Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-31
ON SIGNS AND 0MENS.
. SPIRIT OF SUPERSTITION IN MOST
OF THE RACE.
Tn. Broken Looking-GIass, the
Horseshoe, and Walking Under
Ladder Halloween Tests-Country
suppers-Afton Notes.


Alton, Va, october 18th.
"OuId Uncle John wha wedlocks joys,
Sin Mar's-Year did desire,
Because he gat the toom dish thrice
He heaved them in the IRE
In wrath that night"
There are others. We are each eager
TO tempt the fates, come Halloween, but
no one wants the muddy water-of luck
or lfe-nor, like Burns's poor "ould
John" do we desire to feel an aching
void in the toom, or empty 'luggie."
For. scott and sheer at superstition as
we may, there is yet latent streak Oh
II in a very large proportion Of the hu-
man race. IN innate fascination for
the unknowable possesses each Of us and
few men. or even women, are sufficiently
"strong-minded" to resist IL. There has
probably never been an October 3lst since
Halloween was known Of that did not
appeal to this weakness, especially
among the young people Of neighbor-
hood. Many the fearless person, otherwise
gifted with goodly share of common
sense. who will vainly struggle against
the uncanny recollection of Sign" or
an "omen." and would have thanked i'm
agination to have kept It well in the back
ground.
No one knows how far back this weak
ness goes; either we believe in many
queer superstitions because our grand
fathers did, or because it is as easy 10
observe a condition imposed TO ward OH
= q
picturesque place in the mind. There are
| few people who do not find their nerves
| shaken by the breaking of a looking-glass,
! and fear the consequent seven years OF
| sorrow. No one likes to spill the salt
| or 10 walk under ladder, OF
carry a spade through the house. How
many people marry on Friday, or, FOL
| the matter ofsthat, why, except for the
| lingering superstition in its origin, is Fri
| day the Landmarks day?
Lord Nelson believed in the luck OF
the horseshoe, and had one nailed to the
| mast Of his ship Victory. 1t Is consl-
dered lucky to find n horseshoe, ana
there are few who will pass one lying IN
the road without picking 1t up, II only
TO laugh at the folly Of the action. Whit
tia, kept a horseshoe nailed over the
door Of the little room in his house, at
Danvers, ito keep the witches out ne
would gleefully say, though the last OF
the witches lay buried at the foot OF
the hill. and had lain there for hun
dred years or more.
No mother will let you rock an empty
cradle, and i have seen few women
vain enough TO try on another's mourn
ing bonnet. even to know If the shape
is becoming.
FAILING UPSTAIRS.
To fall upstairs is a sign that you will
| not marry within the year, and every
one knows that one must not sing be-
fore breakfast, nor sweep a floor al
night. ,.,...
Napoleon. it IS said, had a superstitious
horror of black cats, though 1 have reac
that a black cat is the gamblers mas
cot. Perhaps gambling for money ano
gambling for men make the difference.
what about that unlucky nuhDer
thirteen?' l hear some one ask.
80. WE'LL 1t makes a lot OF run,
know: but the only thirteen am not JUS
a little superstitious about Is Zo-cehI
piece with thirteen stars
Tbere Is an .unrealized pathos in al
This. IT Is that such fears are induced
through dread OF loss, disaster vi "P
prehension of death.
Coming down TO Halloween, as w
know IT. II was a good thing when
dav. once invested with an atmospher'
Of things weird. uncertain, and unnatu
raj. advanced TO time OF sport, MARTY
and the open ridicule Of all things ghost
ly and foolishly untrue.
An Halloween is the night before tn
Great church festival Of All Saints, In
etitrted nv Boniface ". 1t was former
ly a day CT great sanctity, as all eVi
things were thought to be abroad trylnl
10 do their last bit of malice before IN
sacred tomorrow. In the Cathoil
churches. also IN some or the Episcopd
and Lutheran churches, AN SOUS LAY
Is a sort Of memorial-day in honor OF a
the angels and saints In Heaven.
A. anv rate. for this Halloween tn
weather PROMISES 20 be most propltiou
| II win be a cranky ghost, Ger mucki
hard to please, that cannot walk
I-irdred darkness, and set all his prani
7 en- order for the fateful night. In II
= ,o,,,trv Halloween is a kind OF harvest
hor,e welcome. The girls are back fro
their summers fitting, and the boy
with a lot Of young friends, are usual
7 - FOR the fail hunting, In a countr,
, ,o,,so marty Halloween is visible tn
minute one enters the home portal
Testoons of apples, green and red bar
about the walls, ana nuts ahu sheaNes
corn and wheat are banked in plenteo'
! sdornment. The first grinning, grotesq'
thing is a hollowed-out pumpkin for
. nigbt lamp. to tell that the boyle man
, inside Bonfres are built out-of-door
: and notatoes and apples roasted, and I.
> infreouently runs the mulled cider
the cheering blaze.
+ COUNTRY SUPPERS.
> halloween country suppers are som
q times hard things to plan, because I
J average stomach. unless very young,
verv faddish, does not relish popcoI
cider. walnuts, and apples at 10 o'clock
= night. Many a guest sits down a
: ,,iringlv 10 such a feast, and goes aw
. fauished. Like the old judges hors
: cakes Things don't taste as they Us
to-"
\ "a Of pagan origin. and comes from I
. Celtic festival OF Betane II was wi
: the early Scotch peasantry a time
il hewitchment as well, for the Scotch q
! the most superstitious OF all races. The
o Is an uncanny custom, probably broue
z over by the Scotch-Irish settlers OF
d valley. that IS a favorite charm he
~ ~ La n