The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1882-07-07
superstilions As 'ut Cats

uulncky for a family to take with
them u cat when they are moving,
more especially, too, when they
have 10 cross Il river. MIR. Gregor
also tells us that, in the northeast
of Scotland, il COW or other do
nestle animal was seized With dis.
ease, one mode of cure WAS to twist
rope of straw the contrary way,
Join the two ends, and pnt the dis
eased animal through the-loop along
with eat. Bytbis means the dis
ease was supposed TO be transferred
10 The cat, and the animals life wds
so saved by the CIT dying. This, OF
course, was only one OF the extens
I've charms of which the leading
idea was that of substitution. A
remedy for erysipelas, lately prac'
,iced in the parish OF LOcharrop. in
the northwest Highlands, consisted
in cutting OH ene'halt of the ear ol
a eat, and letting the blood drop on
tue part affected. Abiding, more
over, to the numerous other items
of tolk lore IN connection With the
cat, there il popular Gotien that Z
May cat-a eat born IN the month
of May--isof no use tor catching
rats and nice, but exerts an ituu
riousiniiuence on the house, through
bringing into ii disagreeable rep
tiles OF various kinds. Mrs. Latham
il her f" West Sussex supers.iiions,
says that n May cat is supposed "t'
be Inclined to melancholy, and L
be mach addicted tocatching snake
aud bringing them iuto the house.
| | had heard that this west countr.
belief existed in our village; aud
very lately, observing n most de
| cted looking eat by the fire IN
cottage, said, in jest, Il shoul'
ihuk that was born in May" ''Ol
yes,r said the owner OF II, "tha
She was, and so was her mother
and she was jus. as sad looking
and was always bringing snake
and vipers Within doors" In Hum
| mgdonshirc there is u common 81,
Ing that "a May kitten makes
dirty cat.n This supposed iil'lnc
.itaehing to a cat born in the mont
of May is no doubt founded on I'll
| old notion that May was an unfo
tuuate season for births of any kin,
in allusion to which there Is an ol
proverb, which says
MAY chnts
Bad luck begets.
According to Il curious notio
still extensively credited by o.
North country peasan,ry, black ca
are supposed To bring only got
luck, but also lovcrs---iu ilInsiratit
Of which we may qnotca we'll know
rhyme Oh The subject:
Whenever the cat o. the house 10 blac
The lasses o lovers will have no lack,
Mr.. Henderson, speaking OF tn
superstition, tells us that an ol
North country woman on one occ
sion said to a lady, ATS ma wond
; jocks lasses marry of SO fas
ye ken what Draw black G
they've got" 1t Is considered u
, lucky to dream of cat, u piece
! folklore prevalent in German
, where II one dreams OF q black c
at Christmas, it is an omen OF sou
alarming illness during the folio
. ing year. Equally unfortunate, to
Is it tor a cat TO sneeze, this act \
ing supposed to Indicate that Il
family will have colds. Thus, !
! are informed by Mrs. Latham, til
IN Sussex, seven the most favor,
cat, if heard to sneeze, is instant
shut out OF doors; for should sl
D stay to repeat the sneeze thr
times indoors, the whole family W
have colds aud coughs.
Lastly, there are many quai
r traditions in which the cat holds
I prominent place; and an amusil
! one, current in the north of En-
I land, we may quote In conclusio
A gentleman was one evening 8
: ting costly IN his parlor, reading
). meditating, when he was interrupt
!. by the appearance Of II cat, wbi
came down the chimney and cri
: out, "Tell Dildrum Doldrun
! dead n He was not unnatural
|, startled by this strange occurren'
and when shortly after his wife {
tered, aud he related to her VII
! had happened, her own cat, viii
, accompanied her, exclaimed, "
!. Doldrun dead p and immediat.
e rushed up the chimney, and "
J. beard OF no more. Or the numb
y less coujectures stated to accou
tor this extraordinary event, I
II most reasonable one appears to
!, that Dildrum had been king Of q
i. \