Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-04
iOMENS AND PORTENTS
Many Singular Beliefs Traced to
Their Original Source.
STRANGE FORMS OF PROPHECY.
The Warnings to be Read Out of Trivial
Circumstances.
SOME SIGNS 10 BE DEPENDED UPON

SOME SIGNS TO BE DEPENDED UPON
To try to peer into futurity is human
weakness. We know not what a day may
bring forth, but we would naturally like to
know. To read the signs of the times, and
be enabled thereby to avoid future risks, is
an unmistskable sign of true wisdom; but
great many good people have neither the
skill nor the patience to do this, but are
fain to have recourse to persons who pretend
to be fortune tellers, to divination of some
kind or other, or to the observance of Ger
tain signs, which are supposed to be augu-
ries of good or evil fortune, or ominous of
coming events. We shall deal in the pres
ent paper with the last of these only, says
writer in the Newcastle, Eng, Chron-
fcle; and, before launching into the some
what wide subject, take the liberty to pre-
mise that not a little of the philosophy of
omens is contained in the Scottish proverb:
'Them that follow freits, freits follow"
meaning that a fantastic belief in impend-
ing evil parslyzes the endeavor that might
prevent it, and so tends directly to bring
about the misfortune anticipated.
oMENs TO DEPEND ON.
At the same time, there are some omens
that may be depended on in general way.
Thus clear sky at sunset prognosticates a
fair day, and dark, heavy, lowering clouds
indicate coming rain. In the moral world,
pride goes before fall, and waste and ex-
travagance before ruin. But superstition
and ignorance multiply idle omens, while
philosophy and truth reject everything of
the kind, except such as ought rather to be
called causes of the events than mere fanci-
ful premonitions of them. All the world
over, however, the belief in omens still pre-
walls extensively. and the Northeast of En-
gland and Southeast of Scotland-the an
cient kingdom of Northumbr1a-has its full
proportion of credulous people, who, in
spite of the good sense which they display
In their usual walk and conversation, has
not yet got above the standard of the fool
ish Israelites in Isaiah's time who sought
unto them that had familiar spirits and
unto wizards that peeped and muttered.
But to proceed with omens, the first we take
concerns augury by means Of cinder flying
out of the fire.
When household coal is full of gas, the
bubbles produced in burning not unfre-
quently burst, and throw off hot sparks or
flakes, which are apt to burn holes in the
carpet (if there is any, or might even set
the house on fire, if not promptly stamped
out. If the explosion is q slight one, as
sometimes happens, the spark or cinder sig
nifies a coffin; If it rattles, it means a purse
In the former case, the einder is hollow and
oblong; in the latter, it is round and means
prosperity. But if the ciBder is oval, it is q
cradle, and predicts the advent of baby.
CANDLE oMENs.
Candles and other lights are supposed to
burn blue and dim when invisible beings
are present, especially If they be evil spirits.
g A letter at the candle" as it is called,
caused by hair, or some other foreign sub
stance, collecting some of the half-melted
tallow round it and preventing It from dis
solving, is regarded as the forerunner of
! sole strange news. "A Spail atthe candle"
which is similar appearance, In the shape
of chip, or rather shaving OF wood, curling
away from the flame, prognosticates death
in the house-generally that of a person who
sits opposite TO it, or of someone very near
and dear to him or her. 1t lis known in some
places as a winding Sheet
The bowling of dog at night under the
window Of sick room is looked upon as a
warning Of death being near. Many also
believe that dogs can see death enter the
houses Of people who are about to die. But
the dog, when be howls, is often merely
eerenading the moon, or replying to the
voice Of some Of his own species, equally
music struck with himself few miles of,
or be is perhaps lamenting his hard fate
because he has been shut out in the cold.
instead Of being allowed to sleep indoors.
GROWING OF THE COCK.
The tim, marking propensities of the
common cock during the night season have
long been the subject OF remark. The bird.
in ordinary circumstances, begins to crow
after midnight and he also crows about
daybreak, with usually one intermediate
effort. DR.. John Fleming, in his work on
the Temperature of the Seasons" +" SAYS: sit
seems impossible to overlook the connection
between the times of Growing and the mimi
mum temperature of the night; nor can the
latter be viewed apart from the state of the
dew-point, or maximum degree of damp
ness" Other circumstances, however, ex-
ercise an influence, for it cannot be disputed
that the times ofcrowing of different indi-
Tiduals are by no means similar, and that
in certain states of the weather, especially
bofore rain, the GROWING is continued nearly
all dav. When this latter is the case
the cock is seen to strut up to the front
door and crow very loudly, indicating
that a stranger is coming; but when he |
night, it is usually a challenge to some
other bold chAnticleer, who has been heard |
Growing N the distance, through the other |
wise silent air. The cock, it may be stated |
in passing, is not the only annunciator of
friendly visitors. Old ladies, and likewise
young ones, see strangers in their teacups
in the shape of bits of stalk floating on the |
surface, and they can tell to a nicely
whether the visitors to be expected are tall |
foA 1aor h. 4ba
thickness of their representatives. from over
sea. The growing hen is reekoned as ominous
of evil, as expressed in the Scottish proverb:
"Whusslin weyves an crswin' hens are ma
csnny."
THE MAGPIE.
The magpie is deemed a bird of evil
omen on both sides of the borders. Its un-
luckiness has been accounted for by its be-
ing the only bird which did not go into the
Ark with Noah because it liked better to sit
outside, jabbering over the drowned world.
Mr.. Henderson tells good story about the
first lesson he received respecting the Dor
tents to be drawn from magpies. He says:
"Well do 1 remember, when boy 10 or IL
years old, driving an old lady in pony
carriage, TO visit friend in q secluded part
OF the county of Durham. Half our Jour
ney was made when, without a word of
warning, the reins were suddenly snatched
out of my hand, and the pony brought to a
stand. Full Of astonishment, looked to
my companion for some explanation of this
assault on my independence, and saw her
gazing with intense interest on q magpIe
then crossing the road. After pause some
seconds, she exclaimed with q sigh: "Oh,
the nasty bird Turn back, turn back 70
And back we turned, the old lady instruct
ing me on the way in the following verse,
which certainly justified the course we had
taken:
One is sorrow, two mirth,
Three a wedding. four birth,
Five heaven, six he'll
Seven's the de'irs ain sell"
Some people are said to be in the habit |
Of making a cross in the air when they |
zee q rnapnia crnssinp their rafh