The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-06-21
A MYSTICAL NUMBER.
oMNlPREsENT SEEMS TO BE THE
HATEFUL SEVEN.
From the biblical story of the Crea-
tIon Down II Plays IN Mighty Fart
In Folklore, Tradition, Supcrsti-
ton and History.

clean birds by Sevehs
Unciean by twos
The dove In the heavens
Is the ono that 1 choose.
But not only do the bird auguries 60
by sevens; the number plays a mighty
part In folklore, tradition and his
tory. Six days made the world. and
God rested on the seventh day and hal
lowed 1t. In the seventh month Noah's
ark touched the ground; In seven days
n dove was sent out on the face of the
waters. Abraham pleaded with God
seven times for Sodom's sake before
God smote the city of wlclSedness to
her undoing,
Seven days Jacob mourned for Jo-
seph and would not be comforted; sew
en- years and seven Jacob served for
Rachel. and In Joseph's goycrnorship
OF Egypt the chief butler and baker
dreamed dreams wherein seven fat
oxen and seven lean oxen, seven ears
of full corn and seven oars OF mlldew-
ed corn played prominent part and
foreboded the II years of plenty and of
famine that were In store for the Land
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, and
Jericho, the strong city. fell, wall and
tower, when seven men had paced
around 1t for seven days.
Solomon was seven years building
the splendid temple, with nil Its
glories of gold and cedar wood, tur-
quoise and tereblnth. There We're sew
en- lamps in the tabernacle, and the
golden candlestlcls had seven
branches.
Naaman washed himself seven
times In the river Jordan before the
healing water elcnnsed him of his lcp-
rosy. The Apocalypse is full of the
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 II seventh son Is
n born doctor according to Irish belief,
but he must never take money for the
cures he achieves. aud to insure re-
eovery he should be sought before sun
rise or after sunset on Friday. at ls
manifest by experience that the sew
enth male chllde. by just order (never
n wcnch being born between), doth
heal only with touching, through n
natural gift. the kings evil, which IL
n special glfte of God, given to HINGES
and qucenes, as daily experience doth
wltncsse. There were seven wise
men and seven wonders of the world;
while the anclents not only noted the
Importance of seven as an astronom-
=piainIa than knaNn with tAa sayeu
| planets and the seven colors.
Thus copper belonged TO Venus, and
the color green lead 10 Saturn, and
the color blue; gold aud yellow 10 the
sun. and 80 on
The seven days of the week are con
ncctcd with the seven plelades, of
whom the seventh IL Il lost star, and
the seventh wnyc of n series In full of
danger To ships. ms every seventh year
Is to man. For seven years the mis-
chlcvous sprlte. Friar Rush, lived with
the Socland monks, begulling the time
by cGtung oak cudgels, which, when
struck on the ground, turned into sol
dlers armed cap-a-ple, and for seven
years Prince Charming looks for his
lost bride, or Cap-o Rushes works dis
guised In the Kitchens OF the palace, or
the forsaken princess tries to climb the
glass mountain which lies between her
and her lover, who has drunk OF the
water of forgetfulness. The seven
slecpcrs are famous, and the number
seven even comes Into the employ OF
folk medicine. Water taken from sew
On streams where crosses grow Will
cure the jaundice, md seven twigs Of
aspen put under the patients pillow
will recover him from paralysis. and
seven lenyes of Ivy will bring care
less lover back TO your side and keep
him there, and seven corns of wheat,
eaten fasting, Will heal you Of the fall
Ing sickness, which IL epilepsy. and
seven mistletoe berries put In a bag OF
red silk and hung round your neck Will
protect you from sunstroke and elf bolt
and preserve your feet from blisters,
however far you walk.
Ii Is not spring until you can put
your foot on seven daisies Mt one and
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 be
pluckcd from the tail OF nm elephant
Il difficult, II delicate and even dan
gerous proceeding. AT years old all
cats become possessed of witch's pow
ers, aud woe betlde those who Ill use
or frIghtcn puss when once she has nc
CURED 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 III fortune, according
to Slcillan superstition. follow her or
him who Kills cat; therefore 1t were
well to treat your feline followers gen
tly, even though you love them not. But
| might go on till the Seventh day
from Latter Lammas" and still have
something to tell. SO here | make an
end.-Nora Hopper In Illustrated Lon
don News.
Bnck and Dac.
The Pittsburg Chronicle tells of u
woman who dearly loves to use big