Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-12-04
Queer Ideas About Shoes.
1.-THE Queen. !

In Norfolk, whenever servants are going
after new situations, shoe is thrown after
them, with the wish that they may succeed In
what they are going about. Some years ago,
when vessels engaged In the Greenland whale
fishery left Wh1tby, In Yorkshire, the wives and
friends OF the sailors threw old shoes at the
tice is frequently observed In towns on the sea
coast. and correspondent Of Notes and Queries
informs us that on one occasion when at Swan
sea he received shoe on his shoulder which
was intended for young sailor leaving his
home to embark upon a trading voyage
AS an emblem OF good luck and prosperity,
an ola shoe Is In most places thrown with much
plantations, however, have been assigned for
thlS popular custom. Some think it was origl-
nally intended as sham assault upon the
bridegroom for carrying Off the BRIDE and
hence is a survival OF the Old ceremony Of op.
position TO the capture OF the bride. Others,
again, consider that the shoe was, In former
tunes, a symbol OF repunciation of dominion and
authority over her by her father or guardian:
and the receipt OF the shoe by the bridegroom
even II accidental, was an omen that the au-
tnOlity was transferred to him. Thus In the
Bl6ie, the receiving OF shoe was an evidence
and symbol OF asserting or accepting dominion
or ownership; the giving back the shoe the
symbol OF rejecting or resigning it. In Deute-
rOnomy, for example, the ceremony Of a widow
rejecting her husbands brother In marriage Is
Dy tossing his shoe from Off bis foot: and In
Rutn we ind that '.it was the custom in Israel
concerning changing that man plucked of
hts shoe and delivered it to his ne!ghbor."
=, In some parts Of Kent the manner OF shoe.
throwing Is somewhat curious. It appears that
AFTER the departure of the bride and bridegroom
the single ladies are drawn up in one row, and
the bachelors in another. When thus arranged,
an Old shoe Is thrown as far at possible, which
to have the first chance OF marriage. she then
throws the shoe at the gentlemen, when the
first who gets it, is believed to have the same
of the Isle OF Man, aliuding to this custom. tells
us that ION the bridegroom leaving his house
It was customary to throw an old shoe after
MN, and IN like manner an old shoe after the
bride on leaving her home to proceed to church.
10 insure good luck to each respectively. IT,
too, by stratagem, either of the brides shoes
could be taken Of by any spectator on her way
bridegroom" In Yorkshire the ceremony of
shoe-thIowing was known as ''thrashlng," and
the older the shoe the greater the luck. Re
custom OF throwing the brides shoe among the
who succeeds in getting it is considered ere Ito to
have every prospect OF speedy marriage.
The BRIDE and bridegroom also strew dill and
salt In their shoes as protection against
Wltchcraft. Among the Peruvians it was for
merry customary, when man wished to marry,
fathers consent, he put on her foot a particular
kind Of shoe, In which he LED her to his home
If she had never been married before, the shoe
was Of wool; ii a widow, it was OF rush,
Many augurieS are still gathered from shoes
Thus, in Dorsetshire and other parts. girls use
their shoes as a means OF OWNING who their
future husbands are to be. AT night on going
to bed, girl places her shoes at right angles to
one another in the form OF T., repeating the
following rhyme:
Hoping this night my true love to see,
Iplace my shoes In the form of T..
Among the various charms In which the shoe
has been found highly efficaclous, may be men,
toned one practised in the north OF England,
where Wl the peasantry. to cure cramp, are In the
'.West Sussex SuperstiC1onS" published by
Mrs. Latham in her "Folk Lore Record e. 39j,
tells us OF an old woman who was at COM
plete loss to understand why her rheumatism
was so uncommon bad, for she had put her
shoes IN the form OF cross every night by the
SIDE OF her bed, ever since she felt the first
tw1nge." A cure for ague, in the same county,
consists IN wearing leaf OF tansy in the
shoe.
Scott, too, in his Discovery Of witchcraft,
will consider whether he put not on his shirt
wrong side outward. or his left shoe on his right
foot" An Old writer speaking OF the customs
81 Jews SAYS some Of them observe in
ON the right stocking and right shoe first, with
out tying Ii; then afterwards to put on the
leit, and SO return to the right; that so they
may begin and end with the right side, which
they account to be the most fortunate" In
sussex, 10 put on the left shoe before the right
Is considered an infallible sign of evil to come,
shoes teaches US the following:
Trip at the toe: live to see woe:
Wear at the side: live to be bride:
Wear at the ball: live to spend all;
Wear at the heel: live to save deal.
curious to say, the shoe has even entered into
Inc Superst1tions associated with death. Ac-
corolng TO an Aryan tradition, the greater part
VI me way rom the land OF the living to that
vi aealn lay through mOraSSeS and vast moOrs
oSeIgrown with furze and thorns. That the
oead might not pass over them barefoot, pair
Vi SHOES Was laid with them In the grave.
NOTED CASE has just been decided at vevay,
anGiana. Inc suit was to recover watch val
ue0 ~ -, ana the litigation was carried up to
the circuit court, where the plaintiff obtained
S Sero1ct TO Ior q and one cent damages BY re-
ouclng Lne damages below s. the plaintiff has
| defendant remains liable for $3.50 costs over
$4O0 mas oeen paid for going to law about a 81
| VERMONT PKCULIARrTIEs-A burlington oirl
i recently had one her foot rno<aoiios