The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-08-15

properties to them. This tellef is shared
By almost every nation and even the pro-
sale American has his pet superstition,
which be respects, while he may not open
ly acknowledge it.
Consider for a moment the opal, that
much m~aligned gem. Here is its true
legend-how different from the one we
have always been taught: "The opal
denotes hope and sharpens the sight Of the
possessor Of IT," Is it not worth while
owning a stone that will carry such char
actelisties to the wearet? And, again:
Gray years ago a man lived in The East,
Who had received a ring, OF worth immense,
From a beloved hand. Opal the stone,
Which flashed an HHdred bright AID beau
teous hues;
And had the secret power
OF making him beloved of God ana man.
Who wore itin calm faith and confidence.
GEMS As PHYSICIANS.
Gems lave long been supposed to indi-
cate the health of the donor or possessor.
lfthey become dull he was eonjectured to
be i'll or in some physical danger; and their
becoming Opaque or colorless would give
rise to the most dismal fufbodings. The
turquois, especially, was believed to have
an affinity with the ply steal we'll being of
the ow
Nine. Titiens, the famous prima donna,
had astrong superstition regarding the tur-
quois. She believed that it was TO her a
aIfS,napio osoraand Lru,ah+a -
undertakings. She never was without one.
While she was in St. Petersburg, early in
her career, she was presented with a tur-
quois brooch by the Gar. She regarded
that special stone with absolute venera-
ton, aud she never essayed a new operate
role that she did not wear it. If it did not
harmonic W 18th her costume she would
wear it out of sight ON her undergarment:
but there Mas DO power that ould induce
her 10 go on the stage without it. She would
disappOint a public sooner than brave fail
ure by the absence of her talisman.
Nine. Rudersdorf had the same supersti-
ton to fully as great a degree, and she wore
as an amulet a bracelet set v 18th ~turquois
that never left her arm day or night. That
bracelet and a sapphire ring were her two
talismans for good.
The amethss st is often worn as a preset
vatiFe against Violent passions and con-
cealed enemies, and is supposed to protect
the owner from treachery and deceit.
Henry Ward Beecher was very fond of
gems of all kinds, aud was a constant pnr-
chaser. | don't know that lie had any
special superstition regarding them, but
he loved them as one may love any beau
tifal thing. To him they meant some
thing more than mere adornment; they
represent not SO much money value as
artistic merit. And that. by the way, is
always true of your genuine gem lover.
Anything like ostentation or display is
hateful to him.
LongielloW' favorite gem was the royal
amethyst; that deep, flashing purple that
changes TO ruby by an artificial light.
This love was shared by the artist Hunt,
and the two were always looking for new
specimens of this stone.
MooNsToNEs THE FAD.
Just now there is a perfect mania for
moonstones. Not alwayst To be worn as or
naments, but to be carried about the per-
son as a temptation to good fortune add
success. To show how deep-seated is this
belief, l will quote from a letter received
by a dealer in gems from an unlnek artist:
Having heard of your wonderful fortune
compelling moonstones, | send Immediately
for one, hoping that it may dissipate the
ill-lnck that has follow ed me for some time.
Though not a believer in necromaney, /
am inclined to accept this with my whole
heart. If you can add an extra charm to
it will remain your debtor for life.
Once in a while one catches q glimpse ola
humorous side ofthis superstition, as in the
case of a we'll known business man. who
being in love with a young lady many years
his junior, did o dare to try his fate
until he had a moonstooe which held a
magic mirror One was easily found
for him, and it must have brought him
the coveted success, since he was mar
ried within six months to the object
of his alteration. The flaw in the neon
stone is called the magic mirror" since
fo~rtune-tellers say that through these the
IN, ~steries Of the future are revealed.
A brewers organ says that only four
failures have occurred during the year
among the three Thousand brewers of the
United States. There is no means of as
certaining how many failures in other
lines of business their liquors have caused.
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