Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-10-31
Superstition About Children.

From the Chicago Current 5s
A superati tion used to exist that
child which did not cry when sprinkled
in baptism would not iveglong. In the
west of Scotland, according to James
Napier, it was considered unlncky to
name child by any name before the
rite OF baptism was performed. When
children seemed prematurely, smart. it
was believed that they would not live
long. Shakespeare puts this supersti-
lion into the mouth Of Richard LII.
B,llwer mentions the tradition concern
ing children born open handed, that
they will be liberal and bighearted. A
character in one of Dekker's plays says:
IT am most wretched fellow; surely
some left handed priest christened ne.
I am SO sunluclly.."
According to Irish and Scotch fairy
superstitiolls, tile elves, though in the
! main harmless, have the bad reputation
of stealing children from the cradle
md substitute for them changelings
who bear resemblance to the stolen in.
ANTS, but are ugly little things and
never thrive. On such theft of a fe-
male infant, who is carried to fairyland
F., but in the course of years returns TO
her parents, James Hogg founded his
| fine ballad of "Kilmeny" (Queen's
Wake.) In some parts Of Scotland it is
popular notion among the lower
classes that when q child IS for the first
time taken into the open alr, the bearer
of it should give something to eat to the
first person met otherwise the child
will be unIucky The gift is called
"the BARNS piece f When o child was
taken from its mother, and carried out
side the bedroom 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 q baby into q neighbours 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. TWAS deemed unlucky to
measure baby; and il it's nails were
cut before it was a year old, it would
turn out to be q thief; it was unlucky
| for, O. boy to wear tt ousers made on Fri
day, aud to sweep dust over the feet oi
girls would prevent them from getting
husbands In Hindostan, when q baby
sneezes, the mother snaps her thumb
and finger, and repeats aloud the name
of one of her gods. When a child casts
a tooth, in South Sweden, the tooth is
thrown into the fire. In Switzerland
it is carefully wrapped in paper, and
| II 1
into the fire. p In Herrick's time it was
regarded as lucky omen to place q
knife near sleeping child. Good
Friday and Easter Sunday were CON
! sidered lucky days for changing the
caps Of children. 49,. ..n,.e IT,, ..ss ,e-.
1 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:
ssMondays child il fair of face,
Tuesdays child is full OF grace, ,s., .
Wednesdays child is full of woe,
Thursdays child has far to so,
Fridays child s loving and giving, f.
| Saturdays child works hard for 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 ut 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 9TH
er children, and the mother cannot talk
to one outside OF the family. This is
kept mp for six years. If the babies live
to he six years old the restrictions are
removed and they are treated like othe,
children. FRANK H. STANFFER.