Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-03-27
SOME QUEER QUESTIONS.
They Have Yet a Firm Hold on PeO-
plein This Age of Enlight-
eminent.
Wonders in the World of Mind Will
Always Confront Us.

The march of civilization has tended to
decrease to very large extent the silly
notions of the superistitions, but in most
parts. of the globe there still remains a
great many people weak enough to allow
| themselves to be carried away by super
stition. Some of the notions of these in
dividuals are as absurd in reality as they
appear ridiculous at first glance. For in
stance, even in bustling, matter-of-fact
Denver, lady was heard to declare the
other day that she never travelled on the
railroad on Friday for fear she would
| meet with an accident and is quite COM
mon thing for some people both in this
country and in England, to attribute all
manners of evil to that presumably ''un-
lucky day. Equally great are the num-
Der of otherwise sane members of society
who would not for the world walk under
meath an erected ladder for fear it might
bring them "bad luck" though for the
matter of that friend of the writer
once met with extremely bad luck in brav-
ing superstition and walking under
ladder, for, owing to the carelessness of a
painter, he received gratuituously whole
can of paint, causing him to use language
to that particular workman of character
decidedly more forcible than polite.
In some countries superstition is respon-
sible for many acts of cruelty. Among
some of the tribes in Africa, if two babies
come to family at the same time it is
thought dreadful thing. Nobody, ex-
cept the family, can go into the tent where
they were born, nor use any of the things
in it. The twins are not allowed to play
o@l,o ii,
not talk to any one outside of the family.
This is kept up for six years; if the babies
live to be six years old the restrictions are
removed and they are treated like other
children
The Swedish angels say that if woman
steps over the rod no trout will be caught
that day. They also consider it I'LL lucky to
turn the PROV of the boat toward the shore
Pins found in church and made into hooks
brought good luck, and tackle stolen from
a friend or neighbor brought better luck
than if bought with money. A sneeze on
a sneeze on the right side of the boat was
board the vessel brought good luck, but
cats on board were believed to bring bad
| luck.
| A queer English superstition is to the
effect that if robin die in the hand the
hand will always tremble. A superstition
used to exist that child which did not
cry when sprinkled in baptism would not
live long. In the west of Scotland accord
ing to James Napier, it was considered I'M
lucky to name child by any name before
the rite of baptism was performed When
children seemed prematurely smart 1t was
believed they would not live long. Shakes
peare put this superstition into the mouth
of Richard III. Bulwer also mentions the
tradition concerning children born open
handed, that they will be liberal and big
hearted.
A character in one of Dekker's plays
says: Il am wretched fellow; surely some
left-handcd priest christened me, | am SO
unlucky."
According to Irish and Scotch fairy
superstitions the elves, though in the main
harmless, have the bad.reputation of steal
ing children from the cradle and substitute
ing for them changelings who bear re-
semblance to the stolen infants. but are
ugly little creatures and never thrive On
such a theft of a female infant, who is
carried to fairyland, but in the course of
years returns to her parents, James Hogg
founded his fine ballad of ''Kilmeny'
Queens Wake).
In some parts of Scotland it is a popular
notion among the lower classes that when
a child is for the first time taken into the
open air the bearer of it should give some
thing to eat to the first person met other
wise the child will be unlucky. The gift
is called the "bairn's piece When a
child was taken from its mother and car
ried outside the bedroom for the first time
after its birth, it was lucky to take it up
stairs. but unlucky to take it downstairs.
| 1t was not considered lucky to carry baby
into a neighbours house until the mother
took it herself, and this was unlucky for
even her to do until she has been to church.
1t was considered unlucky for children to
walk backward while going on an errand.
1t was deemed unlucky to measure baby,
and if its nails were cut before year cid it
would turn out thief. 1t was also I'M
! lucky for a boy to wear pantaloons made
on Friday, and to sweep dust over the
| foot of the girls would surely prevent them
from getting husbands. In HindoOstan,
when a baby sneezes the mother snaps her
thumb and finger and repeats aloud one of
the names of her gods. When child
casts tooth in South Sweden the tooth is
cast into the fire. In Switzerland and in
| England the tooth is carefully wrapped in
paper and salt inclosed with it before it is
| thrown into the fire. In Herrick's time it
was regarded as lucky omen to place a
knife near sleeping child In the west
of England the fortunes of the children are
believed to be regulated by the day of the
week on which they are born:
| Mondays child is fair In face,
Tuesday child is full of grace,
Wednesday child is full of woe,
Thursdays child has far to go,
Fridays child is loving and giving,
Saturdays child works hard for its liv-
ing,
And child that is born on Christmas
Day
Is fair and wise, good and gay.