Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1896-06-04
wOMAN's sUPERsTITIONs.
The new woman believes In the G

boomers and in just as many supersti-
tons as even her great great grandmother
adhered to. The very newest woman will
hon OF her bis.vola g., a muddy ROAD ,,,s
an old horseshoe out of the mire. carry 1t
home in triumph ard attribute her revt
piece Of good LUCK 10 that nasty lieve Of
iron, because every one of her sex, by
habit or natural inclination and in spite
of her higher education, continues to be-
lieve in signs and omens.
Its good luck to pick up pin only
when you see one in getting out of bed, -
said bespcctaclcd Nassar graduate grave
ly the other day. "but one must pick up
all the pins ones sees in the course Of q
day, else one viii be cheated or lose bit
of money before nightfall. Its good luck
when the cracking sparks from u wood
fire spring tow ard you, and when the palm
of your hand itches rub 1t With the ronoh
edge OF piece OF money, and you Will soon
receive money to add to that piece. If you
dream three times in succession of birds,
you will fall heir to n fortune within the
year and something agreeable will occur
in II hours II you happen unoonsciously
to put on any garment inside out. 70 re
verse the garment changes the luck. II
you open a book upside down, don't at
tempt to read anything in 1t or you will
presently overhear something disagreeahle
of yourself l know n great many women
who believe that blue eyed people are more
lucky than dark eyed ones, and who only
tell their secrets to gray eyed friends, and
who believe that a woman with n black
mole GU her body is bound to come to IA
tragical end, s."
My beliefs run to days. frankly ad-
mitted another woman. Every woman
who entertains is sure there is ono day in
the week on which she can have no sue
cess In any undertaking. My bad day is
Thursday, but then know lots Of women
who never make any positive engagements
for saturdays. Saturday Is very black
day in society lists, and there are numbers
of otherwise sensible indiy iduals who will
never entertain on the day of the week On
which some member Of their family has
died. just as there are those who, having
once worn gown to funeral. Will
promptly give the whole costume away.
Moreover, some girls, l know, feel there
are certain garments in which they always
meet with III luck 1t may be pair of
pretty stockings or gloves or n dainty pet
ticoat that shows signs OF being hoodoucd
and once the evil genius is accurately fixed
on the accursed garment off 1t goes, and
usually the possessor burns ii or gives it
to some girl she has a grudge against.
Now, of course you know that using
rackcd mirror brings wrinkles and why
have jewelers. never been able 10 make he
topaz popularF 1t is because the majority
believe tina, directly you take to wearing
those yellow stones you will have "a rival.
The cid superstitions about epals are pass
ing cut, but a woman is bound to loo tickle
in her affections II she wears a turquoise.
The is.us OF bad luck are the kind one is
Hk ely IL notice most carefully, and no girl
with care for her looks ever clips her
hair ends on the dark Of the moon or III
the month Of May Mt all.
1t : the worst possible luck to lay an
umbrella "a u bed or divan, and it is u fair
warning Of some impending misfortune
when picture falls. l really know Of
many cases where dreaming of water FIRE.
queut.y has been followed by the death Of
friend,. and all women seriously look for
wedding cards in the mail after dreaming
on real graveyard subjects. II is rccog
nized To be bad luck to go back on your
footsteps for thing forgotten, and the
girl who stumbles on her way up stairs
understands that in spite OF leap year her
matrimonial prospects are over for II
months.
There is balm +" said another Vassar
girl, in the midst of bad luck signals by
which The ordinary girl wisely tries to
counterfeit her promised III fortune. That
Is by Wishing on things and turning back
the huodoo. Make a wish when you meet
a person wha has one brown and one blue
eve. II i. sure to bring you good luck.
Wish for health or good weather on Il
shooting star a4d wish Oh the new moon
but look 1T it through somebody's wed
ding rag.
Il was always taught" said Virginia
girl, by my negro nanny that no woln
an would ever grow bald or gray who
kept all her combings and used them to
stun pincushions; also that two spoons at
one place at table meant proposal OF
marriage in twclvemonth, that June
and October were the only positively lucky
months for weddings, and that no sharp
instrument, as knives or scissors, should
ever be received a. friendly gifts, else in
short while some friendship would surely
be severed. There are southern brides so
sensitive on Il S Point they won't even al
low knives to be included in their boxes OF
table silver or the pretty steel tools to APP
pear in any service OF manicure sets they
receive. All New Orleans girls carry little
images of st. Joseph in their pockets as
charm against spinsterhood, faithfully
wear yellow garters and refuse to receive
thimbles gifts.
In Virginia" she continued ''thc old
fashioned housewives use lavender in their
linen to prevent its wearing out quickly,
though l doubt II the dried flowers possess
any such virtue. Southern girls always
read the white spots on their finger nails
beginning from the thumb A gift, a
friend, lover, journey 10 GO They
confidently look for the best young man
to call when by accident knife, the scis-
sors or even a needle sticks up in the
floor, and TO break ones string of pearls is
the sure sign OF great illness. a positive
sign of approaching malady is to lose Ii
jewel from its setting
1T isn't to be supposed, of course, that
sny woman pretends to keep pace with all
! thnsn sirns and nInens hut thnrn ar. yerv