New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-25
QUAINT AND CURIOUS.
s,rprRsTITIoNs HELD BY THE GREEKS
AND ROMANS STILL CREDITED.

NAPOLEON. voLrAIRE AND CROMWELL AMONG
THE CELEBRATED PEOPLE WHO I'M
PLIcITLY BELIEVED IN SIGNS
Laugh az one may at prevalent superstltions'
nearly every person has some little personal ie'on
Salt is spilled at the table, and though we jest WIN
our neighbor over the prospect Of quarrel we mar
believe in It,
See a pin and pick It up, ,
All the day you'l have good LUCK
quotes the business man. hurrylng along to his Of
flee. and he gravely stoops picks up the PIN anu
runs It into the lapel of his coat
dog howls at night: we recall the widespread
belief that his bowling foretells death. The dish
towel drops and the housewife, setting her taDle'
puts on an extra plate for the company that's
coming" Assigned to mo. 49, in hotel one Is
pretty sure to find that the room Is too large or
too small too low too high. Apologizing for our
own weaknesses I'm these respects. II IL comforting
to recall that these same beliefs date back In one
form another TO remote antiquity. and that many
OF the most learned OF people have been and are
slaves of superstition
Volaire was more than once deferred from toi-
lowing his incnations by the abject fear which bad
omens inspired. Oliver Cromwell, tossing sleep
lessly upon his bed one night, suddenly saw the
curtain part. and gigandc woman appeared before
him, who informed him that he would one day be
the greatest man In England-and then disappeared
Napoleon pointed 10 a star that he fancied ne saw
shining in his room and said 1T has never de-
serted me- | see 1t on every great occurrence urg-
ing me onward; 1t is an unfailing omen OF success
Napoleon. Josephine, Robespierre and the Emperor
Alexander, all alike consulted Marie Lenormand,
celebrated French necromancer. who died in lAS
That common everyday occurrence, the sneeze
has been regarded al portent, lucky OF unlucky
according to the time at which 1t takes place In
the Odyssey the sneezing OF Telemachus Is accept
ed as lucky omen. coming at the moment MS
mother was denouncing the riotous, gormandzing
sailors and pralsng the valor Of Ulysses
She spoke Telemachus then sneezed aloud
Constrained, his nostrl echoed through the crowd
se smnE queen the hBRy 5 ON a oesofg
address to the army, urging his companions TO be
firm and bold, and while they undecided as to
whether resistance or retreat were the better part
a Tesounding sneeze echoed down the ranks. This
fuous accOutrements were burned. and that famous
retreat was begun The sneeze has ever been crys-
sneezing iS is pleasing PLEASING to Cod old Eng
fish forebears agreeing that Two or three sneezes
be wholesome"
The old custom OF saying God bless YOU" when
sneeze Is heard is OF ancient origin and still pre-
superstitions are rife Omens and auguries both
good and evil are drawn from all the trihing oc-
the bones and entrails Of slaughtered sheep and
In the flight of birds. All through Turkey, Greece
yersal and no pains spared 10 avert its glance
Purchasers Of beautiful Kus Ghilem draperies or
exquisite silky Turkish rugs here, are often puz-
zed at finding strips OF calico or tresses of black
hair caught In with the weave. These have been
inserted by the wild Kurdish weavers OF the rugs
specially beautiful they must protect II In this way
from the blighting EVIL eye.
III a hen sheds her feathers I'm the house or IL
one OF her feathers hangs askew without falling IL
loreteHs the arrival of friend the receipt OF
news from an absent relative Should the hen
crow IKE COCK without turning its head to the
east II signifies death other serious misfor-
tune, II during the night cock at an un-
usual hour, II Is either sign of a change I'm the
weather or that important news will arrive in the
morning. II a cat news repeatedly. member
or the family will soon fall ILL., II she ticks finger,
Il Is a sure sign Of rain. Among the Hebrews of the
East nosebleed is considered unucky, and
wonderful are the means resorted to to stop IT, At
the first indication the sufferer usually HES him to
priest, who will write for him the name of Levi"
backward, or he must get lawyer to write for him.
also backward, these magic words: Ana pip Shila
bar Sumko."
Another charm is to.stand with one foot on each
side of small stream flowing from east to west
and take up with the right hand mud from
under the left foot. and with the left hand from
under the right foot, then twist two threads Of
wool and insert them in the nostril
On the day on which the moon Is first seen
in Albania all possible work is avoided and no i'm
portant task OF any kind. such ploughing,
Ing harvesting IL begun. for II would be
sure to be unsuccessful The girls look at the
moon through a sieve and rub their faces with a
piece of silver while they sing:
Young mOoni Young maidl
Health TO me! I'll to thee.
Head soft dough be thine,
Head hard stone be mine,