The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-08-08
CURIOUS supERsTlTIoNs.
The Ineradicable Belief In Them That
snakes the Whole World KIM"

the whole world kin"
There are few persons SO wise or so
superior that they do not cling to their
childish faith In some one charm or
portent.
Old sayings regarding clothes arc
still implicitaly believed In by many
as for instance:
II is lucky to put on any article OF
dress, particularly stockings. inside
out; but IL you wish the omen to hold
good you must continue TO wear the
reversed portion of your attire In that
condition till the regular times come
for putting 1t off-that is, either bed
time or before bath. II you set 1t
right you will change the luck" 1t
will be of no use to put on anything
with the wrong side out on purpose.
When William the ConQueror, in
arming himself for the battle Of Hast
ings.. happened to put on his shirt Of
mail with the hindside before the by
ISLANDERS seemed to have been shocked
as by an ill-omen until William
claimed 1t as good one, betokening
that he was to be changed from duke
TO a king The phenomenon of the
ulhuciut btioic 10 oO ClOStly Ttldleu
to that OF inside out" that one can
hardly understand their being taken
for contrary omens.
Another and weird belief regarding
personal attire Is that the clothes of
the dead will never wear long. When
q person dies and his or her clothes
are given away to the poor 1t is fire.
Quently remarked: "Oh they may look
very well. but they won't wear; they
belong to the dead"
II girls petticoats are longer than
her frock. that Is sign that her faith
er loves her better than her mother
does, perhaps because 1t Is plain that
her mother does not attend so much to
her dress as she ought to do: whereas
her father might love her very much
and at the same time be very ignorant
or unobservant of the rights and
wrongs Of female attire.
If one would have good luck he must
wear something new on Whitsunday,
not Easter.
Among miscellaneous superstitious
sayings the following may be noted:
1t is unlucky to enter a house
which you are going to occupy by the
back door," Lightning will not
strike elderwood." The reason for
this superstition is probably the ira.
diion that the cross on which our
Saviour was crucified was made of this
same wood. Dean French. in one Of
the notes to his Sacred Latin Poetry"
accounts for the trembling OF the
leaves of the aspen tree by saying
that the cross was made of its wood
and that since the the tree has never
seased to shudder. - . ....--....-..
AS hot cross-buns are being intro
duced into this country, it may be not
ed In connection with that pastry that,
according to English superstition, they
VIII, II properly made. nover get
mouldy. To make them properly tho
materials must be mixed the dough
made and the buns baked on Good FRI
DAY.
Regarding the cutting Of the finger
nails
Cut EN- on Monday, you cut 'em for
health:
Cut 'em on Tuesday, you cut 'em for
wealth;
Cut 'em on Wednesday, you cut 'em
for news;
Cut 'em on Thursday. pair Of new
shoes;
Cut EN- on Friday, you cut 'em for
sorrow;
Cut 'em on Saturday, you'll see your
true love tomorrow:
Cut 'em on Sunday and you'll have the
devil with you all the week.
Superstitions with respect to cutting
the nails are Of ancient date. Hesiod,
In his Works and Days." says: mot
to cut from the five branched with
glittering iron the dry from the quick
in the rich feast of the gods"
Mushrooms will not grow after they !
nre seen. Very naturally, the first per- (,
son that sees them gathers them.
Readers Of the immortal "Pickwick
Papers" will recall mention therein of
the town Of Bury st. Edmunds. About 1
four miles from this place is Barton
Mere-an eccentric piece of water
which varies in size from twelve to
fourteen acres to a small pond and is
sometimes entirely dried up. 1t is re
garded locally as a sure indication Of
the value Of cornstalks. 1t Is a we'll
attested fact that the price of corn and
the height of water frequently do vary
together. 1t is supposed that the char
acter Of the weather may affect both In
common.
In the same manner the saying, "If
the raindrops hang on the window
more will come to join them." may be
accounted for by the fact that 1t is q
sign of slow evaporation, of the pres
ence Of abundant moisture. which will
be likely to precipitate itself in the
form of more rain.
II. when you are fishing and count
what you have taken, you will not
catch any more. To discover q
drowned body. cast an apple into the
stream at point above the spot
where the body Is supposed to be. The
apple will drift down and stop over
the place where the corpse lies.
There are some odd superstitions
regarding the moon and the weather.