Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-10-28
miscellaneous.
ssperstiusss Abeut Love.

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From the earliest times no event in hu-
man life has been associated with more
evtersive folk lore than marriage. Be-
ginning with love divinations. these are
Of every conceivable kind. the anxious
maiden apparently having left no stone
unturDed 10 her anxiety to ascertain her
lot in the marriage state. Some cut the
common brake or fern just above the root
TO ascertain the initial Of her future hus-
bands name. Again, nuts and apples are
yery favorite love tests. The mode Of
procedure Is for girl to place on the bars
Of crate nut, repeating this incanta-
ton:
II he loves ne, pop and ~;
II he hates me, live and die.
Great is the dismay if the anxious face
of the inquirer gradually perceives the
mt. instead of making the hoped for pop.
die and make no sign. One means Of
divination il to throw lady bird into the
air and repeating meanwhile the sub
Joined couplet:
Fyv away east and hy away west.
show me where lives the one love best.
Should this little insect chance to fly in
the direction Of the house where the loved
one resides. it Is regarded as most fav-
orable omen.
Another specimen of love divination
once observed consisted in obtaining five
bay leaves, four Of which the anxious
maided pinned at the four corners OF her
pillow, and the fifth in the middle. II
She was fortunate enough to dream OF her
lover, it was sure sign that he would
be married to her in the course Of the
year.
Friday has been held q good day of the
week for love omens; and in Norfolk the
following lines are repeated on three
nights successfully, as on the last one 1t
Is belived that the young lady will dream
of her future husband:
Tonight, to nisht Is Friday night,
Lay me dow In dirty white;
Dream who my husband IL TO be,
And lay my children by nv side.
II I'm to live to be his bride.
In selecting the time for the marriage
ceremony precautions of every kind have
generally been taken to avoid an unlucky
month and day for the knot to be tied.
Indeed, the old Roman notion that the
May marriages are unlucky survives to
this day in England. June is highly
popular month. Friday. on account of its
being regarded as an inauspicious and
evil day for the commencement of any
kind of enterprise. is generally avoided
In days gone by Sunday appears to have
been popular day for marriages. 1t is.
above all things. necessary that the sun
should shine on the bride. and it is deemed
absolutely necessary by very many that
she should weep on her wedding day. il
it be only few tears; the omission OF
such an act being considered ominous OF
her future happiness.
In Sussex bride on her return home
from church Is often robbed of all her pins
about her dress by the single women
present, from the belief that whoever pos
sesses one of them will be married in the
course of q year, and evil fortune will
sooner or later inevitably overtake the
bride who keeps even one pin used in the
marriage toilet.
.Flinging the stocking" was an old
marriage custom in England. The young
men took the brides stockings, each of
whom, sitting at the foot Of the bed, threw
the stockings over their heads. endeavor-
ing to make 1t fall upon that of the bride
or her spouse. Ifthe bridegroom stock
iDgs. thrown by the girls. fell upon the
bridegroom's head, it was sign that they
themselves would soon be married. and
similar luck was derived from the falling
of the BRIDES stockings, thrown by the
young men. There is superstitious no.
ton In some places that when the bride
retires to rest on her wedding night hei
bridesmaids should lay her stockings
across, as this act is supposed to guaran-
tee her future prosperity IN the marriage
state.