The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-28
bad luck!" said woman in a. sort
of soliloquy, as she looked out and


Whats to pay?" visitor asked.
80, the worst kind of bad luck" she
answered. 81 saw the new moon, just
as it was going behind a cloud, a
minute ago. Don't you look, or you
may have bad luck, too. o. I think
it's SO horrible-bad luck; bad luck,
for a whole month";"
do you think" asked the visitor,
1.-The moon has anything to do with
giving you good or bad luck?"
Il don't think anything about it;
know it does for / never saw new
moon, with a cloud passing over it,
but what / was sure to have trouble,
and a sight of 1t, before the full of
that moon. And, if I see a new moon
through the trees, look out for cross
es and trials, and they are sure to
come. I don't feel like 1 shall be
able to sleep a wink tonight, for
thinking and wondering what sort of
troubles I'm going to have. / know
they are coming
The visitor suggested that perhaps
she might be little superStitiouS, but.
she declared there wasn't a particle
of superstition in her, but, that she
knew just as we'll, when she saw new
moon, how it was going to be with
her, during the next month, as if the
month had passed"
The visitor simply said: 81 pay no
more attention to a cloud crossing the
moon than would to rabbits cross
ing my path"
With a look of horror on her face
she exclaimed: That's the worst
sign in the world!"
What is?" asked the visitor.
ITO have a rabbit cross the road
before you. If I were going along, and
one was to cross before me, I'd turn
back. wouldn't dare to go across his
tracks; unless after crossing the road,
he ran back to the side he came from.
No, 1 amt a bit superstitious; but it's
a sure sign of sickness in the family,
or some bad luck"
The visitor said: "a rabbit ran
across my path the other evening; then
ran back; then came into the road,
third time, and galloped ahead of me,
until he came to a brier patch, when
he leaped into it and disappeared"
This very much excited the lady
who hastily asked:
ION which side of the road was the
brier patch?"
1.-The same side from which the rab-
bit first came" answered the visitor.
That's good luck. But, if he'd gone
out on the other side, you'd been right
sure to have had some bad luck, of
the worst kind. I despise a rabbit,
she said.
The visitor remarked that rabbits
were good to eat, and very nice look
ing little animals. And, as for there
being any significance in their cross
ing a road, ahead of one, and ones
stepping over their tracks. it was
simply absurd; no more sign in it than
in stepping over dish. rag.
stepping over a dishrag!" she ex-
claimed. ST reckon not; for every
body knows that it's the worst kind Of
luck even to drop dish-rag; and, as
for stepping over one, my mother said,
and she said her mother told her. and
her grandmother told her, that one
would be sure to die, if he stepped
over a dish-rag. I reckon you'll think
/ am superstitious; but / am not.
Still I can't help believing things
which so many old people believe.
There must be some truth in what SO
many good old mothers tell u.s."
But" said the visitor, "you should
remember the caution that Paul gave
to Timothy"
what was that?" she asked.
mot to give need to fables; 10 shun
profane and old wives fables" # we
were disposed to do so,' the visitor
continued, eve could start all sorts or
signs and sayings, and our children
would soon begin to think they were
true; when, in reality. there'd be no
more significance in them than in the
screenings of an owl on the gate
post"
20, my Lord" she exclaimed,
that's sure sign of death. If a
screech-owl should light on our gate
and begin to screech, I believe I'd go
into fit"
There's no more significance in the
screeching of an OWL than there is in
the cooling of a dove; and everybody
knows there's no harm in that" sale
the visitor.
"That depends" she said, con which
side of you the dove happens to he.
If he's to YOUR right hand. when he
makes noise. that's good luck: if on
the left hand. that's bad luck: if he's
In front of you, that means vou'll live
a long time: but. If he's behind you
that's a sure sign that you or some
friend will die before long"
"I am sure that the Door dove is
unconscious of what he is doing; and. |
I reckon, after all. If we were not A
little superstitious we'd paw no more
attention to its harmless cooines than
we do to the bowling of dog at
night" said the visitor.
"I'm not bit sunerstitious--T
know Tn not-hut just as soon
hear a funeral bell at midnight as
dog howl: for, Tn Just az sure there's
going to be a death. in the family Or
close by, az If saw the funeral pro-
cession. Yea, Lord deliver me from
a bowling dog, for I Just know some
thing awful is going TO happen: esne- |
cial1v if he howls on Friday night"
"Whv is a Friday night howl anv
worse than a howl on any other |
night?"
Because everybody knows FRIDAY |
is an unluckv dav-the dav they hang |
people-and all sorts of bad things |
happen that day: and so. when a dog |
howls on Friday night that's a sure
sign something else bad is going TO
happen" She was silent moment, |
seeming to be in deep thought. But |
presently, she continued "No there |
isn't a particle OF superstition in me:
but 7 wouldn't begin a piece of work |
on Friday that could not be completed |
that day, for anything: for I've al |
ways heard the saying
eff work on Friday. you begin,
And finish not that day:
The labor and the time you spend,
Will both be thrown away
as the work will never be completed"
did you ever try it?'' asked the |
visitor.
"Of course, didn't" she replied. |
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