Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1884-11-26
QUEER sUPERSTITIONS.
Lucky and Unlucky Auguries Com
cerning Children.


A superstition used to exist that
child which did not cry when sprinkled
in baptism would not live long.
In the west of Scotland, according
to James Napier, it was considered
unllcky to name child by any name
before the rite of baptism was per-
formed.
When children seemed prematurely
smart it was believed they would not
live long. Shakespeare puts this super
stition into the mouth of Richard Ill.
Bulwer mentions the tradition con-
cerning children born open. handed,
that they will be liberal and big.
hearted.
A character in one OF Dekker's plays
says; q am most wretched fellow;
surely some left-handed priest chris
tened me, am SO unlucky"
According to Irish and Scotch fairy
superstition, the elves, though In the
main harmless, have the bad reputation
of stealing children from the cradle
and substituting for them changelings
who bear resemblance to the stolen
children, but are ugly little creatures
and never thrive. On such theft of
female infant, who is carried to fairy
land, but in the course of years returns
to her parents, James Hogg founded
his fine ballad of Kilmeny" Queens
Wake).
In some parts of Scotland it is a
popular notion among the lower
classes that when a child is for the
first time taken into the open air the
bearer of it should give something to
eat to the first person met, otherwise
the child will be unlucky. The gift is
called "the BARNS plece."
When child was taken from its
mother and carried outside the bed.
room for the first time after its birth,
it was lucky to take it up stairs and
unlucky to take it down stairs.
1t was not considered lucky to carry
baby into a neigh boris house until
the mother took it herself, and this it
was unlucky for even her to do until
| she had been to church.
1t was considered unlucky for chill.
dren to walk backward while going on
an errand.
1t was deemed unlucky to measure a
baby, and If its nails were cut before a
year old it would turn out a thief.
1t was unlucky for boy to wear
trousers made on Friday, and to
sweep dust over the feet of the girls
would prevent them from getting hus
bands.
In Hindostan, when baby sncezes,
the mother snaps her thumb and
finger and repeats aloud the name OF
one of her gods.
| Wbap chilI coctc n tooth -, Co,,l,
Sweden, the tooth is thrown into the
fire. In Switzerland it is carefully
wrapped in paper, and salt incloscd
with it before it Is thrown into the
fire.
In Herrick's time it was considered
a lucky omen to place knife near a
sleeping child.
Good Friday and Easter Sunday
were considered lucky days for chan &
ing the caps of children.
In the west of England the fortunes
of children are believed to be largely
regulated by the day of the week on
which they are born:
Mondays child is fair in face,
| Tuesdays child is full of grace;
! Wednesdays child is full of woe,
Thursdays child has far to 60;
| rr1uay CHllu ls iONlhB huu SlFlnS.
| Saturdays child works hard for its living;
And child that is born on Christmas day
Is fair and wise, good and gay"
| Among some of the tribes in Africa,
if two babies come to family at the
same time they think it IA dreadful
thing. Nobody except the family can
go into the tent where they were born,
nor use any of the things IN it. The
twins are not allowed to play with
other children, and the mother cannot
talk to anyone outside of the family.
This Is kept up for SIX years. If the
babies live to be six years old, the
restrictions are removed, and they are
treated like other children.-Chicago
| Htr,snF