Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1883-10-26
NO. Is.
WHAT ALL HALF BELIEVE.


uhAA AN hfAA
The Popular Superstitions that some~
how Keep Alive.
There is something remarkable ana
not fattering to human sagacity IN the
tenacity Of old superstitions. IL Is
usual thing for intelligent persons TO
declare that they are not superstition"
the declaration being coupled with
self-satisfed air that proclaims their
belief that they are a notch above thelr
fellows. Yet these same persons hko
to see the new moon over their righ6
shoulders and regard the incident WIN
especial satisfaction if they happen 10
have silver in their pockets. Maybe
they are adverse to starting on jour
uev on a Friday or to beginning an
important piece of work on that un-
lucky day. They will carefully pisN
mp pins if the right end lies toward
them and as carefully avoid them. II
, the wrong end is nearest. Other per
a sons who scorn the lucky moon ana
5 unlucky Friday superstitions have
g peculiar regard for the magical num-
T ber seven. or any number which may
lie divided by seven or added 50 as 10
Sc form seven. They prefer to live IN
$ house which is numbered seven, win
v seven stems. If the house is the
1t seventh in the row, and there are seven
a members in the family, the charm IS
RS complete. The seventh hour OF the
in day. the seventh day of the week, the
he seventh month of the year. are py
N them regarded as especially lucky
ID. Others have special aversion TO tht
Us number thirteen. The finding ol
re buttons is by some considered luck!
m omen. other persons are superstitiou
lie as to dreams. and still others as 10 Tn
as. wearing of certain charms or amulet
hit; to ward off disease. Thus, hors
out chestnut in the pocket is considered
the safeguard against rheumatism, ana
was string of peculiar sea-beans VIII carr
his child safely through the diseases Il
md cident to teething. Peacock's feathe
r: are unlucky; the bowling dog foretel
the disaster to his masters household, az
to pass between the carriages Oh
'eiy, funeral procession is portento
dieu omen. TO meet colored person,
p'ea cross-eyed woman or asshite horse
wal tokens good or bad luck as the g. g.
.eIed NAV be. In fact, the most tritli
things in life may he conf
IN nzsnhatic lsymho'S4 ilof
. srf Perhaps one Of the oldes'ed
~ tions, and one that smacks sony.
of sorcery, is the belief in the divin
r. tho rod. This rod, or twig, is thought
coils enable certain gifted persons to disc
with er certain hidden springs of wat
lows '''i'''oi0 poi'oli' ueol"le 'hdV Vlley III
,mnt seen the rod successfully used in sea
voc of water, the twig often turning
CON, quickly in the hand as to break it
or;ts two. What seems remarkable is t.
= tho the rod never turns except where
,,,ua water is concealed. There have b.
, tho many attempts to explain this IN
oror, terry. Some believers claim that
roo. wand is inspired. others that the
is only an index and that the physi
sensations of the searcher commu
cate themselves to the wand. I
alton most sensible solution is that of Pa
into melle who wrote on methods for {
the covering wells He concluded Il
;cape the wand turns in the hands of cert
mali individuals of peculiar Temperance
mid and that it is very much a matter
little chance whether there are or are
Ike a wells in the places where it tur
arbi- The tWig was also used in anci
sum- times to point out where stolen go,
t we were concealed, to answer questions
inset la planchette, and to indicate erin
ldow and criminals. A Bible suspend
davis like a pendulum has been thought
,ping some parts of rural England to SCI
when the same purpose The credulous s
man that the wide distribution of these a
could other popular superstitions is prt
regu- that there is something in them.
r ex the meantime houses go on bel
0 fix haunted ghosts continue to appe
or tables to tip; chairs to move withC
cable the aid of visible hands, and the pc
dark odical resurrection of half-forgott
ltion. bodies is unceasing, notwithstandi
the the declaration of the average nil
yland teenth century man and woman IL
9 at they at least are not superstitious.
eve