The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-03-08
YORKSHIRE SUPERSTITION.
The Very Old But Obsolete One OF Throw
ing the Cups.''

The Very Old But Obsolete One OF "Throw-
ing the Cups"
The reign of superstition is almost
at close. The majority of people
now, upon hearing some old legend of
ancient belief related. at once say that
it is nothing but an old wife's tale, and
thus think no more about it. There is
not so much faith nowadays placed in
fortune tellers, nor is fortune telling
SO prevalent as it was some years ago;
yet we still keep hearing of some poor
servant girl being misled by these
sorcerers, who prefer doing any thing
for livelihood rather than try to pro-
cure one in an honest and upright
manner. The following story, how
ever, is correct in every detail: 1t
must be fully half a century since that
terrible disease, the smallpox, made a
raid upon the town of Wetherby. when
/ was commissioned by the wears wife
Ga lady whose charity was unbounded)
to deliver to twenty-seven families
some nourishing food which she was
going to give them. When l had fin
ished my mission the kind old lady
wished to give me some remuneration
for my trouble, but as declined to ac-
cept any she insisted upon my taking
tea with the servants. After tea, the
housemaid said to the cook: Now,
Jenny, let us throw the cups" and as
l was only boy and naturally curious
to know what they were about to do.
l was very attentive. She threw her
own cup first. and declared: mo luck
in it." She then threw mine, and said,
''Thoo's luck, mi lad" She next
threw Jenny's, and exclaimed, "Put
thi' hat and shawl on, lass. AN
max haste, or Johnny will be at
door afore thoo gifts there" Now,
Johnny was Jenny's lover, and, as
1 had to go home the same way as
Jenny, l went with her. just as we
turned the corner close to the house
where she was going sure enough
there was Johnny knocking at the
door. then went home. and you may
be sure after what had witnessed be-
came thoroughly converted to the be-
lief of the cup business. Some time
after Jenny, the cook, having left her
place, came to stay at our house for a
fortnight. Being lively sort of girl
and full of necrOmancy, we often had
a bit of fun at the breakfast and tea
table by her throwing the cups. On
the morning of her departure she said
to me: LAS this is the last time l
shall be with you for some time we
will throw the cups" She then threw
mine, with the same result; it had al
ways been good luck" She then
threw her own cup. as she had done
for three mornings previously with
the same result, and exclaimed:
There's death in the cup. Some
thing will happen" then took her
luggage to the wagon (she was going
on to Bradford), and bid her good bye.
About three weeks later, as we were
having tea at home. who should walk
in but the brother Jenny had gone to
stay with, and, upon inquiring his
business, he replied: II have bad
news. Poor Jenny's dead and I've
come to bid you to attend her funeral
at Kirby OVERFLOW" / was the only
one. however, in our family who went
to see the poor girl laid in her last
resting place, and 1 never go now to
Kirby but stay to look at her tomb,
each time recalling to mind her words
of prophecy.-Cor. Leeds Mercury.