The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-15
Love OF NUMBER THREE.
The Arabic Mineral Closely Al
lied With Youth, Manhood
and Old Age.
Body, Soul and Spirit, or the
Mortal, Divine and Vapor-
GUS Parts.
Tires Fates, Three Furlcs. Three Graces-
Heather and Christian Trinities-
Faith, Hope, Charity.

Heather and Christian Trinitics-
Faith, Hope, Charity.
Pythagoras declared three to be the per
feet number, says a writer in the Londol
Standard, expressive or beginning, middl
and end" If may fairly be STYLED the i'm
mortal number, for from time immemoria
m,re prominence has been given to II than
perhaps, to any other. Life is divided int,
youth. manhood and old age. The ossa-
crum, supposed to resist the action o.
water. fire. mill or anvil, ia triangular in
shape. Man himself 10 said to be three.
f~old-body, soul and spirit, or, az Laertes
has it, a mortal part, a divine and ethereal
part, and aeria and vaporouts part. Accord
ing to the Romans, man has a threefold
soul-the ANNA or spirit, the umbra and
the names and, as was also the opinions
of the Greeks. three Parca, OF
Fates, arbitrarily controlled his
birth, life and death. Oculists affirm that
our early p~rogenitors were giants possessed
of three eyes, the third eye being in the
back of the head. Classical mythology ac-
uuaints ~ with three furies known as Tisi-
phone, Alecto and Megoera, the three-head-
ed Flutonic dog, three graces, etc. In Hin
doc mythology the the godhead is symbol
lied bv three heads. representing Brahma.
Vishnu and silva. Then there is the Brah-
mic Teseera, OF three symbolic threads.
saTbree persons in one God" signifies the
Christian trinity. The very lightning from
heaven is three forked. No matter where
We 60, we are confronted with this mystic
- .-1 of<on Uhor annfhar fuuro
would apparently answer the purpose. Its
sacred associations. the superstitions with
which it is mixed up, and its classical an
tiquitS no doubt account for the many
instances in which we find it and
probably a love OF the antique leads
it that more luck attends it that any Of the
other odd numbers2 Be this as it may, the
number three seems to dodge our steps from
the cradle to the grave with a persistence
nlmost unequalled. Who does not remem-
Der the three bears Of nursery lore. the
three feline infants who lost their mittens,
or the three thinking Frenchmen frying
frogs, and recall the delight he felt in the
story of the farmers wife who vowed VEN
gsance on the three hapless mice, or of Old
King Cole with his "fddlers three?' Then,
whom the fairy tales began to charm, who
creatures carried bows made Of the ribs of
q man buried where three lairds' lands
meet? Those who followed Gulliyer in his
travels will call to mind that in the king
dom Of Lilliput the three great prizes !
Of honor were fine silk threads. six
inches long, in colors, blue, red and green;
but perhaps every reader had not the OPP
~portunlty of being fascinated by the Ger
man story which relates how q miller's
daughter, welded to a king, was ordered by |
him to spin straw into gold, and had it
done for her oy the dwarf Rumpelstilzchen,
on condition that she give him her first
born. She cried so bitterly that he prom
ised to relent if she guessed his name in
three days. Two days were spent in vain
guesses, but the third the queens servants
heard a strange voice singing Little
dreams my dainty dame, Rumpelstilzchen
is my name" The queen saved her child
and the dwarf killed himself with rage.
Closely associated with these happy mem
cries is the A b G book. Then rs school days
commenced, the mystic number greet
ed us in ways that were pleasant and the
reverse. How easy 1t was to give three
cheers for a holiday, how puzzling tia
rule OF three" Our geometry lesson tod
other figures. In the playground the boys
would bid us say boots without spurs
three times, or insist on our taking part in
IL three legged race. In our Roman history
the gladiatol's trident spear elected our aG-
miration. Good Queen Bess, it would seem,
WlbuCu W 10 A1ACo WAN UAO llPiC luulDt |
on the three-farthinR silver coin struck in
her reign, on which she is depicted wearing
r rose at the back of her head. We are told
that in the days of chivalry every knight
chose a swan, which was associated in his
oath with God, the virgin and his lady love.
The r. NJ. 7. OF William LII. g reign is an
other significant triad.
The three feathers of the Principally and
our Union Jack are further instances of
allegiance to this favored number, while
France, Belgium, Holland and Italy all fly
three national colors. The Turkish Vizler
has his standard ornamented with three
horses tails. Indeed, the annals of heraldry
revel il designs of a triplicate character,
the three British lions being conspicuous.
The original armorial ensign of the Isle of
Maj was a ship in full sail: but after the
battle Of Ronaldsway. Alexander LII. sub
stituted the present curious device, having
probably taken it from the emblem of Sicily
the ancient Irinacria found apon Greek
vases. In 1863 Charles VI, it appears,
reduced the Fleur-de-Lys to three in num-
Der, from the mystic superstition of the
church. Every one cognizant with un:yer-
sity life knows what it is to crink coupus,
bishop and cardinal. Ecclesiastical history
is replete with such triads. as. for example,
the bell, book and candles" the Tridus,
or three days PRAYER: the pope's taree
crowns and ''The Mystery Of the Three
Dons," a religious play which lasted three
Gays. lib, OF course, Is not to be WON
dered at. when the mystic number appears
30 frequently in the scriptures themselves.
What is art to strike one is the varied way
II which it is mentioned, and one can not
help specializing whether it is by design
or accident that this particular figure
is SO often preferred. To give a few in
stances only: The butler and baker both
dreamed OF the mystic number. The luck
less Jonah was three days an inhabltant of
the whale. Samuel heard the voice three
times. Three times Saul essayed to kill
David with a ~jayelin. Jonathan shot three
arrows on David's behalf. Three wise men
came to worship Christ with presents three.
Christ spoke thee times to satan when
tempted.
He prayed three times before his BETRAYAL.
Peter denied him three times. Christ suf-
fered three hours agony on the cross. Tie
superscription was in three languages, and
three men were crucified. The third day
Christ rose again, and appeared three
times to his disciples. Saul was without
sight three days. Faith, hope and charity
these three and 80 on the record might
be extended indefinitely. The three solid
marble steps of a monumental church in
Yorkshire bear witness to recent honor paid
to this illustrious number, the first white
emblematic of purity; the second dull ser
pentine green, signifying the fall of man:
and the third porphyry, suggestive of tina
atonement.