The Opelousas courier., 1889-12-21
THE TRAVELLERS LUCK.
CONCERNING THOSE
WHO START ON A JOURNEY.

WHO START ON A JOURNEY.
aGood Luck at the Parting-Peopls Whom
1t Is Lucky to NIeet-A Negro Supersta-
ton A Chinese Notion h Hump
backed Person.
There is an old superstition which says,
you must never watch a traveller out OF
sight and still another, "You maun
bid him godspeed thrice and good luck
ance, and no turn your back to the bow OF
the boat while speaking the words. Only
q few weeks ago, while making one OF a
throng Of people who were bidding adieu
to friends bound across the Atlantic,
noticed that the words t'good luck" were
oftener used in one form or another thai
any other expression of farewell; 1t was;
Good luck go with you" Good luck to
you, Luck to you, .'Good-by and gooa
luck; and one old Irish grandmother,
after devoutly crossing herself, called out
to her daughter. 1.-The blessed Virgin
bring you and good luck back to me,
while | among the rest found myself say
ing, "a lucky trip to you, captain, as
that monarch OF All he surveyed stepped
on board his kingdom, a big ocean steamer'
although | am afraid | was tempted to
say it not so much in my belief OF the
good it would bring him as in a fore,
knowledge that he was not only honestly
superstitious, but firmly believed in such
a wish bringing the safe, quick yoyagehe
hoped for, and / am glad to say that III
this case the omen proved good.
With some sailing masters, however.
such an expression would foreteli any
thing but good luck, and in fact many
people dislike to have luck given them In
this way, believing that it is i'll luck to
speak of luck at all; and there are others
who, whether they believe in it or not,
like to nave pleasant things prophesled to
them, or, in other words, ''they are mot
superstitious, but they do lie to have
the signs on the right side.
STARTING ON A JOURNEY.
There are plentyof wise men and women
who will on no account turn back after
starting on a journey; if compelled to,
they must sit down or change some gar
ment before going out again; others who
think it the luckiest thing in the world
to have left something that they really
need, for then they say, owe are sure to
go back. especially a pair of slippers or
an ulldergarment. Scotch people are very
superstitious about the first person they
meet in the morning on going out for the
day or starting on q Journey. II IL Is a
woman, and she is we'll dressed and pleas.
ant looking, then it is good; a beautiful
child is rare good luck, especially If you
can get the little n to notice you; a
business man with a quick, brisk walk,
or q workman with his tools and filled
lunch pail, is also lucky to meet; while
the postman, policeman, doctor and priest
are all f~orerunners of anxiety, and you
need be unco canny and tlnco wary, for
there's muekle depends 81 your prudence
that day"
A universal negro superstition-and
nave found it existing among the Israel
ties of New York city-is to ask question
of any stranger who strikes their fancy,
and If answered satisfactorily. they be.
iieve they have taken that persons luck.
once asked an old colored aunty who
had been eying me for some time, and
who | saw was about to make some IN
curry, why she wanted my luck. She
looked at me a moment, and seeing was
In earnest, said, "Well, honey, | don't
want all your luck, but you's young and
kin get more, and rs gwine to see my
daughter, who am expecting a little baby
n 0IEl. tllla i NdlEd uG ~ Jt0p AAAAO
you. The compliment was appreciated,
and So when she left the cars I carefully
dropped d silver dollar where she would
see It. Picking it up and holding it out
for me to see, she exclaimed, ~ kisOWed
you'd bring me luck
a German superstition, and one said to
alter your luck If it does not please you,
is to change or remove some article of
clothing, such as the right cuff to the
left arm, or your earrings or finger rings.
or take off your hat, being careful to put
it on straight.
A CHINESE NOTION.
The Chinese believe that when starting
ON a journey it is great good luck to have
an insect or reptile go out before yot, or
better still. to cross your path coming
from the left side.
If you are not thinking of taking i
Journey and find d key, you may expect
very shortly to have to pack your trunk
To start on d journey with the new moor
lis BY far the llckiest thing one can do.
a white mark on the nail of the littlt
finger Of either hand is said to foretell
Journey, the old saying, "a gift, a friend
foe, q lover to come, and a journey tt
go, being firmly believed in by mor'
than one wise woman. Cut your nails OF
Saturday If you wish 20 travel, for to Gu
them IN Monday is TO cut them for health
on Tuesday for wealth, on Wednesday fo
d letter. on Thursday fer better, on Frida.
for voc. on Saturday q journey to go.
It is considered very lucky by some t.
meet d humpbacked person when starting
. On Journey, and If you would have rar,
good luck be sure to touch his hump.
When starting on d journey Penlembe
to put your right stocking On FIRST an,
your right foot out of the house first, AM
z, do not look back att the house after TIL