Morning journal and courier., 1881-01-19


 knowledge of financial matters to partici- pate in a debate on the funding bill. It may be 2 grand thing to go to Congress won't -sscourage you, my dear boy, if your ambition leans in that direction. Still, so long as you have an alternative open, so long as you can get steady situation as chambermaid in livery stable or clerk on a raft, wouldn't advise you to set your heart on Congress The American people really do not have very much respect for Congress, as body. They are always sorry to see it in session. They are always glad when it ad- journs. Individually, the members of Con- gress are, believe, good citizens, good neighbors, good men. But for lot; of raw material, my boy, they can make the mean est aggregate when they get together. Don't worry about going to Congress, Telemachus. Go to the mines, or join the minstrels. Your parents will think more of you.
 Superstition in India.
 The Abject Belief of the Hindoos in Luck
 and Omens.
 Tss 4. N.'' i7a Journal of Iadidn Association.
 There is scarcely any country in the world so blinded by superstition as India. The mind of Bindoo is tinctured to such an ex- tent with the conviction of a supernatural agency directing his every step, whether for good or for evil, that each moment almost of his life he looks for some omen indicating approval or disapproval of what he might at the time be engaged in, or be about to en- gage in. An suspicious moment is chosen for the performance of every important duty in life, and in reference to those occurrences beyond the control of man steps are instantly taken to ascertain whether they are likely to prove lucky or unlucky; and if the latter, such measures are adopted by way of propi- tiatory sacrifices to the gods as may operate to avert the impending evil. No sooner is a son born than the Brahman who is the family r,ri act draw mn hIS i6 announce whether the path in life of the child will be smooth and unruf1ed, or if he is destined to 8 rough and stormy future When he has reached a marriageable age the Brahmans again appear on the scene and are asked to fix an suspicious day, nay, even the hour and minute when the nuptial knot is to be tied and should, through some mis- chance, that particular moment be allowed to pass away without the ceremony talk ing place, the marriage has to be put of till some other propitious day that has subsequently, to be fixed upon, and which in some eases might not occur for Q year or two Even after his death man cannot be secure from being made a victim to omels, for when that event does happen the priests are at work to ascertain whether the day he died was favorable to his happiness hereafter or otherwise and according as they decide are regulated the ceremonies to be performed and the sacrifices to be offered for the release of his soul from purgatory. But it is not in important events of his life only that Him doc will look forward to and be guided by omens: it is lamentable te notice the extent to which in the ordinary affairs of everyday life, he allows this superstitious belief to gain an ascendancy over him. He will not undertake journey unless on an suspicious day, and even after he has once started he will perhaps return, having on the road per- ceived some omen indicating that his Journey will not be prosperous. Belief in omens has so firmly implanted itself in the mind of a Hindoo as to resist every attempt to root out by argument the folly of this his great weak ness, and have noticed with much surprise that, though man has relinquished the re- ligion of his father being false and puer- ile, his faith in omens has remained un- changed or rather it has taken such strong hold of him that frequently in spite of him self he is influenced by them. And more as- tonishing still is the fact that Mahometans. though they profess to have a contempt for Hindoo superstitions, are, in this respect, in no way superior to the latter, having as implicit faith in these ridiculous prognosti- cations as those whose religion they affect to despise. shall now concisely notice a few omens which are still very commonly beiev- ed in. Should a person about to undertake journey sneeze, he will consider it good bad omen, according as the latter has sneezed once or twice. If once only, he will delay his departure for a few minutes or put of
  and so generally is this believed iD that often serious consequences follow on a person sneezing inopportunely. Servants have been known to be dismissed by their masters, courtiers to be deprived of the favor of princes and rajahs for having been inadvert- ently the medium through whom an unlucky omen was displayed. The screeching of an owl is believed to portend death So that no sooner it's dismal notes are heard than quite a commotion is created, and it often happens that at dead of night the whole village turns out to drive away this bird of ilI-omen. Great care is also taken not to mention the name of a child in the night, for fear an owl should hear it, the popular belief being that it would in that case repeat the name every night and the child, in consequence, would pine away and die. The scratching of the palm of the hand is believed to prognosticate that the scratching of the sole of the foot indicates that long journey will have to be under taken. To hear the word "burder" (mon- key) early in the morning is considered very unlucky, and evils of every description are looked forward to as likely to happen during the day. And yet monkey is one of the sacred animals of the Hindoos. At Ben ares thousanas of them are allowed to live in gardens specially set apart for them, and are fed by all classes of people, who in so doing consider they are perform ing an act of great charity and devotion. The 6naK0 IS never m6QLlOn6O at nlglL, the popular belief being that it is sure to make it's appearance if it's name be uttered. If there is occasion to speak about it the word Eee7u (reptile) is used instead. There exists @ superstitious belief that, should credit be given for the first article sold in the morning that day's business will be attended with great loss. Even if the purchaser be his best customer, the shopkeeper will either ask him to come again or to buy trifling article and pay cash for it, thus enabling the person to perform his 6oltree Cfrst cash transaction After person has taken of his shoes. should one fall over another it is believed to be an omen that the person is about to travel Should he really mediate journey he. al- lows the shoes to remain in that position if not, he puts them straight and is supposed thus to prevent his journey. person meet ing severe loss or getting into some trouble is often known to attribute his misfortune to having seen some unlucky face in oilman or man of notoriously bad charac- ter, or one who has some bodily deformity A person blind of one eye is considered ex- ceptionally unlueky and is generally avoided about to be undertaken. Among other bad omens may be mentioned snake or jackal crossing one's path hearing person cry when you are going anywhere; the cawing of crow and the crying of kite a cat crossing one's path and the seeing an empty pitcher. It IS strange as compared with the bad there are but few good omens. Among these may be mentioned the following The meeting of a dead body being carried away and no one crying with it seeing pitcher with rope attached to it or a Brahman car rying jug of holy water from the Ganges lizard creeping up one's body hearing q bride cry when she is leaving her parents and going to live with her husband; hearing the bell of temple strike or trumpet sound when one is setting out on journey a crow perched on a dead body floating down fl,n and fn,r n,.faai,lnr nraa,a 1aakh