The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-06-22
QUEER BELIEFS.

The man In the moon Is one OF the
most popular and perhaps one Of the
most ancient, supersi'tionS in the world.
The name Is given 10 the dark lines aud
spots upon the surface OF the moon. which
are visible TO the naked sAe. Ia almanacs
the moon Is always represented with a
face IN IL. Some sa9 that these i.nes ana
spots are' The figure 90 q man leaning on
fork, on which he carries bundle OF
thorps or brushwood. ior taking which
on sunday hc was confined in the moon.
some Oi those Vcrsod in such lore ck-
plain that this theory Undoubtedly nas
It's origin in the incident recorded In the
fifteenth chapter OF the Book OF Numbers,
thirty-second verse With the Italians,
cain appears To have been the offender.
The Jews have soVo Taimudical story
that Jacob Is IN the moon and they be-
lieye his face IS visible Bishop Wilkins
writes that "as for the forme OF these
spots, some of the vulgar thlnke they
represent a man. and poets guess ts the
boy Endymion. whose company she loves
so well that she carries him with her:
others will have II onely 10 be the face
of a man, as the moon Is usually pictured:
but Albertus thlnkes rather that II rep
resents lyon. with his tail toward the
east and his head 10 the west and some
others have thought Il 10 be much like a
FOX; and certainly IL is as much like a
lyon AS that In the Hodiake. or as Ursa
"'"J'' - hh' ~ '''i's
II he who runs will only observe as
well he VIII find much In this everyday
domestic time OF ours 10 give him pause,
and notably the vast amount OF super
stition, which, our boasted education not
Mlthstandtng. still exists i'm domestic life.
Thus. In ordinary households II will be
found that If the housewife drops a dish
cloth, she VIII az once assert that she
VIII have visitor shortly, while II she
LEI fall a knife strange woman Is COM
ihg.' II fork "A maa, and II spoon a
Tool II two knives, forks or spoons are
placed Ia "a wrong position when the
table Is being laid for any meal there is
Gong To be wedding. as ~ also averred
when anyone stumbles up the stairs.
II salt is spilled there Is going TO be a
row or quarrel, hut tnis can be averted
IL the spiller viii burn pinch OF salt
and throw pinch over the left shoulder.
Again IL a chicken crows at you or at
your door, lac II playing the part OF n
ciairvoyant, and Is telling you you will
have surprising bit of news or receive
an unexpected visitor, which latter fate
Is also said to befall you II you drop a
pair OF scissors and they should stick
In the floor, over which circumseance
Others VIII also tell YOU you should wish
before speaking while Il a needle sticks
IN the floor you win receive "A letter.
Again, should pin be lying on the
ground with the head toward YOU. pick
u up, as IL denotes good luck, but, on
the other hand, avoir any which have
the points toward you, as TO have anv-
thing To do with these means bad lucs
good housewife. especially IL she
nave proper respect for superstition
VIII never sweep at night time but IL
she Is ever compelled 10 do so she will
sweep the dirt into = corner. where she
viii leave II till the morning This is
believed to prevent misfortune overtak-
ing the house during the night Nor will
she ever sweep the dirt out OF the door,
bttt- instead she viii lift ~ into a dust
pan and burn IL. this being considered
necessary to protect the family possess
ions.
lf you break a dish or other article of
domestic crockery ware evil will pursue
you till you have broken two more Re
Nertng To falling upstairs, another super
Stition has 10 that. IL unmarried YOU
VIII not be united In wedlock until the
next year. while ~ your chair stumbles
backward your chances OF getting mar
ried 30 with it for "A year. Getting out
or bed backward brings misfortune for
the ensuing day. while putting out the
right foot first insures the smiles OF
Dame Fortune. as will also putting the
right stocking and boot or shoe on FIRST.
but misfortune follows IL it is the left
that is so treated.