Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-30

TOD
| IS claimed that the gift can be ihpal'eu
but one man cannot repeat the cap e''.na,
| words TO another, nor one woman
the secret OF the fire virtue TO any o, he'
| sex not even TO her mother or uaus".0i =.
Il this because the old tradition mas
| strengthened the thought power that goes
with 10 Perhaps In this enlightened
| age one does want 10 Rave a reason loi
| things. IL is foolish 10 speak OF supersu
\ tion about medicines or diseases as inc
hori,ogc Of the ignorant only. There is a
survival OF celestial superstition in our
medical prescriptions. The ornamental
mart of an otherwise hard-headed dose
from the apothecary's is none other than
the sign of Jupiter, under whose speclai
care medicines were supposed TO nave
been placed. our nostrums are stili COM
bounded under the symbol of Jove's pro-
lection. The letter itself. i (recipe-take)'
and its flourish mean substantially this:
THE AUSPICES or JovE.
.T-nder the good auspices Of Jove, the
patron of medicine take the following
goods in the proportions set down Inc
formula means TO proptiate the King Oh
the gods. that the medicine may act Ia
yorably. If 1t doesn't, why the blame can
go back TO Jupiter.
Some of the simpler country supersu-
lions are not without good results put
many of them border upon wltchcrait,
and the uncanny darkness beyond OF
voudooism.
This is a subject not openly discussed
Those who know most about it usually
cav least. and what one picks up here
and there around the wide fireplaces on
a winters night is calculated to take
all the curl out Of ones hair. and, as the
Frenchman said, calls for more lamps
on the subject"
Some years ago there was witch
woman" about here who lived on the
side of Ragged mountain. She was old,
decrepit. and as wrinkled as she in her
last metomorphosis. but, oh, how we
feared her. Grown people got out OF
her way, if possible, and the bravest
child ran If he saw her in the road.
For all her apparent weakness she took
long tramps on foot, coming ana going
mysteriOusly.
One day she met man with wagon
and horse. halted him, and begged for a
-ide. The man refused; standing by the
horses head the old woman ran her hand
I'D and down the horses name. Then
he picked up a bit Of fuller's earth from
/ fence corner and drew horses picture |
N the fence, mumbling a lot of words |
md looking vengeance after the man.
Al the foot of the next hill the horse |
ell and broke his neck.
This was graphically described by a |
'oung man, plOughing in an adjacent |
orn-feld who copied the picture to illus
rate the stOry-and I'm afraid to say how |
many people believed 1t.
We have a great many pretty and plea !
ant beliefs that we work by in the early |
pring months.
The fad of the moon is a never-failing
Ielight. In the first place, we curtsey |
hree times to the first new moon in
larch for good luck, and We ask the new
noon TO help us in all our ondeaVors OF
owe or labor. These are equally arduous,
mt we emphasize the labor because the
esults are better.
Plant beans in the light Of the moon
nd peas when the moon is full.
Plant corn in the light of the moon
nd make up all your summer soap. This
S called superstition. If the moon mas
IA influence on inorganic bodies, why not
rganic? Plant onions all the time. 1t
5 a curious thing that no poet has sung
f this inestimable gift of benefcent ma
ure TO man-the onion. The maize, the
umpkn. and even the plebeian potato,
ave been immortalized by the verse of
enius but never a word for our earliest
nd worthy-friend-th onion.
And vet the onion halls from the land
{ poesy and song-the Orient. The onion
laws an important part in the simple
emedies of the country mother. She
ries il for her crOupy baby, and for older
hildren with the earache, nothing Is
etter: while the translucent rings of
he bulb, resting on a bed of dainty let
uce leaves. proves no mean aid TO a
pring dinner, when the farmers Ape
tie waivers. and the grasshopper shows
gns of becoming a burden.
Who does not remember those other
ld-time signs? If your right cheek burns,
ONE one is talking scandal Of you,
If you hear a singing in your right ear
Dmebody is praising you; if in your left
lr-there is the sign now, and l close .
lis letter before the waste-basket run
eth over.
1t is reported that "Avon," the resi-
ence of DR.. w. /. Williams is for sale, !
nd that his son. Mr.. Ernest Williams,
{ Washington city, will purchase it and
emove there. .
Miss Mary Goodloe. who has been
pending the winter with her sister, Mrs.
ohm McHenry, of Louisville will return !
ONE about the 1st OF May.
Mrs John s Hays and daughter, Miss
Ielen. will remain in Washington until
fter the Peace Jubilee.
The apple crop IS safe up TO this time, s
nd promises we'll
There is no political interest. Farmers
re busy planting corn and prospecting
Or copper on lower Rockiish, of which
lOrc hereafter.