The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-07-02

A few weeks ago young fisherman,
engaged in his calling on the English
coast. fell into the sea and was
drowned. This occurrence, not an un-
usual one, would have passed unnoticed
had it not been for singular coinci-
dence. 1t happened that exactly one
year before to the very dry the young
tisherman's father came to his death in
precisely the same manner. The peo-
pie of the fishing village were per-
suaded that this was the direct act OF
Providence, and at once pronounced the
date on which, at years interval.
father and son had persisted, the I'M
lucky day" of the family.
A belief in "lucky" and "unlucky"
days, indeed, survives among the less
intelligent classes, not of England only,
but Of all countries; and this belief Is
propped up by the recollection OF his
torical events, or events which happen
by chance on the same day to families
or neighborhoods. Thursday was re-
garded as the unlucky day of the Tudor
sovereigns of England, for on that day
died not only Bluff King Hal himself,
but his son Edward and his tw9 daugh-
tiers, Mary and Elizabeth. If the pfos-
ent English royal family were super
stitious, they might well regard the
14th of December as their unlucky day,
for that was the date of the death both
of Prince Albert and his favorite daugh-
ter, the Princess difce.
Il is not very long since the belief in
lucky and unlucky days caused the
country folk in England to observe
them religiously. Some of these super
stitions seem to us, in these days of en-
lightenment, strange and amusing
enough. 1t was thought, for instance,
that people who were i'll of fever were
worse on Sunday than on any other day
of the week; and that if they perchance
grew better on Sunday, it was sign
that they would soon have relapse
Another superstition, which is, perhaps,
not yet extinct, was that the day or the
week on which the fourteenth Of May
fell was an unlucky day all the rest OF
the year; and on that day p, ople would
not get married, or do any serious bust
ness. In Northern Scotland, January
and May have always been looked upon
as unlucky months, during which it
would be flying in the face OF an un-
happy fate to get married. 1t is curious
thai there are still many intelligent
persons who do not like to sit down
thirteen at table; or to overturn a
salt-Ce llar; or to enter upon any serious
undertaking on Friday.
Among the lucky signs still believed
in by English rustics are the visits OF
strange bees TO the garden, the meeting
with flock of sheep, and the finding OF
horseshoe; but it is very unfortunate
for man to put his stockings on inside
out, and to meet funeral procession al
hight angles.
If persons eye itches, it is said
among the country people that that
person will either weep soon, or he
kissed by fool If a maid, on st.
Valentines day, on going out, meets q
man before she does awoman, it is sign
that she will be welded before the end
of the year.
All these singular superstitions have
grown up and have received additions
in the long centuries during which the
world has been slowly growing in civ
ilization and ripper reason. But rs time
goes on, these superstitions grow fainter
and fainter, and in time they will die
out, as the light of knowledge more and
more illumines mankind fouth''
Communion.