The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-12-23
For G God or For N the Superstition has
Chung TO Men age After age.
EVERY ONE SHY OF THE luCKLESS IS
(Trom the london Telcgraph.)

threatened SupcTStl.lOnS, ike Otncr
things which are menace1 with extinc-
ton, are apt to live long. Indeed. ii
has been often noticed that after Pc
RODS OF ra;ionaism there come IN the
history OF the world stages, produced
NO doubt In accordance With the law Of
reaction, when superStitiouS observ-
ances recover something more than
their old influence over the human mind
when they have power to transform
domestic life into u drcary catalogue
of terrible eventualities, to be guarded
against at all costs. No doubt at the
present day we are III the condition
which ST. Paul noticed with regard to
the Atlicnians-too much inclipcd to
credulity. In the contest between Mr.
Sltoddaut's eleven and the Victorian
team at Melbourne, the Englishmcn's
want bf success in the first innings has
been explained on very easy grounds.
III was noticed that three of the teams
Prince Ranjttsinhj, Mr.. Druce and Mr..
Wainwright-madc thirteen runs, while
two others-AIr. Maclaren and the cap
tain, Mr. Stoddart, made twice thirteen
How could an eleven, no matter how
cnterprisinS and courageous, stand up
against n fatality like this? Much the
same thing was observed altsslt the
parliamentary exploits of the present
administration in last years session.
1t was discovered that in the Queens
speech the ministry had committed
themselves to the fatal number of thir-
teen bills. The unlucky number APP
pears to have logged their footsteps
throughout all the early months OF 1896
on the 18th of February Mr.. Chamber
lain communicated to the House his
aborrive invitation 10 President Kruger
TO visit this country, on the 18th OF
April the Irish Land bill was introduc-
ed; on the 18th of May the ill-starred
education bill was read q second time;
In June II was decided that the discus
SION on the same measure, which had
been suspended, should be resumed
on the 18th of January, 1897; and. finally,
when the government surrendered its
OWN amendments to the Irish Land bill
the decision was made known on the
18th Of July. No wonder that the Cab
met had Il somewhat checkcrcd career,
after omens like these. On the other
hand, the issue in both THE parliament
tary instance and that of the austria
nan cricket match was far better than
could have been reasonably anticipated
Lord Salisburys administration still
remains one OF the most powerful lof
modern times, despite its last years
fondnsss for the unlucky number;
while Mr. Stoddarts team not ONLY
in the first innings before the Mel
bourne match was over. but look as IL
they would Gepcat their success against
the strong team opposed to them by
New South Wales
For good or for Ill the superstition
10 which we have alluded has ching 10
the thoughts and imagination Of men
from Il period Of remote antiquity. 1t
would be difficult to exhaust all the
different forms which this obstinate
delusion has assumed among various
nations, both Of the East and the West.
Everyone knows that 1t is highly mex
pedicnt, If not dangerous, to sit down
with thirteen at table, and there are n
large number of Intelligent men and
women in the metropolis who would,
under no circumstances, consent to be
included in this precise number of
guests. There are streets in Paris IA
Wei as elsewhere in France where tho
houses are numbered ~ bis or 1l2 his,
While in many American hotels no
room has Is painted on the door The
'arlSian who makes his living by din
ing In other peoples houses goes fam!l-
iarly by the name of QuatorzIenc, be-
cause 1t 10 his chief function to add
welcome fourteenth to the unluckv
number. The Italians never use If I'm
mating up their lotteries, and i'm one
OF their games the thirteenth card bears
the figure of death. Similarly in Turkey
she number Is Is nearly eXpunged from
the vocabulary bf the poeple. Nor Is
there any lack OF explanations of this
almost universal idea. At least two ara
furnished for our choice.
In the old Morse mythology. when tho
gods IT Nalhalla were holding high
reVei Lnkt came In as an unlimited
guest. The consequence was that as
soon as Balfour came in he made The
number of guests thirteen. and fate de-
creed thar; he should die. Christians re-
fer TO another and more solemn Incl
dent. There were thirteen who parlOpk
of the last supper, and Judas. who left
the table first. went and hanged him
self. II was in consequence Of this that
thG number was accurSed, together. an
parcntly. with all combinations of fig
ures into which It enters sooner or
later 1t was of course Inevitable that
so fascinating superstition should be
challenged. Some thirteen years ago
the very interval OF time IS en- odd CO.
incidcncc--a club was started in New
York for the express purpose of wagirg
war against the associations Connected
with the luckless numeral. The mem
Ders were always to consist OF some
muN!pies of thirteen. They dlntd to-
Ecther on the 18th Of every month, 10
at table, ana their club dues were IL
cents month 1t Will be remembered
. 'that only short time ago similar
institution was established in England
and a farcical entertainment was pro-
vided, at which knives were crossed,
sah was spilled deaths heads and
cross bones ornamented the walls. and
| the walters We're chosen because thcy
sluintcd and possessed the evil eye The
American club habitunlly published
reports to prove that, individually and
coiIec'iFeiy, They were as healthy. pI>s-
porous and long-lived az other members
Of the community nor so far nc ,vn ,ro