Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-19
A SUPERsTITIoUs DAY.
Omens and ProEnostics That Man Might
Meet in n Day-How to Make Oneseif
Miserable-What People Call Fancies.

Omens and Prognostics That Man Might
Meet in n Day-How to Make Oneself
Miserable-wha People Call Fancies.
From the London G1obe.l
In this very practical and skeptical age, new
superstitions are continually springing into ex-
istence. We are apt to consider that our
traditions respecting -omens and prognostics
have been handed down from the times OF
Thor ana Odin; but though this may be true OF
some, it is certainly not true of large number
which are current at the present time. Let US,
by way of illustration, picture the day OF
man holding most of the more popular modern
superstitions.
The first thing he will ask himself on waking
in the morning is. "What do my dreams mean"
Having settled this important matter, he VIII
perhaps find (as Is often the case in the morn
ing) that he has hair in his mouth. This
means, according to superstition widely
prevalent among the lower-class Londoners
that he will be drunk before nightfall. Having
taken the hair out of his mouth, he cautiously
gets out of bed on the right side lin order That
his temper may not be affected), dresses care
fully, remembering, Of course to put his rlgnt
shoe on first, and goes down to breakfast IL
he eats eggs he must knock the bottoms OF the
shells through when he has finished, or they
will be used by the witches for boats. Ii ne
accidentally drops knife off the table, 1t
means (according to Cockney superstition) that
man will visit the house during the day.
Making n Good Start.
After breakfast he will probably 60 out for .
stroll Of course he will not walk under lad
der, not only because it would bring general
bad luck, but also because he will thus avoid
the risk OF getting pot of paint dropped on
his head If he is accompanied by lady he
will be very careful-should he walk through
a garden-not to present her with marigold,
for to wear q marigold is to forfeit all chance
Of marriage. He will observe all magpies,
jackdaws and crows which may fly overhead,
since these birds, if they utter sounds, foretell
great misfortunes and sometimes death. Ques-
tions of doubt can always beresolved, provided
it is the proper season, by the way by which
Marguerite discovered that Faust loved her,
by pulling petals out of flowers, or by blowing
the fluffy seed off dandelions or thistle-stafks:
So. too, q boys future career may be unfolded
plying the old formula beginning, Tinker,
tailor, soldier, sailor" etc. Cockneys believe
that If you see three lucky (that is, piebald)
horses during the same walk some great piece
of good fortune will shortly come to pass.
Hence it must be very desirable to walk ABOUT
in the neighborhood of circus.
A Business Mans Guides.
Wnen the SuperSClLlouS man returns nome,
refreshed with the morning air, to transact the
business of the day, he will discover aids to the
present and the future in a thousand little
things. If his clock stops he can find out the
time by holding weight at the end of string
against the wall. The number of taps it gives
indicates the hour, of the day. By means of
| lucky sixpences, charms (such as a coral hand
with the first and fourth fnger-tips touching,
and the second and third fingers doubled up),
tossing up coin in cases of great doubt, sortes
| VfrgftiG7e applied to the Bible or any other
book he greatly reverences. fortune telling by
cards, phrenology. planchette or palmistry, he
will be helped through many difficulties which
| ordinary mortals iave to combat by means of
| their unaided reason. Of course, he will OBJ
serve at lunch much the same rules that are
prescribed for all meals, avoiding spilling salt
| and noticing whether a knife is dropped or not.
| He must be careful IN his conversation not to
talk about accidents; this is generally believed
| to be unlucky, and necessitates touching wood
| Immediately If the evil is to be averted. Pos
| bly, in the afternoon he may pay visit or two.
| If he finds that there are peacocks' feathers IN
| any house at which he calls, he will hasten
| away. So, too, it goes without saying that if
| he meets anyone with an evil eye he
| will point his first and fourth fingers
| at the possessor. and invent an excuse
| for leaving the house at once: As the
afternoon wears on, he will be glad to find him.
| self once more by his own hearth, with the can
| dies lighted and the fire brightly burning.