The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-12

more than their old influence over the hui
man mind-when they have power to
transform domestic life into a dreary cat
alogue Of terrible. eventualiues, to be
guarded against at all costs. No doubt
at the present day we are in the condition
which st. Paul noticed with regard to the
Athenians-too much inclined to credu-
lily. In the contest between Mr.. Stod-
darts eleven and the Victorian team at
Melbourne, the Englishmens want of sue
cess in the first innings has been explain
ed on very easy grounds. 1t was noticed
that three of the teams-Prince Ranjit-
sinhji, Mr.. BRUCE. and Mr.. Wainwright
made thirteen runs, while two others
Mr.. Maclaren and the Captain, Mr.. Stod-
dart-made twice thirteen. How could an
eleven, however enterprising and courage
Gus, stand up against a fatality like this?
Much the same thing was observed about
the parliamentary exploits of the present
administration in last years session.
1t was discovered that in the queens
speech the ministry had committed them
selves to the fatal number of thirteen bills
The unlucky number appears to have
logged their footsteps throughout all the
early months of 1896. on the 18th of Feb
ruary Mr.. Chamberlain communicated TO
the house his aborGive invitation 10 Presi-
dent Kruger to visit this country; on the
13th of April the Irish land bill was intro
duced; on the 18th of May the iil-starred
education bill was read a second time; in
June it was decided that the discussion on
the same measure, which had been sus-
pended, should be resumed on the 18th of
January 1897; and finally, when the gov
eminent surrendered its own amendments
to the Irish land bill, the decision was
made known on the 18th of July. No Won
der thai the cabinet had a somewhat
checkered career after omens like these.
on the other hand, the issue in both the
parliamentary instance and that of the
Australian cricket match was far better
than could have been reasonably antici-
pater Lord Salisbury's administration
still remains one OF the most powerful of
modern times, despite its last years fond
ness for the unlucky number; while Mr..
Stoddarts team not only made ample
amends for their failure in the first in
niugs before the Melbourne match was
over, but look as if they would repeat
their success against the strong team OPP
posed to them by New South Wales
For good or for ILL., the superstition TO
which we have alluded has chung to the
thoughts and Imagination of men from a
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 west. Every one knows that it is
highly inexpedient, if not dangerous, to
sit down thirteen at table, and there are a
large number of intelligent men and wo-
men in the metropolis who, under no cir
cumstances would consent to be included
in this precise number of guests There
are streets in Paris as well as elsewhere
in France. where houses are numbered u
bis and 112 bis, while in many American
hotels no room has 10 painted on the floor
The Partisan who makes his living by dim
ing in other peoples houses goes famil-
iarly by the name of the Quatorzieme, be-