Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-02-07

sltutcl leT TOWHsSF'th''f vs. ~ P'"~'s
To force her TO restore their property 70
them they put pot OF water ON the
fire, and. when il was boiling. I'M
mersed the unfortunate child. which was
four or five years OF age. iu the scaldmg
water. In vain his screams were heard
as he cried out I'm Johnny Ma
boneyr' "I'm the rale Johnny Ma
money :" ''I'm not the fairy's child :"
But the fairy mother did not listen To
her child's cries nor save him from his
terrible fate by bringing back the
healthy Johnny Mahoney. Accordingly
the parents were arrested and tried for
the crime they had committed. and their
belief in fairies did not help them any.
When 10 snecze and where 90 sneezc
seems TO have been matter Of some
moment among the ancicnts. Accord
ing 10 Aristotle, sneesing from noon TO
midnight is good, and from night To
noon the reverse. and another learned
sneezologist declares "lf any one
sneeze for three nights in succession, It
may be taken as sign that some one
will die in the house," or that some
other calamity is close at hand. In
Lancaster the old-folk lore will have il
that much depends on the day when the
sneeze is uttered.
sneeze on Monday, you sneeza for danger.
sneeze on Tuesday. you kiss a stranger.
sneeze on Wednesday, you sneeze for let
ter.
sneeze on Thursday for something better.
sneeze ON Friday. youll sneeze for sorrow.
sneeke on Saturday, your sweetheart To-
morrow.
sneeze on sunday your safety seek.
The deyil will have you the rest OF the week.
In the sixteenth century there lived
at Rome one Famianus Strader. who
was a professor Of rhetoric in the Gre
gorian College, and among his contri-
buttons to literature is an elaborate
work on the subject Of sneezing. lie
studied the subject thoroughly, and re-
lates that one pstOr Suburranus died
in a fit Of sneezing, expiring at the
twcnty-fourth sneeze.
Milton, the grand old poet Of Para
disc Lost" says. Harmless, il not
wholesome, as a sneeZe." and Dean
Swift. in relating the adventures OF
Gulliyer, has it that 1.-The captains
nose was tickled with straw, which
made him sneeze violently"
That there is proper time and place
to sneeze, both when it can be proiita-
bly, done, is evidenced by the conduct
ofa young ensign, poor and friendless.
of the English army. lie was once at
tending a grand ball, and stood near an
fat duchess. She inadyer-
tently uttered an enormous sneeze-in
fact. snort, calculated 10 bring upon
her the rldicule of the assembled guests.
The young ensign took in the situation.
reechoed the refrain, and. grasping his
nose as if to throttle the sneeze, rushed
from the room. leaving the guests TO
suppose that he was the offender.
The next day he received a captains
commission from thc duchess husband.
with line from the madam that "it
was an i'll sneezc that did nobody any
good
SneezeS were always interpreted IA
yorably. II was always believed that
Cupid sncezed whenever beautiful
girl was born. which was the mode of
returning thanks TO Venus. Thus,
,peaking of a beautiful woman. the
poet said THE lover had sncezed at
her birth" The sweet little poem Of
Acme and Septmcllus expresses the
idea beautifully:
Acme then her head rejecting.
Kissed her sweet youth : ebnate eyes.
with her rosy lips connecting
Looks that glistened with replies
/" Thus. my HE, my Septimellusl
Serve me. Love our only master;
one warm love-nOod seems To thrill as
"Throbs 10 not In me the faster?"
She said. And. as before.
Love ON the left hand aptly sneezed-
The omen showed that he WAS pleased
10 give his blessing.
The doctors, unwilling that effort,
'paSmodic or otherwise. connected with
he human body. should be monopollzed
~ common folks. consider sneezing AZ
, disease or symptom accompanying
,ertan ailments. IL is associated with
; hoopng-cough, the bugbear of child
loOd, asthma. and the gout. IL is not
nfrequently a symptom Of hysteria,
md during pregnancy. not unfrequently,
ays Barnes, takes the place Of the
morning sickness. All agree that
neezing is caused by some slight i'm
,res,ion on the fifth nerve. A
atarrhal condition Of the mu-
Gus membrane ls most common.
may be called the foster
'rother OF the hay-feyer. The medical
nen treat sneezing by strong impress
ion on the fifth nerve. a mustard pOul-
ice to the back Of the neck, or an eme-
lc. Sometimes creosote and iodine
apors are given. and dipping the head
n cold water is zealously prescribed by
ld women. Religious opposition TO
he custom Of saluting people when
hey sneezed arose among the Anabap-
lists in the beginning Of the last centu-
y. They declared il was pagan
ustom and would have none of
among the faithful, yet few
ears before that good and
uaint old man Montaigne de-
Jared, ''I.et us give an honest welcome
o this sort of wind, for it comes from
he head and is blameless." Tradition
as it when Caesar was on the brink Of
he RubicOn he Sneezed, and, regarding
as favorable omen. crossed il, and
he conquest Of Gaul followed. Those
Tho have read Xenophon's Memorabilia
I the career and habits of Socrates re-
iembcr that he claimed that he was in
'sted with a demon, or spirit, to whom
e owed all his wisdom. Now, Plu-
arch says that the demon always sent
i'm Characteristic warnings by means
sneczes.
JOSIAH DAvIs's rEOUBLK.-Josiah Davis.
orth Middletown, ky., writes: Ill am now