Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-11
MARKED DAYS.

| clnG."
MARKED DAYS.
Good Luek and Disaster Associated with Ger
tain Days OF the Week and Month.
That certain days are more propitions
for action, and others more disastrous to
| enterprise, II fact sometimes acknow-
! ltdged by most men. There Is no Cay OF
/ the year not commemorative with some In
| diyidusl Of affect upon his destiny. But.
| besides these personal marks upon the cai-
endar. there are others OF porteat 10 all
m,n. Black Monday, for instance. But
Why black Monday.
| II was a custom OF ancient heather times
| 10 mark upon their calendars such days as
were lucky, and such as were unlucky.
| Dies dfri thIack days.. and dies adj (white
I days., they we're, one designated by a black
mark. the other by white.
Monday and Friday bear dark stain,
the impress OF an indelIible historical stamp
The cause OF the opprobrium upon the lat
| Ter day is wcl known. but few are aware
that on the first Monday in August Cain
was born; on Monday his brother Abel
was slain. The second Monday in August
seldom and Gomorrah were destroyed. The
last Monday In December Judas WAS born.
From wish 10 propitiate fortune. be-
sides selecting q lucky day for an enter
prise, we invoke the protection and assist
ancc OF the tutelary spirit OF our trade, or
nation. Origcn, Hierome, Plato. and En-
pedocles believed that not only nations,
but individuals also, possessed Their good
angels who protected them aud admonished
them through dreams. The Egyptians held
the theory that each man had three at
tending angels; the Pythagorians. that
there were two such guardians; the Ro-
mans, that there was a good and an evil ge-
Mus. But in what a mistaken. con-
ventionaiized fashion do we invoke our
good genh. How we anathematize
cold Nick one OF tue best old
men who ever lived. he who Is the pa
tron saint OF school.boys, and should be
implored, not DETAINED, on black Mondays.
II st. Nicholas, the good bishop Of Athens,
bad been identical with NiXas or NicksJ.
then we might so account for The career OF
many sch0ol.boy. But NiXas was q river
or ocean god, who once was worshpped on
the shores OF the Baltic, aud whose cogno.
men became nick-nap for Satan.
certain Asiatic gentleman, bearing OF
the great learning and virtue OF Nicholas,
sent his two sons TO him for the benefit OF
his example and education. But they tar
rIed over night at the inn OF covetouS
landlord. who murdered, sliced, sailed, and
picked them for the sake OF their money
and jewels. But he proved as contrite rs
cruel. so confessed his crime 10 the Bishop
Nicholas, begging for intercession with
Heaven for himself and the restoration Of
the murdered. The good mans prayers
were granted, and the boys were returned
TO life. The wcll,known cmblems OF ST.
N..l. -.1 OIL nd sttt. Of
his side, have caused the common error
that he was the patron saint Of sailors,
the inference being that the tub was part
OF a sailing outfit. instead OF brine-barrcl.
In commemoratioD. the school-boys OF
England elected their boy bishop on 81.
Nicholas day until the thirteenth century,
when, being forbidden 10y Henry VIII.
from mmicking their religious superiorS,
they turned their frolic into military pa
radc. There you have the origin OF I" play
Ing soldiers
lnnocents' day is one Of evil consequence
TO the young, and most unlucky for public
affairs. Gregory says that it is the duty OF
all parents 10 whip up their children on
that day, mildly repeating the cruelty Of
IIorod, 10 remind them Of what they es-
capped.
a wcl-fed day is ever a good day, so no |
max dtri should be made for Michaelmas
day. Upon that day Queen Elizabeth was |
brought the news OF the defeat OF the Span |
ish armada. AT the time she was dining |
upon roast goose, and thereupon COM |
handed that similar feast should be |
served before her upon that day in all sue
ceednc years. II is said that "IIe who |
eats goose on Mchaemas day viii never
want money all the year around"
The first OF April, II not exactly Of evil
omen, is one Of many grievous dlsappoint-
mems. 4 certain French mackerel, called
poisson IL Arrii, very foolishly permits
itself to be caught during the month OF
April. Having no such piscatOrial victim
in England. the term was applied to the
human victim and the word fool substi-
tutcd.
The word gauch in the Teutonic is ren.
dered a fool; the term gouk or gov Is
properly cuckoo, but Is used metaphor
ically TO designate man. hence the express
sion hunt the gowk fools errand.
April Is not an unlucky month, Us Is its
successor May, which should never be
selected for weddings or feasts.
Each man, according to his calling,
should invoke the following saints:
81. Luke is the patron of painters, for It
was he who painted Christ's portraits.
st. CrispiD, whose day i UStober 18th,
is the guardian Of shoemakers.
~. George, who was soldier in the
army OF Diocletian, is the protector OF
soldiers and the patron OF Englishmen.
During the famous siege OF Antioch, the
saint appeared clad in white, with a red
cross on his banner, routed the inidels to
the glory Of the Christians, led by Robert,
Duke OF Normandy, son OF William the
Conqueror. Since then he is the ac-
patron OF the bold BrtOu.
st. Cecilia drew an angel from the man
sions Of the blessed TO listen to her melo-
dies, and is the patToness Of musicians.
ST. Andrew ordains good luck to the
Scot, and -. Patrick TO the Emerald
Islander.
It. Mark, who may he known by a lion,
couchant, winged, by his side. Is the genii
for those who would have their writings,
nervous solidity, and flights Of power be-
yOud human composition.