Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-04-25

| o"o vi LOUIS marShalS, BaSSOm.
pierre, was great at repartee. He
had spent ten years in the Bastille,
ana on emerging his majesty asked
MIN his age. Fifty sire" To the
surprised look of the king the mar.
shall added, 81 don't count the ten
years [ passed in the Bastille, be.
cause | did not spend them in your
majesty's service"
Signs and 0menS.
do public men believe in signs
and omens? This is question
which is often discussed, but no con-
elusive answer can be, or, at least,
has been, given, except that which
may be drawn from individual cases.
On the occasion of his last visit Ia
Washington ex-senator Ransom, of
North Carolina, diScoursed most ell
tertainingly upon it, in the presence
OF few friends gathered in his old
committee-room at the Capitol, and
shed some light upon the subject.
The conversation came about by his
statement that he intended to start
for his new post of duty as Minister
to Mexico on a Friday.
"Oh, aren't you afraid" en-
claimed one Of the party, "to begin
such an important and extended trip
on that day?"
"NO," the new minister answered
II do not recognize any difference
between Friday and the other DAYS
of the week ! don't believe that il
can have the slightest possible influ-
ence in determining the issue of an
enterprise projected or begun on that
day. In fact" he continued, in "A
contemplative mood, 81 think am
not given to guiding my actions by
any sign or omen. Only to-day,
coming down to the Capitol, my
companion saw funeral procession
coming up the avenue, evidently
bound for Oak Hill Cemetery,
Georgetown. Said he: Senator,
let's turn off here so as to avoid
meeting it. You know it's danger
ous.' ] said to him: Look up the
avenue. There are at least a thou
sand people in sight, many of whom
must unavOIdly meet the procession.
Before ii reaches Georgetown it Will
have met hundreds of people. Do
you believe that all of them are to
be afflicted with sudden death be-
cause of the presence of this funeral
procession in their way? / don't,
and we won't change our route.
And we didn't.
"There are some old saws" the
ex-senator went on to say, "that
have basis of sound reason, or had,
for their existence, which may not
be generally known. That one
which goes, 1t is unfortunate to
meet a lady when starting on Jour
ney," is based on very good rea.
son. Ladies are so attractive that
the wOuld-be traveller is likely to be
beguiled into conversation with
the one he may meet on his way tC
the station, which will prevent him
from reaching there in time to take
his train or boat, and he is thereby
delayed, probably to his embarrass
ment or loss. Therefore, it may be
unfortunate for traveller TO meet {
lady in those circumstances.
There is another that has a histo
ric and philosOphic basis--'to pu
ones sock on wrongside out is {
sign of good luck.' That had it,
origin in the olden times, before tn,
modern cOnveniences of gas anl
electric lighting were added to tn,
appliances of home and hotel life
Therefore, the man who rose early il
the morning, before daylight, ant
dressed himself, not stopping to dis
cover whether or not his hose wa
strictly in order, because of the dill
gence implied in that action, wa
often enabled to score a triumph
over a business rival who waited un
til he could determine that every ar
ticle was in order. Hence the prov
erb, which simply means that
hustler, as we would term in thes
days, is bound to succeed.
The same is true of the saying tina
lit is unlucky for a rabbit to eros
your path This has the respecta
bility of age as warrant for its cir
culatiOn, but 1t has long lost it
force, or should have done so. Rah
bits haunt their warrens generall
until dusk, and then they begin rur
ming about in search Of food. |
olden times travelling was dangerous
even in broad daylight, and to hav
a rabbit cross ones path meant tina
! he was likely TO be caught out afte
dark, and bad luck, either in tn
shape Of injury from robbers G
damages or delay through bad road:
was almost certain to befall the tray
eller.
"But that simple signs or omer
in these days of practical things ca
affect ones interests, either for goo
or bad, don't believe" conclude
the Senator.