The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-07-30
CURIOUS sUPERsrITIoNs.

i Chinese pottery, fans and tea.chests,
one cannot help wondering what sort OF
tales the Chinese must tell their children,
and to what sort of superstitions they
must be inclined. The modern search
into the " folk klore'' of different nations,
in order to establish theories of national
origin, has brought many popular rsuperA
stitions forward In learned volumes, and
has given historical and philosophical
value to old wives fables, which might
otherwise have remained in obscurity.
This article has nothing to do with the
learning side of these disqulsitions. The
publication in England of u volume
on the Folk Lore of China and its
Af1inities," gives us some specimens of
Chinese superstition, which may amuse
the reader, who may trace the "affini-
ties" at leisure.
Like ourselves, the Chinese do not
like to break looking glasses. To break
a mirror Is a sign of trouble in the
family. To break an oil jar is still
more fearful omen, and the terror which
the Westerners attach to spilling salt, is
given among these Orientals of spilling
oil. But the mirror plays a more i'm
portant part in China than the most
superstitious among the Western ma
tions ever dreamed of. When o man is
sick they make an efiigy of him by
clothing q bamboo branch with his
clothes. The head of the figure is repre-
sented by mirror, and with this con-
trivance they parade around the house
where the patient is dyingor is supposed
to be dying. The theory is that the
fleeting spirit, seeing his face in the
mirror, may return to claim his gar
ments and reanimate his body. By
this, the dreamer in search of "affini-
ties must conclude that the spiritualistic
Undertaking. mediums among us
are of Chinese stock in ways that are
dark.
A Chinese garden is a labyrinth of
crooked paths and abrupt turns. The
theory of this is that, as the evil spirits
are continually in pursuit of men, they
are to be kept out of the house by an
ingenious distribution of impediments
| and involution of foot-paths. Among
the Chinese legends there is a period
mentioned when these demons were so
| audacious that man could not trust
| his wife, or woman her husband out
of sight, for the demons assumed the
shape of and semblance of mortals, and
| when mans wife left him, he was
never sure that the demon would not
borrow her aspect and form to pay him
| visit. To counteract this unpleasant
| personation, when friends separated they
exchanged private tokens, and no wife
| without the production of the ticket.
The Chinese have proverb to-day, eff
your ticket be lost you are helpless" 1t
must be admitted that the people who
could invent such a test of identity had
avery mean notion of demoniac sagacity.
Modern evil runs especially in the line
of counterfeiting tickets, and especially
such as represent value.
Among the secrets of money getting
it is said that the ghost of a cat is the
most capital agent for appropriating the
property of others. The cat is to be
hung till dead, and the family desiring
the assistance of the defunct puss go
into mourning for her for seven weeks.
Then memorial tablet of puss is hung
up and worship paid to it. A small bag
is placed near the tablet, and in the
night the cat or her ghost goes and fills
it. The bag is next day opened over a
large empty chest and enough rice or
peas runs out to fill wagon. OF course
the envious neighbors say, this must be
the way in which some people get rich.
There can be no other mode Of account
Ing for it,
How iAah hiay miss getting rich, is
illustrated III The story of butcher. A
stranger asked him what he would take
for the bench on which the meat lay.
He, suspecting fun, answered seventy
five dollars fifty taels). The money
was offered, but the butcher thinking
there was more money in the bench
than he was aware of, flew from his
bargain, and put the bench away in q
safe place to wait for rise in the
market. The purchaser calls again af-
ter years interval, but the hatcher has
now become an offerer with no taker.
For he is informed that there was a
snake in the bench with jewel in its
mouth. The snake lived on the blood
| from the raw meat which soaked