The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-11-15
JOINED TO THEIR IDOLS.
Superstitious Girls Who Put Much
Faith in Chinese Images.

6upeTSL4llOuS GIFTS VINO Tut Mucl
Faith in Chinese Images.
do you keep anything by you FOL
good luck?" was the serious inquiry o.
one sun-burned maid of another whom
she met at the ribbon counter. "Why
of course" replied No. 2, with a compre
hending smile; mine is dear, delight
full Chinese goblet, so to speak 1t was
given to me by Fred my brother, who
had it of a reconstructed Boxer. Free
is invaded home from China, where
| one night in Pekin he overwhelmed 6
sallow little villain by sheer force of his
two strong arms. His captive proved
to be an eX-wrestler, who was so charm
ed with Freds prowess that Instead OF
being handed over to the authorities he
was easily converted into much-need-
ed laundryman.
80 successfully did my brother per-
suade Flu Wong that the future of a
Boxer was a dark one indeed that when
he got his wound and was about to start
for home Flu Wong asked for farewell
| interview. AS o tender testimonial of
his regard and reformation he pressed
on his captor the dearest little carved
figure of a secondary but none the less
powerful Chinese god, who has particu-
lar influence with the powers that make
pigtails grow. Fred is becoming touch
ingly bald and the sight preyed evident
ly on Flu Wongs affectonate nature, so
he presented the cunning ivory deity,
along with some prayers written out In
Chinese characters. Scepticism is, I re-
q 40 in, W
brothers character, SO when he was I'M
packing his kit he threw the ivory i'm
age and prayers into my lap, and said
might try his powers on my hair,
which is falling dreadfully.
NOW, of course, you'll laugh" con-
tinued the narrator, but since that
scrap of ivory came into my possession
my combings have been hardly worth
groaning over. All summer I poured on
tonics and things, while a juteswitch
present and false bang future seemed
only more and more imminent, and"
Isn't it amazing" interrupted No /.
But just look at that please" and she
drew from her pocket a tiny faded silk
bag, and from that a curious disk of sill
yer having some odd characters engrav-
ed on 1t.
"Why 7 bought it of a Spanish gypsy
at the Paris fair, a strange creature
who tells fortunes. She seemed awfully
struck by the lines in my hand, and said
she would do for me what she wouldn't
for anybody else, sell me this talisman
that brings good luck. It's simply thou
sands of years old. Queen Isabella of
CASTLE, whose every undertaking was
successful, once owned it, and the gypsy
said with the lines in my hand and this
luckpiece I couldn't help getting every
thing I wished for. I only paid her S.
for it, and already papa has given me
bicycle runabout."
Isn't it splendid" remarked the own
er of the Chinese god. Makes one feel
just like girl in the Arabian Nights.
like these handy little things to carry
in the pocket ever so much better than
EthyIs Buddha, for example. He is a
beauty from Japan, and any one who
gives his shrine proper recognition and
service never grows old, gets wrinkles
or gray hair. call it perfectly shock
ing the way Ethyl does believe in that
thing. She puts fresh roses in front of
him every day; but Ethyl is certainly
wonderfully preserved for girl Of her
age"
Il know she is eight years older than
me, and that would make her 30, though
I've heard her deny it in the most bare
faced way said No. with satisfaction.
"Well at any rate, I like her Buddha
far better than those dreadful gilded
dragons and hideous little South Ameri-
can and Mexican gods that lots of girls
have. Marie pretends she gets no end
Of comfort from a wretched little clay
image that she says belonged to an Az
tee princess. She strings it over with
ribbon and jewelry and things because
it has special gifts for bringing one lots
Of beaux AS a matter of fact, though,
don't know a single girl who hasn't
a good fortune god or goddess, and one
Of my friends told me she tried seven
Japanese deities until she got one that
seemed able to live up to his reputa-
ton"
isn't 1t awful to be as superstitious
as that?" remarked No. l, receiving her
change and parcel.
isn't it," agreed her friend Lets
90 out and have ice cream sodas. Va
lila cream with ginger syrup is perfect
y delicious. Chicago Record