Mexico Missouri message., 1906-05-17
BY MAReARET y. sANasTER.

human race, ana even schoolgirls ~
not entirely escape its fascination. No
matter how strong most Of us may be
in our resistance to foolish fears and
fancies, we have somewhere in the
back OF our minds little feelings about
certain signs and we begin very early
in life to shape our conduct by them.
For instance, very few of us care to
make a present to a friend OF an
edged tool. l know several otherwise
sensible people who tell me that some
of their most priced friendships have
been cut in two because they gave or
received knife. l myself would not
object to receiving o knife az gift,
whether It were intended tor carving a
roast, or dividing the leaves of a book.
All sorts of knives from those of finely
tempered steel, intended for the table,
20 dainty little pearl-handled affairs
that may be carried in the pocketbook,
appeal to me as particularly desirable
possessions. Yet know very few
persons who do not like to add bit OF
silver cC copper TO such an exchange,
that IL may seem to be matter OF
barter and sale, rather than of gift
making.
Don't give Mabel a knife on her
birthday" / heard Priscilla's mother
gravely say, to her daughter, "for as
surely as you do you and Mabel will
quarrel"
The same superstition about spoil
ing friendship clings to the splitting
of salt on the tablecloth. 1t is held to
be most unlucky to do this, and it is
supposed that 1t forebodes friction be-
tween those who ere sitting nearest
the spilled salt. o. course, this super
stition and the other date long way
back to those primitive times when
men settled everything speedily by
knife thrust or blow, so that knives
were dreaded weapons instead of use
full TOOLS. This superstition harks back
to the period when a man pulled off
his glove in greeting friend or neigh
Dor in token that he had nothing con-
cealed, and so gave the naked hand.
The other about the salt has an orien-
tai origin. In the tent Of the Arab,
though he might be a lobber, there
was hospitality for the wayfaring
guest, and If the latter shared bread
and salt with his host, his life and
property were sacred. So you may
easily read between the lines that salt
is an emblem of friendship, and that
its splitting signifies a breach Of friend
ship.
l should be sorry to think that the
girls of to-day, who will be the women
of tomorrow, were in the least under
the bondage of silly traditions in
which there is very little common
sense.
Why should anyone dread to pass
under ladder except for the reason
that the ladder may fall? Why should
the bowling Of 4 dog give one uneasi-
ness or there be any meaning attached
to the dropping Of spoons and forks?
Why do some people hesitate to sit
down at the table when the company
numbers 10? If the family should hap
pen to consist of father and mother
and IL children, would there always be
one who had to wait for the second
table? This latter superstition is sup
posed to recall the last supper of Je-
.sus with His disciples, when one Of
the group proved to be traitor.
Nearly everything we do, say or
think, strikes deep roots into the past,
II we can find and trace them out.
In my school days girls put them
selves to an immense amount of trou-
BILE when walking on the street that
they might avoid stepping on crack
In the pavement. II was sure to cause
trouble in the schoolroom in the way
of imperfect recitations and badly
drawn maps if one unfortunately
touched crack with the toe OF her
boot. Older persons were sometimes
surprised at the erratie progress OF
children who were bending their en-
-ergies to this careful sort of walking.
A school friend Of mine had a theory
that nothing would prosper with
Helen If she did not put her shoes at
night In a particular spot, and set
them precisely side by side. It took
her a long time 10 get settled in bed
as she had to jump out number OF
times in order to be sure that her
shoes were standing exactly as they
should to a hairs breadth.
There used to be, too, a proverD re-
;garding Indian gIvers. These were
generous in making presents, but they
regretted them afterwards and wanted
them back, a sorry thing In itself and
rather mean. Bargains cnce oonclud.
ed should stSad fast, as we all know
Some Of us had delicious fears thai
we greatly enjoyed about passing q
certain place in a forest not far from
the school. Here there was tumble.
down cottage falling into ruins, thi
haunt OF bats, rats and spiders. w,
scnrried past 1t with frantic haste
lest something We knew not wha
should spring forth and seize US. YoI
remember James WhitoOmb Riley'l
poem with the line.
isrrha aoblsne will catch yoi1 AZ Won dons