Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-09-18
PARAGRAPHS.
AN ILLUSTRATION OF GRATITUDE.

AN ILLUSTRATION OF GRATITUDE.
The San Francisco Meus Letter tells the
following story: "a certain stock bro
Her IN tins town had a landlady, pleas
ant sort OF woman, but who had an eve
to the main chance. One evening the
good old lady became ~lachrymose.
What ails you, Mrs. S-?' sympathet-
ically asked the big. hearted broker.
Oh, sir! replied the dame. I'm in a
heap OF trouble. l do wish was rich
!hat'sa very common disease. How
much, now, would you call a comforta-
BILE independence?' WELL said the
lady, II had $1,000 I'd be a happy wo.
man. The broker reflected. He want.
ed to make the old woman happy, and
so he invested in Consolidated Virginia
10 The amount OF twenty shares, which
gave a profit OF 1900, which he instant
~ handed to Mrs. S, with his best
regards. The lady was overjoyed. She
Wept on his wa%lstcoat; she called him
her preserver; she would have kissed
MN, but he wouldn't let her. At last,
Wnen her transports had somewhat sub.
sized, the instinct of money-making be-
gan TO show itself, and she requested
broker TO reinvest the whole sum on
her behalf. He demurred; he objected;
ne begged OF her to be content with the
profit she had made. He knew the I'M
certainty OF stocks; but all in vain.
Mammon reigned triumphant in the
Old woman's breast. She insisted: he
yielded, and lost half the investment.
The lady had $1,000 left, but was she
satisfied? No! She actually sued the
broker for the remainder"
THE ORIGIN OF THE HORSESHOE UPERsTI-
TON.
In the very early times, SAYS a writer
in Batdwin's Monthly, among the Celtic
race an efiigy of the patron saint, so
common in churches and temples, was
much used in the dwellings and shops
OF the people, as a so-called ''protec-
ton" against ill-fortune. The glory"
above the head OF these figures-which
later was often rudely carved in wood
and p~ainted-was represented by a cir
cular piece OF polished metal, to convey
the effect OF the shining halo or nimbus
frequently seen in illustrations OF the
Virgin and other Scripture subjects.
Often this metal nimbus was Of semi.
circular form; and after the figure itself
had disappeared, by reason OF decay,
the nimbus remained and was suspend.
ed in some prominent place at the en-
trance dOor or other point commanding
view. The eitigies in question were
not uncommonly seen by the side OF the
doorway. In course OF time the nimbus
was much used as a substitute for the
latter and was sold insshops far this pur-
pose.
The tradition OF good luck as embodi-
ed in the horseshoe theory, may thus be
easily traced, since it became a common
occurrence, in the due ours OF time,
for the faithful adherent in the belief in
charms and symbols, to adopt the horse
shoe worn to brightness, in the absence
Of any other, which he nailed over his
cottage door. Hence a piece OF metal
of this shape became associated in the
common mind with supernatural pres
ence and care, in keeping with the be-
lief attaching to the original figure Of
the patron saint.
GOOD OLD MAN
"You see, my children" said an old
acquaintance " ONlS llit OlltI tNtIllllg,
as a little group huddled around him.
there is no habit that you cannot rid
yourself OF il you are resolved. Now, in
my early youth | was a sailor, and con
tracted the popular habit OF swearing at
everything and nothing. Withoutprov-
ocatIon | would rattle off a string OF
oaths and violate the commandment a
hundred times a day. When | left the
sea my mothers early teaching return
ed TO me, and / mentally resolved that
| would never swear again. That was
forty years ago, and | have never vio-
lated the promise | made myself. Some
OF YOU have little habits which you can
easily rid yourself OF; promise me now,
my dearies, that you will cali up your
worst habit and drop it tonight"
The promises were readily given, and
then came calls for a story. 1t was his
habit to supplement his little lecture by
stories.
"Tell us a story OF the sea-" lisped a
voice.
The old man smiled, and picked up a
conch from the hearth.
"Well, little beauty will let the shell
tell it,"
He placed it to his ear,closed his eyes,
and said:
"Hark! hear the sea. 1t is the
Mediterranean, and before me is a ship
plunging upon the stormy waves. The
crew are huddled about in terror, and
the vessel plunges along in the light
ning.rent with no hand at the helm.
But there is one form that trembles not.
1t stands at the bow with upturned face,
gazing into the heavens"
ooh, that's Paul, know" exclaimed
a voice.
Fright again, my child. Inspired by
a divine faith, he stands unmoved in
the night; neither fear nor pan can
move him. He is a true man, and
The old man paused; the shell drop
ped from his hand, and a look OF star
tied inquiry came over his face. He
sprang to his feet and danced a cancan
in the room; he called on his patron
saint and swore a string OF oaths thir-
teen feet long as he rem the night air
with discordant shrieks; the m
screamed; the children cried; the police
came, and four neighbors at last bore
him to the floor and sat upon him, while
another removed with a pair OF COM
passes a bug from his ear.
One little ccckroach hid in shell had
upset the resolution OF forty years