The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-11-16
THE LUCK OF THE CAUL.
THE PECULIAR OMENs ATTACKED
TO THE BIRTH-GIFT.
where They arc Sold and How They
are Purch ascd--.The Luck They
Bring 10 People.
DIRTH CAUL FOR SALE.-Apply No
ID - South Street.

nouncements are seldom repeated in
dividually.
A caul is little membrane found on
some children encompassing the head
when born. This is considered q good
omen to the infant, and the vulgar opin-
ion is that whoever obtains the caul by
purchase will be fortunate and escape
dangers. The origin of the superstition
is lost in antiquity and is current among
all nations. st. Chrysostom inveighs
against it in the early homilies of the
church, and in Arabian and Athenan
classics mention is made in several in
stances of persons born with "coif," or
skin hood.
I" Have you sold that caul," the author
of the above advertisement was asked.
'You bet have. A seafaring gent
bought it at quarter past eight this morn
ing, half an hour after l purchased the
paper with the advertisement in"
The speaker was the keeper of gen.
eral shop for sailors stores near the South
street wharf.
" How much did you get for itl" asked
the reporter
"Ten dollars and cheap it went.
Why I've had twenty-five dollars for
them. 1 let this one go cheap because /
got it at no expense to myself l bought
a trunk at an auction up town on the
chance \of what it contained. l gave a
" for it. When l opened it l found
lot of women's underwear, three heavy
silver spoons, stuff gown, nearly new,
and tin box | opened the tin box and
in il | found that caul sold this morning
L.. Il.
the chestnut. / tried to sell it to a
captain this morning-the same bloke
what bought the caul, but he didn't see
it. If you want it you can have it for
dollar. 1t ought to bring plenty of luck,
having kept company with the caul fol
so long. Don't want it, eh2 All right;
I'll find customer"
- Do you sell many cauls3"
"Not as many as | should like. The
supply amt over and above large.
How do you get them2"
"Well, | was born in one myself. Nv
mother kept it for thirty-one years, and
when the old lady died | thought I'd sell
it. 1t had never brought me any par
ticular luck, as could see. i got IS for
it. 1t was bit tore. There must have
been something the matter with that caul
anyhow, cause the man that bought it,
mate of a vessel, in the tea trade, sailing
from New York to Hong Kong, fell off
the main mast and broke his skull bv
hitting it hard on the deck the very next
voyage he took.
"Well, he was not drowned"
"No, he weren't drowned. l guess
that was his luck. Tho if I'm to break
my neck just to show the value of caul
l don't want it. But you are asking me
where | got the goods. Doctors, as a
rule, sell them to me- and the mothers.
Occasionally the original owners brings
them to me themselves, when they are
growed up. But doctors is the chief
source; physicians attached to lying-in
hospitals and them as has a practice
among the very poor classes, what don't
know the value of caul. The doctor
slips them in his pockets and l gets
them"
''Do you pay much for themg'
"Well, that's telling However, will
tell you this about it. There is COM
Portable profit in selling them; but, as
you seem n decent sort of a chap, YOU
shall have the next one | comes across
for So, and I'll throw in the chestnut we
was just a-looking at See here, now.
Cauls brings luck anyhow, no matter
what your business or profession happens
to be. Say you're a lawyer. In comes
the fees. But, by the cut of your jib,
should say you're minister. Nothing like
caul in the church, so they tells me.
Would you like piece of caul?"
a piece of caul! Why, what use
would that be-"
use! Well | should blossom. A
piece of caul is almost as valuable as the
whole article. House will never burn
down when bit of caul is in it, The
person carrying it will never get drowned,
suffer from smallpox, toothache or rheu-
matism. True, it isn't quite as certain
preventative as whole one, but some
people like to be economical, even in
their luxuries. There's only one thing
against being born in a cau unless YOU
get rid of it, and that's one of the rea-
sons | sold mine"
"What's that 2"
"You see too much. never could 90
put on moonlight night without getting
he awful horrors. Talk about spirits;
We seen them so thick in the streets on
b full-moon evening that I've wondered
pow | was to get past them, and | never
lid pass them. / seemed to walk straight
through the middle of their bodies.
Since I've sold my own caul, however,
we never seen no more ghosts"
Readers of Dickens will remember that
David Copperfield, the alleged prototype
If the author himself, was born with caul,
which was advertised for sale at the low
, price of fifteen guineas. An attorney
connected with the -broking business
Eas the only reply to the advertisement.
lie offered 90 in cash and the balance in
berry, which was declined Ten years
fterward the caul was put up in rattle
q country inn to fifty members at two
billings and six pence head, with the
liquidation that the winner should
pend five shillings. An old lady won
reluctantly produced the five shillings,
u in halfpence, and twopence halfpenny
hort, and eventually died aged ninety
yo. 1t was regarded as entirely owing
the caul that she never was drowned,
though it was well known that the old