The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-12-13
!; SUPeRST(If0NSsI :
: h'A'''rs PROFESSION :
d They Arc Many & Sane Mon and
and as odd Women " no 40
They Sc re Mum. a sruy ahiags q
4 orous. 8 Sometimes. =
Sunday Republic.

cNttypoGN won aunt THIS assertion 10 be
true. for IT is decidedly broad aud sweep
ins. But II is true. nevertheless. Not that
everybody believes In ghosts or occult spir-
its or in dreams, for everybody doesn't, bu,
! everybody has some pct superstition. from
the picking up OF a pin to secure good luck
all day" to tho payment OF good hopeot dol :
lars to eomo charlatau OF a fortune teller
TO ascertain wha, is In store iu the black
and unfathomabc future Some will admit
they arc superstiticus opcply and with
pride. some with a shameful blush. and
some will vigorously deny It, us Potter did
his Lord.
The play actors and actresses are. for
some reason nearly all openly supersutious.
Nearly all OF them have what they term
their lucky and "unlucky" days, certain
gems are tahoocd by some as harbiueers OF
| evil, while others insure success. to do cor.
tain things prosagcs calamity to some aud
to others these same things forc,ell great
good These entertainers OF the public. be
they famous or obscure. poverty stricken or
prosperous, zcalously stand up for thcir
favorite omens and follow thoir dictatlons
regardless of ridicule
Dead mons bones aud collins have ar
| oninous attraction for Sarah Bernhardt.
Grcwsomo 10 some people, they are to he
sure. but TO the Divine Sarah" thoy arc
lucky" She invariably carries q human
skull in her trunk. and usually Il is that of
some notorious criminal who has come to
u violent end. To start out on a season =
tour without q grinning, CHASTITY skull
would mean seasons playing to empty
benches.
Ellen Terry. like thousands OF persons
less known to fame won't wear opals. and
she would sooner miss an engagement than
cross n street In front OF n funeral pro-
| cession. good story is told of her which
Ia said to have happened while snc wRi
last playing In Chicago. She had been ou,
for constitutional drive" and was
Fastening back to bc at the thcatcr In
time for matinee She had como down
tho lake shore drive aud had turned west
toward Dearborn avenue and was about
to cross State street when she sped fu-
neral coming almost block away stop,
stop. stopl" she screamed TO the driver, to
that individuals great astonshnur and 10
the amazomont OF a few pedestrians. She
accomplished her purpose with vons
gsancc. for the driver pulled ZIP with n
audiences that almost threw the actress
and her companion from the carriage test.
What's the matter" he asked.
do you want TO ruin me for the bal
ance OF this season." was her trcmulous
reply. Don't you see there is a funeral
coming down the street. and you were GO
ing to cross over In front OF IT,"
Richard Mansfield has horror OF cross
eyed people and viii not allow man SO
afflicted to be about tho stage when he is
playing, And II hc sees one IN tho audi
encc 1t always disconccrts him.
Roland Reed won't travel on train II he
knows there IN n corpse on board. and he
is a great believer In the virtue u hunch-
back is supposed TO contain. II he sees
n beggar with n bumped back he will in
vnrlahly give him a coin for the privilege OF
touching the hump with his right fore fin
ger. II means to him full houses for the
fortnight following
Elcanora Duse has a superstition OF which
she became possessed In Italy. She won't
| travel without u lucky bone" 1t Is the
second Joint OF the middle finger OF the left
| hand Of a negro. To her the lucky bone
insures big box office receipts II IL said
she lost her favoritc fetch Just before she
came to Chicago a season or two ago and
to that Incident more than anything elef
did she attribute her poor houses while
there.
David warficld believes that TO pu, his
left foot first 10 the floor on getting out
OF bed means good luck. and he invariably
puts on his right shoe first.
To Jennie YeamanH "hnnHmin'H Friday
and 10 are omens of good fortune. She
attributes her belief TO the fact that she
WAS born on Friday and has IL letters tn
her name. She never signs n contract, en-
cepting on n Friday. She also uses a por-
ton OF an old black silk stocking for a
powder rag. because It brInga good luck
and she won't wear an opal. though II is
her birth stone.
Sir Henry Irving has great dislike Tor
white cats. n one Of theno mewing beasts
crosses his path an no approaches the stage
door OF any thcater at which he may be
playing, It IL said he will kiss the back of
his LETT hand and cross his heart to dispel
the evil charm.
The only superstition. n such II may be
called. Of which Isadore Rush IL possessed
is that of kneeIiug at the foot OF her bed
every night for prayer. II have done II
ever since I was able to lisp Now lay
me-" she said. Il learned It from my
mother. and would be afraid to go to sleep
unless did. know that prosperity would
leave me were ! to give up my nigh''y
prayer"
Clay Clement believes that tho number
IA is to him one OF good fortune. He pre-
fers a room OF that number at hotel. ana
~ some dependent wretch OF humanity mas
committed suicide In the room he prlns y
so much the more. ON the Other hand. Nat
Goodwin has An Unborn fear OF these so
called orpeps. To him they presage disaster
and ruin.
Mrs, Annie YeamAns, whose kindly.
motherly face has been before the foot
lights for over half century. and who 10
still the pride OF New York theater goers.
and OF the whole country for that matter.
will not walk under a ladder. and always
makes It a point to roe the new moon over
Nor right shoulder. Another pet belief OF
hers is never to say "goodby" when leaving
q friend.
Jessie Bartlett Davis won't play on the
Anniversary OF her husbands birth. She
also adheres TO tho ancient belief In tho
"threc blue Mondays" and does not en-
bark upon any undertaking or journey on
any OF them. They are the first Monday In
April. which day Cain was born and his
brother Abel slain" tho first Monday OF
August, The which day Sodom and Co
morrow were confounded." and the last
Monday Of December. the which day Ju'
das Iscsriot was born"
Olga Nethorsole considers It sign OF
good fortune TO have a spider spin It's web
IN her bed chamber and she will not mani
cure her finger nails on Sunday. as TO 40 so
would insure an Improbable week. Neither
will she sing before breakfast, as that Is
sure sign she will cry before night.
Ada Rchan delights TO hear croker
chlrpiuE In her room. as 1t foreshadows