Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-10-02
superstitions About Children.


The Current.
A superstition used TO exist that
child which did not cry when spiin-
killed. in baptism would not live long.
In the west OF Scotland according to
James Napier, it was considered un-
lucky to name a child by any name
before the rite of baptism was per
formed. When children seemed pre-
maturely smart it was believed that
they would not live long. Shakes
peare puts this superstition into the
mouth of Richard III Bulwer men
tons the tradition concerning chill
siren born open-handed, that they
win be liberal and big hearted. A
character in one of Decker's plays
saws: Il am a most wretched fellow;
surely some left handed priest chris
tened me, | am SO unlucky
According to Irish and Scottishfa fairy
supershtions, the elves, though in the
main harmless, have the reputation
of stealing children from the cradle
and substituting for them change
liugs who bear resemblance TO the
stolen infants, but are ugly little crea.
lures and never thrive On such a
theft of female infant, who is car
ried to fairylaud, but in the course of
wears returns TO her parents, James
Hogg founded his fine ballad of xii
meny" Queens Wake. Ia some
parts of Scotland it is a popular no
tion among the lower classes that
when child is for the first time taken
into the open air. the bearer OF it
should give something To eat to the
first persc met, otherwise the child
viii be unlucky The gift is
called 1.-The BARNS piece" When
a child was taken from its
mother, and carried outside the bed
room for the first time after its birth,
1t was lucky to take 1t upstairs, and
unlucky to take it downstairs. 1t was
not considered lucky to carry a baby
into a neighbours house until the
mother took il 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 backwards while going
on an GRAND. 1t was deemed UNI
lucky TO Measure a baby; and if its
nails were cut before ii was a year
old, it would turn out thief; it was
unlucky for a boy to wear trousers
made on a Friday, and to sweep dust
over the feet of the girls would pre-
vent them from getting husbands. In
Hindostan, when a baby sneezes, the
mother snaps her thumb and finger,
repeats aloud the name of one of her
gods. When child casts a tooth, in
south Sweden, the tooth is thrown
into the fire. In Switzerland it is
carefully wrapped in paper, and salt
inclosed with it before it is thrown
into the fire. In Herrick's time it
was regarded as lucky omen to
place a knife near q sleeping child.
Good Friday and Easter Sunday
were considered lucky days for
changing 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 fun OF grace,
Wednesday IS child is fun of woe,
Thursday child has far to 60,
Fridays chili is loving and giving,
Saturday child works hard for its living,
And child that is born on Christmas day,
is fair and wise, good ard gay.
Among some of the tribes in Africa
if two babies come TO a family at the
same time they think it 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 mothercan not
talk to any one outside OF the family.
This is kept up for six yels # the
babies live TO be SIX years old, the re-
snicuons are removed, and they are
treated like other children.