Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-07-21
SUPERSTITIONS.
QUEER IDEAS THAT CONTROL MANY MEN
AND WOMEN.
Does Wearing a Widows Yellow Garter on the Left
Leg Bring Luck How Maiden Can
See Her Love in Dreams at
Small Expense.
MN YorE. Sun.

Small Expense.
NeD York Sun.
Any day and any place you can see
people yielding to superstitions. Notice
people walking together. See a couple of
young girls going along, carefully pre-
venting any one from passing between
them, or if one passes round lamp post
or hitching post, how the other will follow
on the same side. Digniied old men and
women will dodge back and follow their
companion round a hurried pedestrian who
tries to save steps by passing between
them, or round some inaminate obstruc-
ton, causing any number of amusing en-
counters. They believe they will have
quarrel or meet with disappointment If
they let anything come between them.
Others couldn't be hired to meet any
one on the stairs. going up or down, fer
fear they will be disappointed. House
wives have innumerable signs by which
they can fortell events. If the dishcloth
is dropped, there will be visitor. If
knife is dropped, a woman is coming;
fork man is coming; spoon, fool. 1.-two
knives or forks or spoons are put at place
by mistake while setting the table, there
is going to be a wedding. If you
spill salt you will have a quarrel;
this can be prevented by burning
pinch of the spilled salt or thro wing
some over your left shoulder. II a rooster
crows at you or at door, he is playing the
clsirvoyant and telling you you will have
a surprising bit of news or an unexpected
visitor. So also if you drop pair of
scissors, and they etick in the floor, you
will have an unexpected visitor. If a
needle sticks in the floor, you will get
letter. If you see pin with the head to
you, you must surely pick it up, for you
will have good luck, but avoid, if posi-
BILE, seeing pins with the point toward
you, for if you pick them up you will
have sharp luck or bad luck. You must
pick them up, however, if You see them,
for the old lines say:
See pin and pick it up,
All that day you IL have good luck;
See pin and lei il lay,
You'll have bad luck all that day.
If froth or little bubbles rise to the top
of cup of tea or coffee and you are lucky
enough to catch them in spoon and
swallow them, you will get money, the
amount varying with the quantity of bub-
bles. This doesn't apply TO Coney Island
lager. II you find any little sticks, the
stems OF tea leaves, in your tea and swsl-
low them, you will capture new beau.
A good housewife will never sweep at
night. If she is ever obliged to do SO, she
will sweep the dirt into corner, and
couldn't be prevailed on to lift it until
morning. This is to prevent misfortune.
Nor will she at any time sweep the dirt out
Of the door. She will lift it in dustpan
and burn it. This ia to keep the family
possessions safe. If you break dish, fate
will pursue you till you break two more.
If you are unmarried and fall going up
stairs, you will not get married until the
next year; and if your chair tumbles back
ward your chances of matrimonial bliss for
that year 20 with it. Getting out of bed
backward causes things to go wrong for
the day, while putting your right foot out
first pleasss dame fortune. You have to
consult her pleasure in dressing yourself,
too. She likes you better if you put on
your right shoe and stocking first. You
change your luck if by accident you put on
a garment wrong side out, and if you want
to keep your old luck the proper thing to
do is to turn the garment, and while doing
so spit on it and soy, 'For good luck or
bad" If a woman's skirt comes undone
her sweetheart or husband has loving
thoughts Of her.
If widow gives you yellow garter on
Easter Sunday you will have success in
love il you wear it around the left leg, ana
success in business if you wear it around
the right leg. The most dire misfortune
results from opening an umbrella or SUM-
shade in the house, and if man should 90
into the betting stand at race track with
his umbrella raised he would be in danger
OF being mobbed.
You will meet with disappointment If
you start to 20 out and have to return for
something you forgot, unless you sit down
| for minute when you return.
You can tell your fortune by the sensa-
tions of your own body. When your right
ear burns some one is speaking good Of
you, and when your left ear burns it is
evil. You can even discover who the gos-
sipers are by moistening the lobe of the
If the name you guess is correct the ear
will cool at once. If your nose itches you
will have news or company. If your right
eve itches You will shed tears, and if your
left eve itches you will laugh. A quick
ringing in either ear that overwhelms
sound is called a death knell, and pre-
cedes news of death. If your inner arm
itches at the elbow joint, you will have
an insleep or an outsleep. That is, some
one will sleep at your house who is not
accustomed to sleeping there, or
member of the family will be away all
night. Ifyour leg itches at the back IN
der the knee you will 90 on journey,
and il the sole of your foot itches you will
tread on strange ground. If your right
hand itches you will shake hands with
friend; your left hand you will get money.
There is an old saying about this: Scratch
it on wood and it'll come good" That
many are aware Of. Tve seen men who
ought to know better hunt around for
wood to scratch their hands on, and, not
finding any available, take a lead pencil
out of their pockets and rub their palms
With it. A fair Washington belle will
not have en- umbrella without wooden
handle, because, she says, she always
wants some wood around to scratch her
hand on. Even the spots on ones finger
nails come in for share of superstition.
They are called gifts, and it is eaid:
gift on the thumb is sure to come,
Willie gin on the finger has long to linger
It is unlucky to cut the fdger nails on
Friday, Saturday or Sunday. If you cut
them on Friday you are playing into the
DEVILS hand; on Saturday, you are inviting
disappointment, and on Sunday, you will
have bad luck all the week. Thsre are