The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1889-06-15
London Queen.

"To hang an egg laid on Ascension Day In the
roof of house." said Reginald Scott, in 1884, "pre
serveth the same from all hurts" Probably this
was written with an eye TO the "hurts" arising
from witchcraft, in connection with which eggs
were supposed TO possess certain mysterious powers
In north Germany, II you have desire to see the
ladies of the brOOmstick on May Day, their festi-
val, you must take an egg laid on Maundy Thurs
day and stand where four roads meet; or else you
must go to church on Good Friday, but come out
before the blessing II was formerly quite arti-
Gle of domestic belief that the shells must be broken
after eating eggs lest the witches should sail out TO
sea in them or, Sir Thomas Browne declared,
lest they "should draw or prick their
therein, and venifcously mischief the person who
had partaken of the egg. North Germans, ignoring
this side of the question, say "Break the shells
you will get the ague," and Netheranders advise
you to yourselves against the attacks Of this
dsagreeable visitor by eating Easter Day
couple of eggs which were laid on Good Friday.
Scotch fishers who may be reckoned among the
most superstitious of folks believe that contrary
winds and much vexaton of spirit Will result of
having eggs on board with them, while in the west
of England ii is considered very unlucky to bring
birds eggs into the house, although they may be
hung up with impunity outside Mr.. Gregor, in
his "Folklore of the Northeast of Scotland" gives
us some curious particulars concerning chickens
and the best methods of securing satisfactory
brood. The hen ii seems, should be set on an odd
number of eggs or the chances that most, ifnot
all, will be added mournful prospect for the
hen wife also, they must be placed under the
mother bird after sunset or the chickens W i'll be
blind. Ii the woman who performs this office car
ries the eggs wrapped up in her chemise the result
will be hen birds: If she wears mans hat, cocks.
Furthermore, ii is we'll for her to repeat a sort of
charm, "a In thegeethr. A. DOT theegeethir"
There are many farmers lives, even in the present
day, who would never dream of allowing eggs TO
be brought into the house taken out after dark,
this being deemed extremely unlucky. Cuthbert
Bede mentions the of farmers wife in Rut-
land who received a sitting of ducks eggs from
iyhl Orof nil nc Qf oh anfp
how she could have been foolish" said the good
woman, much distressed and her visitor, upon
inquiry, was told that ducks eggs brought into
house after sunset would never be Matched. A
Lincolnshire superstition declares that II eggs
carried over running water they will be useless for
setting purposes; while in Aberdeen there is
idea prevalent among the country folks that should
it thunder short time before the chickens are
Matched they will die in the shell. The same wise
acres may be credited with the notion that the
year the farmers good wife presents him with an
addition to his family is bad season for the pou-
try yard "Barns and chuckens," say they, "dinna
thrive in ae year." the probable explanation being
that the good wife, taken up with the of her
BARN. has less time to attend to the rearing of the
chuckens. Besides the divination prscticed with
the white of an egg, which certainly appears of
vague and unsatisfactory character, another species
of fortune telling with eggs is in vogue in North
cumberland the of St. Agnes. maiden
DESTROYS Of knowing what her future lord is like is
eDjoined TO boil egg, after having spent the
WnOIe uAy Ia6tlnS anu III sllenCc, tnen 10
the yolk, fill the cavity with salt and cat the WHOLE
including the shell. This highly unpalatable sup
per finished, the heroic maid must walk backward,
uttering the invocation to the saint:
St. Agnes. work thy fast,
IL ever be TO marry
OR
hope this night TO
If all necessary rites and ceremonies have been
duly performed, the girl may confidently count
upon seeing her future husband in her dreams
dreams which we would presume as our Yankee
| friends say, would bear a strong resemblance TO
nightmare.
Cheap Pair of Pictures.
For 40c we will mail, post paid, to any address,
4 fho ha Arka