, 1896-07-29
THE LOWLY CLOVER.
ITS PLACE IN SUPERSTITION AND LEG.
ENDS ABOUT 1T.

AlttIe fIAnt lSeverCd by POetH.
The most probable origin of tic name
clover is that which derives it from the
Latin clava-clubs-as the clover Leaf
slightly resembles the three pronged
club of Hercules. 1t is said, too, that
the clubs of our playing cards are in
imitation Of the same leaf. There are
many varieties of this common but fa.
vorite plant, and, Notwithstanding its
practical uses in. agriculture. about il
superstition has woven many quaint and
interesting legends.
The common rcd clover was once re-
puted to be baneful to witches, and peo-
pie of high and low degree wore the
leaf, considering it n powerful charm
against their spells. 1t is supposed to
have been introduced into England from
the Netherlands during the reign of
Queen Elizabeth.
The thorny clover (Mcdicago eclumis)
is called Calvary clover on account Of
some Of its pcculiaritics. In the first
place, it must be sowed in the spring,
and some say Oh Good Friday! As the
leaves appear above ground they have
a deep red spot, resembling fresh split
blood, on each IF their three divisions,
which will remain for some time before
dying away. The three leaflets stand
erect during the day with arms extended,
but at sunset the arms are brought to-
gether, and the upper leaflet is bowed
over them as if in prayer. After Il time
a small yellow flower appears, and later
a spiral pod, covered with sharp thorns.
These thorns interlace with one another
as they ripcn and forfn n globular head,
which when fully matured may be re-
moved from its spiral coils, and the
striking resemblance to a crown of
thorns is plainly seen. Thus its blood
stained leaves, its extended arms and
bowed head and the dry when the seed
was first planted to await its rcsurrec.
ton have caused it to be christened CAL
vary clover 1t is fitting, too. that Pales-
tine should be claimed as its native
land.
Legend says that the three lcaved
clover, generally regarded as All emblem
of the Trinity, was first used by st.
Patrick to illustrate how three separate
objects, such as leaves, could yet form
M Those deeply versed i'll legendary
lore, however, claim that st. Patrick
borrowed rather than originated the
sanctity Of the shamrock (Medicugo lu-
pulina), held i'll the hand of Hope
among the Greeks, when he thus illus
trated the Trinity in its three or found
the cross in its four leaves.
In the cast also the trefoil is sacred,
as the holy books Of Persia and Arabia
tell, and the legend Of st. Patrick driv-
ing the snakes out Of Ireland has Il more
ancient root, for the Latins believed
that snakes were never seen neal the
trefoil. SO if st. Patrick wore it he
was invested with additional power to
Danish these invaders. DR.. Prior says
that this plant is regarded i'll Ireland as
the true shamrock. 1t has been asserted
that it was n still more ancient religious
symbol and expressed among the an
Gent Teutonlc race the three grades Of
druids, bards and ncophytes. The
druids held the clover in great honor
as u charm. Hope was depicted by the
ancients us u child standing ON tiptoe
and holding a clover bloom i'll its hand.
But it is in connection with the four
leaved clover that manifold myths have
been developed. Owing to its scarcity it
has generally been believed that it
would bring luck to the finder. This
superstition is referred to III this old
stanZa:
When sitting in the grass We see
A little four lcaved clover,
IT'S luck for thee and luck for mo
And luck for any lover.
II q lover can find two fonr leaved
clo"crs and induce the object of his love
to cat one wnilc he swallows the other,
mutual love is sure to result.
The four lcaved clover brings mys-
terious powers with it if it is found Oh
st. Johns eve. they say in the Tyrol.
Like fern seed, it can render the wearer
invisible at will and gives especial good
fortune in gambling. If n clover is con-
cealed i'll u gift, it will enhance its
value. A German proverb says of u
lucky man, "Er hat Elm v~ierblaettriges
Kleeblatt gefunden" ("He has found a
four leaved c~lOver').
The fact that its four leaves are ar
ranged in the form Of u cross gives it its
significance. One who wears u bit Of it
can detect the presence Of evil spirits.
While the four leaved clover is said
by tradition to possess a weird magic
influence, the three leaved is looked
upon more in the light of a religious
symbol. Sh~akespeare's Rosalind asks,
Can one desire too much Of u good
thing?" and may be answered, eyes, in
respect to clover leaves" for, notwith
standing the wonderful virtues every
where ascribed to the four leaved clover,
the finder Of tho five leaved will have
bad luck.
Even the two leaved clover is not u
regarded, but has its legend, and the
lucky maid who secures one is by its
influence enabled to see her future lover.
The lowliest blossoms have always
called forth the poets praises, and even
Shakespeare alludes to the clover as
''honey stalks"-a fitting name, Us the
bees revel in its sweetness. James
Whitcomb Riley holds it in greater es-
tenn than many more brilliant flowers,
and to quote one stanza from his poem:
some sing Of tn. lily and daisy and rose
And the pnnsies and pinks that the summer
time throws
In the green. grassy lap Of the medder that
lays
Blinkin up n the skies through the sunshiny
days.
Bat what IL the lily and ali Of the rest
o. Ne flowers to . man with . heart in hii
breast
That has dipped brimmin full Of the honey
and dew
q ~ sweet clover blossoms his boyhoot
newt
N q. 6ilsby In New York Post.