The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-07-23
MASCOTS In REAL LIFE.
SOME OF THE suPERsTITIoNs OF
SOBER-MINDED MEN.
a Talk With Man Who Believes In
Mascots-IIis Story OF the Little Old
Woman On an Oak Leaf-Good Luck
Goes With Good Will

a Talk with o Man Who Believes In
Mascots-IIis Story OF the Little Old
Woman On an Oak Leaf-Good Luck
Goes with Good Will
Especial Correspondence
New YORK, July ia mascot What
Is a mascotp
"a mascot is a mascot"
This is the very definite definition given by
the owner of the mascot in the opera of that
name. Yet the word, though so far unac-
knowledged i'm Webster's Unabridged, is i'm
popular use, and mascots are becoming more
numerous every day. Like the expensive
eight-day clock Of fifty years ago, every fam
lily must have one, no matter what else it
lacked
Yes, mascots are indispensable institutions
just now, especially with theatrical people
and baseball clubs. Players Of the national
game are the most superstitious of men, ain
their opinion skill has but little to do with the
result of MATCH" says one who has studied
into the matter "a bird flying over the
field, the flag blowing in a certain direction,
little boy picked up by one of the mines, a
goat or a dog wandering across the diamond
while tho game is going on-these are the
things which incline victory to one side or
the other"
Managers are In favor Of mascots They
say that the idea that they have n mascot
makes them play with more confidence and
spirit. This may be the true secret of the
superstition. When we believe we shall sue
coed we seldom fail A mascot causes us to
believe in ourselves, to win the battle in our
mind even before it has begun, and so makes
us strong and courageous. Hence a mascot
has most noble uses
Talking on this subject with a wise rich
man the other day, asked him if he did not
think the world was growing more supersti-
tious
"No," he said, "but l believe it is growing
a little honester, and perhaps little drawer.
1t espouses the poetical side of superstition
openly, the unpopular side secretly. Tho
world was always superstitious. Even they
who boasted of being without superstition
quailed when evil omcns and unlucky signs
came to their own door. And who is so self
secure that ,he feels and shows no elation
when good luck is on his sides'
"For my part, believe there is something
in mascot5," continued my friend. 81 was
never one of those fools who thought knew
all things, and could manipulate the universe
to my own satisfaction and the possible hu-
initiation of others always realized that a
thousand influences we cannot see and do not
dream of arc at work on every affair of life
in which we are interested; that nothing de-
ponds entirely upon ourselves, although we
think that many things do. have mascot
myself. Twenty five years ago | started i'll
business for myself-had n modest music store
down town. hadn't money to push the bust
ness and it went slow. a year slipped away
and l had kept afioat and hadn't made cent.
began to see that / couldn't go on at that
rate | would soon be without a dollar to
live on. One afternoon the store was as soli-
tary as an anchorite's cave and was doing
away behind my desk i'll no danger of being
disturbed While doZed l dreamed-one of
those queer dreams that seem to have an i'm
portant meaning, which you can't for the life
of you solve. A little old woman no bigger
than II small doll came flying in on an oak
leaf She nodded to me Familiarity, and said:
You'll have good luck yet if you don't turn
it away from your door. l am a fairy
princess. When send messenger to you
receive her with due kindness Then she
brcathed on rose which she carried III her
iand and the oak leaf floated away, carrying
her with it, laughing and dancing.
Il awOke with the little old woman and her
message clear in my mind. schoolboy's
dream, you'll say, of course. Well, admit
1t. wasn't 80 then, "and / always had n
tinge of the poetical i'll my temperament.
While was thinking what pretty fairy
story the dream would make to tell to my
little boy, n thin, shabby looking woman with
4 limp, entered and asked for work She was
not laboring woman but belonged to the
genteel poor. She had some musical knowl-
edge. She could try pianos for purchasers
and could keep the music in order, and do
many u little thing to help business on.
at was a queer thing to do, but the words of
my dream fairy kept ringing in my ears, and
although l didn't know where was to get
the money to pay her with, | hired her. So
far as | could then see, l didn't need her,
either. She took oil her faded little bonnet
and went to work, happy as bird. An hour
later a man from the northern part of the
state came in to talk about buying a piano.
A customer was phenomenon then, l can
tell You. Well, my new employee tried the
piano for him, and, much to my establishment,
he bought it and paid the cash for it. You
laugh at me, of course, when say that luck
turned in my favor that day, and / believe
the shabby little woman brought it.
''She hus been in my store orer since, and l
have continued to have good luck. The en-
ployment gave her was a godsend to her as
afterwards learned; and she was a godSend
to me.
81 pay her nice little salary, and don't ex-
pect her to do anything much but stay III the
office of the store and tinker around trying
new music or doing anything she pleascs.
She is an old woman now, and she wasn't
very young when she came to my place. l
should actually be frightened if she were to
lie should he afraid of losing my luck"
81 suppose it wouldn't do to mistrcat Il mas
cot in any way!" asked.
"Alistrcat a mascot almost shrieied my
superSti ious friend. "Who would be so lost
TO his own interest as to want to do such II
hinge Lose his luck. OF course he would"
"Mascots are apt to he rather lowly crca-
lures, aren't they: - lame dogs, poverty
stricken old women, hunchbacks, or some
| thing of that sorts"
ayes, they are apt to be, though they come
IN more imposing guise sometimes. Fact is,
you never know who is going to bring you
good luck. The mascot idea has filtered down
to us through fairy lore. The lucky fairy
always came in humble or needy disguise to
test the kindness of mortals. IL is an old
country superstition, you know, that simple
minded or deformed children bring good luck
mercy, for it insurcs good treatment to the
Door little helpless creatures, and for that
reason is sent from God, and should he fos-
ter,ds
"How is one to know who may bring him
good luck! Is there any means of knowing
mascot Mt sight,"
"Ah, res the divine wisdom iii this SUI
persttion,' said my friend. "Any one, the
least among us, may be the one To bring us
luck We can only learn who the potent one
| Is by treating all with impartial kindness.
For my part, think good luck goes with
good will. Whoever wishes you well coa.
stantly, actually makes good luck for you.
Good will is O potent factor in life, did you
but realize 1t.
"Then, there arc inanimate things which
are lucky or unlucky, are there notp l asked.
aFor instance, famous aseball player bo
loves that red jacket brings him good lack,
md he refuses to play without 1t. I myself
NOW lady who has a blue basque which she
| ,alls her disappointment jacket, because she
never wore it without being disappointed
about something. Another had an unlucky
nix gown, which was finally stolen, and its
| )wner said she was glad Of it"
ayes, am far enough gone to believe in
| ucky and unlucky garments, jewelry, horses,
and all sorts of things. Some men carry old
coins for luck. I believe it Is the proper
hing to have them given you. Haven't you
heard man say that he has carried such and
mch coin twenty years, and wouldn't part
| with it for anythings He pretends, of course,
hat he values it because he has carried it SO
'ong. The truth is, he has faith in 1t as
luck piece, and wouldn't sell it for any price.
Men are only grown-up children, you know,
| nasquerading as philosophers. As far as
am concerned find it easier to admit that
am child at heart than to try to conceal it"
And he laughed like the full-grown boy he