The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-06-23
OLD TIME sUPEasTITIoNs.
Nor Are They Without Believers Ever
In These DAYS.

|
In These Days.
There are superstitions and SUPER
stitions. In the age of seeing and
clear thinking, of scientific knowl-
/ edge and cool, hardheaded logic,
there is an increase of superstitious
fancies that keeps pace with the in
crease Of population. No sooner
does one erteT this troublesome world
| than the code is furnished.
Here are few notes from the era
dle-lore of superstition. They begin
with the day of birth.
Born on Sunday, gentleman;
Born on a Monday, fair Of face;
Born on Tuesday, full of grace;
Born on a Wednesday, sour and
glum;
Born on Thursday, welcome
home;
Born on Friday, free in giving;
Born on Saturday, work for liv-
ing.
A baby born in May is always deli
cate. IL any one rocks the cradle
when the baby is not in it the child
will die before the year is out. To
cut a baby's finger nails before it is a
year old will cause the child to he
dishonest when it grows up. They
must be bitten off for it's moral good.
To let child see itself in mirror be-
fore it is three months old will bring
it bad luck. A child born when bells
are Ginning will be able to see spir-
it's.
To be born with caul is consider
ed great good luck. Fortune tellers
advertise this special favor rs gift
Of soothtaying David Copperfield
was boen with caul Dickens utili-
zing the old superstition in his novel
Of that name.
What will the manor woman
who considers Ii an unlucky number
do with the 25-cent coin, that has ter
lbs engraved upon it? Who will re-
fuse handful of this unluckily de-
nominated coin? 1t may be that
there are lbs and lbs. If there could
be fatality in numbers, the original
of this one might be suggestive. 1t
sprung from the fact that l3 attend
ed the last supper where Christ sat
down with His disciples. The spilling
of the salt is also believed to have
originated on that occasion, when
Judas, reaching over to grasp the
money bag, upset the salt. The mod
ern antidote is to take up pinch Of
the spilled salt and throw it over
your right shoulder.
Friday is considered by popular
opinion an unlucky day. The Friday
which by some freak Of nomencla-
ture is called Good" is no doubt re-
sponsible for this. which, indeed,
gives dignity to this superstition
equal to that Of the number l3. To
begin anything on Friday, or to start
journey, is to court an adverse
fate. No one will marry on Friday,
but all who hang must hang on Fri.
day. The nails must not be paired
on Friday. Friday, the 18th, is even
more unlucky than the average FRI
day. There is Il proverb that he who
laughs on Friday will weep on Sun.
day.
The fad of the new moon is one Of
our most popular beliefs in the ne
cromancy of fate. To see the moon
Tor the 1lrSu Ilme, nOU through VIII
dow, but in the open air, your right
shoulder turned facing her and
money loose in your hand, indicates
month of good luck. But to see her
over your right shoulder betokens
sorrow. When looking at the new
moon, If you make wish, it will
certainly come true if all the condi-
tions of money, position, ETC., have
been fulfilled.
The luck that is found is horse
shoe is another harmless fancy that
is commonly obs erved. 1t is an old
belief and one that is popularly re-
spected in England. Lord Nelson
believed in the luck of the horseshoe,
and had one nailed to the mast of his
ship Victory. The horseshoe must
always be nailed with the ends up to
hold the luck in, otherwise it will
fall out and turn to misfortune.
Whittier kept horseshoe nailed over
the door of the little room in his
house at Danvers.
Putting on shoe wrong is an
omen Of i'll luck Detroit Free
Press.