Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-06-29
A MYSTICAL NUMBER.
OMNIPRESENT SEEMS TO BE THE
HATEFUL SEvEN
From the Biblical story of the Crea-
tiOn Down 1t Plays n Mighty Part
In Folklore, Tradition, Supersti-
ton and History.

Is the one that l choose.
But not only do the bird auguries e
by sevens; the number plays a mighty
part in folklore, tradition and his
tory. Six days made the world, anG
God rested on the seventh day and hal
ark touched the ground; in seven days
dove was sent out on the face Of the
waters Abraham pleaded with Goo
seven times for Sodom's sake before
God slnote the city of wickedness to
her undoing.
Seven days Jacob mOurned for 10
seph and would not be comforted; sew
en- years and seven Jacob served fol
Rachel, and in .Joseph's governorshir
of Egypt the chief butler and baker
dreamed dreams wherein seven fat
oxen and seven lean oxen, seven ears
of full corn and seven ears Of mildew
ed corn played n prominent part and
foreboded the II years Of plenty and OF
famine that were in store for the Lane
of the Two Crowns, even the land of the
house of bondage, the land Of Egypt.
Every seventh day the law was read
to the wandering children of Israel an(
Jericho, the strong city, fell, wall and
tower, when seven men had paced
around it for seven days.
Solomon was seven years building
the splendid temple, with all its
glories of gold and cedar wood, tur-
| MI int
en- lamps in the tabernacle, and tho
golden candlestick had seven
branches.
Naaman washed himself seven
times in the river Jordan before the
healing water clcansed him of his lep-
rosy. The Apocalypse is full Of tn,
mystic number. and on the cross our
Saviour hung for seven hours, and
! from the cross our Saviour spoke sew
en- times.
The seventh son of a seventh son is
a born doctor, according to Irish belief
but he must never take money for the
cures he achieves. and to insure re-
coyery he should be sought before sun
rise OF after sunset on Friday. ut is
manifest by experience that the sew
enth male childe, by just order nevel
a wench being born betweem, doth
heal only with touching, through a
natural gift. the kings evil; which Is
a special gifte of God. given to kinges
and queenes. as daily experience doth
witnesse." There were seven wise
men and seven wonders of the world
while the anciCntS not only noted the
importance Of seven as an astronom-
| zeal period. but also connected the SOY.
en- metals then known with the seven
| planets and The seven colors.
Thus copper belonged to Venus, am.
the color green; lead to Saturn and
the color blue; gold and yellow to the
sun, and so on
The seven days of the week are con
nected with the seven pleiades. OF
whom the seventh is a lost star. aDd
the seventh wave of a series is full OF
danger to ships, as every seventh yea
! is to man. For seven years the mis-
chievous sprite. Friar Rush. lived Will
the Spelanl monks, beguiling the time
by cutting oak cudgels. which, whcl
struck on the ground. turned into sol
ders armed cap-a-pie, and for sever
years Prince Charming looks for bis
| lost bride. or Cap-o'RuSheS works dis
guisrd in til" Kitchens Of the palace. OF
the forsahcn princess tries to climb til,
glass mountain which lies between he.
and her lover who has drunk of ths
water of forgctfulness The sever
slecpers are famous, and the number
! seven even comes into the employ Ci
/ folk medicine. Water taken from sew
en- streams where crosses grow VIII
cure the jaUnHice. and seven tWigS O!
aspen put under the patients pillow
will recover him from paralysis. and
| less lover back to your side and kecl
him there. and seven corns of wheat
eaten fasting. will heal you of the fall
ing sickness. which is epilepsy. and
seven mistlctoc berries put in bag OF
red silk and hung round your neck will
protect you from sunstloke and elf bolt
and preserve your feet from bllsters
/ however far you walk.
1t is not spring until you can pa,
your foot Oh seven daisies at one anN
/ the same time. and seven hairs will
keep the evil eye off children accord
/ ing to an old Indian superstition. only
the hairs, to be of any avail must bt
pluckcd from the tail of an elephant
a difficult. delicate and even a dan
gerous proceeding. AT years old al
cats become possessed Of witchs pow
ers, and woe betide those who i'll use
or brighten puss when once she has ac
ouircd power Of mischief! But let this
not discourage the lovers of the nine
lived one. for
Wherever the cat of the house don't lack
For seven years blow white, blow black,
/ The lasses of lovers shall have no lack.
Seven years of i'll fortune, according
to Sicilian superstition, follow her OF
him who kills a cat; therefore 1t were
we'll to treat your feline followers gen
tly. even though you love them not. Bu1
might go on till the seventh day
from Latter Lammas" and still have
something to tell So here make al
end. Nora Hopper in Illustrated Lon
don News. |
Art ana Nature.
The milknad with the picture ha
and the brocaded silk skirt tossed bel
head.
"In society. | suppose, should be al
i,npossible person." she exclaimed