The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-11-26
POINTS ON PINS.
"NeedIes and Pins, Needles and Pins
when II Man SHarrfes HIS Trouble
RPgfns.y

when u Man Narrfes HIS Trouble
Begins"
There was a time when pins were pre-
eious, and then it was that the allowance
made by husbands to wives for their per-
sonal expenses was called pin money.
Addison. in one OF the Spectators, says it
ought to be called needle money, 50 as IL
imply something of good honsewiiery, and
not give the malicious world occasion to
think that dress and trifes have always the
! uppermost place in woman's thoughts.
But pin money it still continues to be,
though pins cost but triiie
Pins were first introduced in England in
1460 by the Queen Of Richard II, and, Gu
riously enough, Shakespeare puts in the
mouth Of Richard one of his finest aud
most pathetic speeches. the climax of
which is pointed with pin
Within the hollow crown
That rounds the mortal temples Of a king,
Keeps Death his court; ana there the aniie sits
Soothing his state, and gIfnning at his pomp;
Allowing him breath, a little scene
To monarchise, be feared and kill with looks
And humored thus,
Comes al the last, and with a little pin
Bores through his castle wall, and-h,rewell.
King,
Comparatively modern as pins are, they
came in early enough to stick themselves
into numerous superstitions. many of
which hold with more or less force to this
day. In some parts of England bride,
on her return from church, is often robbed
of all the pins about her dress by the sin
gle women present, from belief that who
ever possesses one of them will be married
in the course of year. Another super
stition is that the bride must take care to
throw away every pin worn on her wedding
day. Evil fortune will sooner or later over
take her if she keeps even che pin used in
the marriage toilet.
Not worth pin, is a proverb that
care into vogue not long after their intro
duetion, and numerous passages in Shakes
peare show they were of small value in his
time.
Hamlet declares he does not set his life at
pins fee, and in Measure for Measure, :
where Isabella is pleading before 44agslo FOR
the life of Claudio, Luefo says to her:
If you should need q pin,
Yon could not with more tame a tongue de-
sire it,
And afterward, when Isabella reproaches
her unworthy brother, she says
were il but my life,
Ia throw it down for your deliverance
As frankly pin.
II any loyesek youth or maiden wishes
fo ins,tra sVraat a .aar,e 81 cvraati,.ar+ -.
lover. Oh st. Agnes Eve they should take
a row of pins and pull them out one by
one, while repeating the Lords Prayer.
Then by sticking pin in the sleeve en- re-
firing they would
Have visions OF delight,
And soft adorinss IRON their love receive
pon the hoheyed middle offhe night
Ii ceremonies due they did Alright
In some parts of the country there are
said TO be wishing wells, into which, if the
passer-by will drop crooked pin, he will
obtain whatever wish he then makes. In
the times of witchcraft if one could only
scratch witch with pin 50 that she
would bleed she would lose all the power
and could do no harm. Under.akers who
have to employ pins for any purpose in lay
ing out the dead carefully gather up the
pins that have been used and deposit them
i'll the coffin to be buried with the dead
body Those pins must never be used
again or something frightful may happen.
On seeing pin on the ground one should
always pick it up for the sake Of good
luck. in accordance with the following
rhyme:
see a pin and pick it up,
All he day you'n have good luck;
See pin and let ii lie,
Aud ali day youll need to cry.
There is some doubt, however, among the
learned on this point, and it is a query
whether, if the pin be lying crcsswise to
you, it should be touched. There is an
other point as to how to pick it up. Thad
Stevens, whe, as well as being great
statesman, was also an inyeterate gambler,
always affirmed that the pin should be
taken by the point, while others, net as
great in craftsmanship but quite as inyet-
crate in gambling, affirm that the pin
should be taken by the head. Who shall
decide when doctors disagree Every one
must make his own tests for himself
The pin has also served to point moral
instruction to the young, and among our
earliest lessons we learn that it is a sin to
steal pin, much more to steal greater
thing. The wise DIR. Franklin did nat
omit TO say that a pin day is q groat
year, teaching us there is possible wealth
in the most insignificant Of things.