The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-09-23
scOrrIsH sUpgRsrlrIOE.
Queer BsIlsEs that SuFyIys Ia Galloway
aud Make Life Picturesque.

which, till late period, was so remote
from external influences, and which had
such a marked individuality, the list OF
its local customs and beliefs is a lonS
one. Let US take, first of all, those re-
latlng to times and seasons. We tnd'
at the outset, statement about Febru-
AIRY weather: III Feberweer be fair an
clear, There'll be twa winters In the
year" This further south is limited TO
Candlemas day. The belief in the po-
tency OF dew collected on May day
morning, especially as a cosmetic, exists
in Galloway as II did In London In the
DAYS of Pepys. on Sunday 1t was un-
lucky to cut hair or horn ana, as
everywhere, great care must be taken In
the disposal OF the "cllppings;" on Sat
urday piece OF work should never De
begun,
On New Years eve, which bears the
widespread name Hogmanay, the fire
was banked up with special care, for III
luck came TO the house when It went
out, and to those who gave turf next
morning to light again. Luoiter
matches, at any rate, have been safe-
guard TO neighbOrs. In fact on New
| Years day YOU must neither sell, nor
lend nor give, outside the house, when,
| obviously Is not the same sentiment OF
our neighbOrs across the channeli nut
| inside Its head formally presented some
| food and drink to all Its inmates early
| In the morning. There was a general
| rule that on New Years morning some-
| thing should be brought into the house
before anything was taken out OF Il,
and neither ashes nor 'slops" were to
be carried; much depended on the "hrst
foot" that is the first visitor, Some
persons were harblngers OF III luck
women were always among these, par
ticularly IL tehy were walking barefoot.
Even on meeting them outside, some
people would turn back and give mp
the expedition. Candlemas was an I'M
portant day In the schools. The boys
land girls brought presents to the mas
| ter, generally money; then he appoint-
| ed one OF each as king and queen, and
| treated the children to cakes and weak
"toddy." on Halloween they perform
| ed a mummlng play.
The moon was the center OF a number
of fances. A hen should be set when II
is waxing; the new moon, when seen for
| the first time, can help a girl to the
name OF her future husband; 1t will
bring wish to pass n you turn your
money thrice in your pocket; but Ill
luck comes II you look at 1t through a
| window. All these beliefs are wide
| spread That man should not build a
| house for himself was believed in Gal
| loway as elsewhere, and those who
quilted house showed their good Will
| by not cleaning 1t, for this took away
the luck" Newcomers protected them>
selves by throwing n cat or hen, or
some other animal, inside before they
| entered themselves, for this became the
| victim II curse had been laid on the
building. II was the rule In Galloway,
as In most other places, that the begin
ner paid his footing" and new work of
| most kinds was censeerated by Hba-
| ton, not poured on the ground, but
down the throat.
The clergy are held in honor, or at
least in fear and evil must not be spo-
| ken against them, for as the proverb
goes, at is unlucky L middle wi craws
| and minister's" "Holed" stones were
potent amulets for cattle, but the vlr-
tues of these are known to other parts
of Britain. After a COW had calved Its
back was sprlnkled with salt or oat>
meal The first milk 1t gave afterward
went by the name of beesnan lin the
| English mIdlauds "beestings"), and was
used for various special purposes, Never
let a mare foal under n roof. If 1t can be
avoided, and mind that dark-eyed
person Is the first to look at n young pig.
A horseshoe brings luCk-and so does a
live hedgehog; but dead one black
| cat and n hare are signs OF bad fortune
nay. some think even Il wild rabbit III
! to meet.
Growing hens were deemed so objec-
| tlonable as whistllng lasses, and even n
| cock might not utter his natural notes
| at untImely hours, for evil would come
| II tia belief often verified when fowls
| are kept In towns. But II cock reaches
the age of seven years he becomes
| dangerous fowl, for he then lays an egg,
| and from this is Matched cockatrice.
| That, too, was widespread notion. a
cock Is said to have been solemnly tried
and condemned at Basic In the middle
| ages for this heinous offense, Wild
birds take their part In auguries. Ill
| fortune comes from injurlng swallows,
wrens, robins, rocks or cuckoOs, but the
last may bring good or bad luck, accord
| Ing Ia circumstances. A single maybe
| Is unlucky. and IL three approach a
house funeral will soon leave 1t.
Snake stones can be found and bring
good fortune. and a spell can be laid on
| the adder II you try TO kill one and 1t
escapes, the respite is brief, for you can
| make "tryst" to meet It the next day
| at fixed hour and place and II Ia
bound to keep the appointment. In one
| place they believe that wasps do not
| sting In September The saying MANY
| haws, many snaws," expresses what Is
| generally believed further south, and
other trees have their significance, espe-
| cially the elder and rowan. the last be-
ing n potent specific against wltchcraft
In that, OF course. every one believed,
and there are many stories about spells
and cOunter-charms.
Birth. marriage and death each have
their own customs and superstitions. AS
| regards the second. there are many
donts-though not to the extent OF tee
well-known advice-don't meet funer-
al or have the BRIDES cake Clipped, or
meet after the banns have been pro-
claimed, or hear your own banns read,
or enter the house after the wedding TIL
the minister has gone In. or let him
shake hands with either until the knot
Is tied. The bride. also, should not try
on her wedding dress, when once II Is
finished, nor should her mother witness
the ceremony.
Portents Of death are much the same
In Galloway as In other places, and so
also are many of the customs, such as
the opening OF the doors and windows,
putting salt on the breast of the corpse,
offering refreshments at the funeral, to-
Eether with host OF superstltiolS
about suicides, drowned folks and the
like.
81 BURNED my fingers very badly.
The pain was intense. Or. Thomas llc-
lectric OH brought relief in three min
utes. It was almost magical. never
saw anything like It," Amelia Swords,