northamptonshire OF eat
inc a volk of al egg in silence and then
filling the shell with salt, when the
sweetheart is sure to make his visit III
some way or other before morning.
The young women Of Scotland, in
former times, determined the figure
and size Of their husbands by drawing
cabbages blindfolded on All Hollow
Even, Cor Hollowe'en, the 3lst of
October and, like the English, fling
iug nuts into the fire. 1t is mention
cd hv Burns that "thc first ceremony
of Halloween is pulling each a stock
or plant of kali. They must 90 oHt
hand in hand, with eyes shut. and pull
the first they meet with. 1t being
bio or little, straight or crooked, is
prophetic of the size and shape OF the
grand object Of all their spelIs-thc
husband or wife, If any yird. or
earth. stick to the root, that Is tCcher
or fortune; and the taste of the Gus
fJc-that is. the heart of the stem--is
Indicative Of the natural temper and
disposition Lastly, the atems--Ur to
give them ordinary appellation-the
ruHtS, are placed somewhere above
the head of the door, and the Chris
tian names of the people whom chance
brings into the house, are. according
t. the priority of placing the runts
the names in question
The Welch have n play in which
the youth of both sexes seek for an
evenleaved sprig of the ash and the
first or either sex that finds and calls
out CyHjrcr, is answered by the first
of the other that succeeds; and these
two, if the omen fails not are to be
Joined in wcdlock.
Burning the nuts was once a favor
tie charm in Scotland. They name
the lad and lass to each particular
nut, as they lay them in the fire. and
accordingly as they burn quietly 20.
yethcr, or start from bcsids one an
other. the course and issue of the
courtship will be.
In Ireland, when the Young women
wishes to know if their lovers were
faithful, they put three nuts upon the
bars OF the CRATE, naming the nuts af-
ter the lOV~rS If the nut cracked or
jumped, the lover would prove un-
faithful If it began to blaze or burn,
he had regard for the person making
the trial Ii the nuts named after the
Girl and her lover burned together,
they would be married.
Eating an apple at glass was an
other charm once in vogue. Take
candle and 90 alone to a looking
glass Eat an apple before it, aud
(traditions say YOU should comb your
hair all the timc) the face of your
coniugal companion to be will be seen
in the glass, as if peeping over your
shoulder"
Throwing n stocking" is a singular
sort Of love divina.ion on the first
evening of It wedding After the
bride has retired, and while she is un--
dressing she delivers Ole of her stock
ings % a female attendant, who
throws it at random among the com
panv assembled on this occasion.
The person on whom It happens to
alight will, it is supposed bc the next
to enter into the blessed state Of mat
rim0ny.
The following supeTsttiOus customs
still finger in the south of Scotland:
The bride when she enters the house
of her husband, is lifted over the
threshold. TO >step on it, or over it,
iuvuluntarilN, is rcckrned 4 bad omen
On the SANE occasion a sweet cake.
Lakcd fer the purpose, is broken above
the head of the bride. which is also n
rite OF classic tradition.
PINE. TREE OIL-Betwcen Bordeaux
and BayOnne there is a large stretch
of sandy desert, whcrcOn there is little
Vegetation, save here and there patch
cs Of pine trees From these trees
there runs rcsinous matter which is
collected and sid 10y the inhabitants
of the region This substance has
recently been stuGied by NJ. Guile
mare, and he has now announced TO
the French Academy of Science that
he has plo6"ced three kinds of oil
from the material, all rich in carbon,