The record-union., 1891-03-20
THEY WE'RE NOT SUPERSTITIOUS.
But Each. of Them Had Some Peculiar
Little Habit or Fad.

81 have no patience with superstitious
people. There is nothing in superstition
| used to believe, when | was a boy. that
it was good luck to see the new moon over
my right shoulder, that the Evil One
would pursue me for month if | saw it
first over my left. And after was grown,
and circumstances had knocked non
sense and superstition out of me, [ still
felt more comfortable not to start on a
journey on Friday, but several railroad
smashups used up the one remaining
''What are you doing? Don't open that
umbrella in the houser'
There were six or seven sitting around
the CRATE, and out in the hall was gen
tleman preparing to leave. He opened
his umbrella to show the hostess the
beauties of the light and slender wire
stem. As this command fioated out to
him his astonished look was equaled by
the shout that went up from the fireside
AS he came in for an explanation the
speaker said: swell, that is really the
only superstition 1 have left, but do
think it is flying in the face of provi-
dence to open an umbrella in the house."
Then it developed that every one of
these sensible, sedate men of experience
had some one thing that meant to him
an omen ofgood or ill. Yet each scorned
the idea OF superstition. 1t was "habitv
with most of them.
One gentleman said that he always in
disrobing placed his shoes on the same
spot and about the same position as if he
was standing in them-heels together and
toes out. If by any chance this was neg
lected he could not get to sleep until he
arose and arranged his representatives.
Another one, for over twenty years,
had carried in his hip-pocket thin, fiat
pocket-book that had belonged to his
father. He never used it, but the pocket
book was always changed with his trous-
ers. AT times, in forgetting it, he had
neglected important business to return
for it. He never carries anything else in
the pocket with it, A lady says one in
dication of something out of the usual
happening to her was, in dressing, to get
something on with the wrong side out
1t did not always mean bad luck. Some
times, though annoying, it would turn
out to be an extraordinary bit of good
luck. The omen never failed, notwith-
standing that she never allowed herself
the comforting discomfort of wishing and
wearing the garment through the day,
loyal to the mistakes and the old idea of
protection against the hoodoo.
Then another of the party took silver
coin out of his pocket and said he had
carried it nearly twenty years, and would
be much annoyed if he lost it, but of
course it is only association.
A gentleman who up to this time had
llSUeneu WltnOut auQlng 10 the SYM
postum, said: "Well, l know that 1 am
not at all superstitious, but there are some
peculiar coincidents in a mans life. Three
or four years ago an acquaintance of mine
gave me a poker chip, and said: Put it
in your pocket and carry it for luck 1
put it in my pocket with my silver, not
for luck, but carelessly. I carried it up to
six months ago. when it disappeared. OF
course there is nothing in it, but from the
time that piece of ivory went into into my
pocket everything went against me. L
lost thousands of dollars. About six
months ago things took turn. The
poker chip, had nothing to do with it, but
l don't want any more of them mixed up
with my silver. .'-C Chicago Herald.