The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-09
NEW ENGLAND sUPERsTITIONS
the Dowser's Collection o. signs and
POPtents.

FrOm the New kH0tdHd Magazine.
After q little chat OnAmp mentioned that
the spring which supplied his barn had gone
dry. We got plenty OF water In the house
he continued. so that aln't got nOthIn' to
DO with my beln' here TO get q drink Of cider:
but carryin' water TO the critters don't agree
with me. and I'm soln' 20 try TO locate another
spring that won't fail In a dry spell"
This he proposed to do with a witch hazel
crotch. which he had already secured. and l
accompanied him to see the process. We
went together to a hillside pasture, and
0ramp wound the end Of one branch Of the
witch hazel crotch around his right hand
and the other end about his left hand, and
grasped these ends very firmly. The crotch
stood up vertically lp the air.
Now i'm goIn' 10 walk around here In
such PLACES a. seem at all likely. said oramp;
and when I come over water the orOtchu
tip away from me downward. The harder
10 pulls down, the more water. There Amt
every one can ind water this way. They
amt got the electricity or something In EN-.
With me. It's as easy as failing on q log. l
can't stop that crotch goln' down when It's
over water n l try. and sometimes II pulls
down 80 hard the bark will be twisted on In
my hands
Gramp wandered here and there through
the pasture hollows. and sometimes the
crotch remained upright and sometimes II
tipped downward. But at length q spot was
found where the pull was 30 satisfactorily
felt that my companion drove q stake there
10 remember the exact place.
I found him digging a few days later: but
after exoa waiting a great dry hole he aban-
doned the job. In explanation Of the failure
Of tho mystic crotch he pointed TO some yell
low stains In the dirt and said there was iron
ore In the soil. That's what raised the mis-
chief with me, he declared iron oren attract
witch hazel as powerful as water will"
His belief In the hazel crotch was as strong
as ever, and I discovered that he was q verlta-
BILE mine OF ancient superstitions. or course
he did not pin his faith 70 all Of them; yet
there was q surprising number In which he
had implicit confidence. They are reported
in his anguag &c, just as he told them to me
at various times when l CHANGED TO meet
him about his home, In the fields. or by the
river. where he was fond OF fishing.
Crow on the fence.
Rain will 20 hence.
Crow on the ground,
Rain VIII come down.
storms clear OF at 0 o'clock In the morn
ing. at noon. at ; o'clock in the afternoon,
at sunset. at midnight or at sunrise
Gramp added that he knew we were going
to have a dun day: for he had heard 1t raining
In the night about 1 o'clock; and said he.
Il couldn't help thlnkin' O. that old saying:
Between twelve and two
You can tell what the day Will do.
1T may cloud up or clear OF later In the
night: but the day will be what 1t was be-
tween IL and ?.
IF our dog comes into the house and puts
his head under the mat I'm certain sure
there's goin' TO be a cold snap. and IL comes
every time.
when the wind dies down at sunset Il will
blow again the next day.
"A thunderstorm amt good for eggs that
-. I'D N han haNphfnR ThA nhIak ans ara
apt to be crazy.
March winds and May sun
Make dun cloth white. and fair maids dun.
when you're peelin' onions. hold a pin
between four teeth and it'll prevent your
cryin'.
Dream Of picking fruit out Of seasOR,
And yOu1i quarrel without reason
IF you want 10 get rid OF the rats in your
house. ketch one and tar and feather II and
then turn II loose. All the rats will leave
When was a boy I'd sometimes play so
hard I'D ha We a pain In my, side. To cure 1t
stone back In it's place. wouldn't have any
more trouble from the pain after that.
III you begin 20 tell something and forget
what you were saying. that is a sign 1t was
true.
Mend your clothes upon your back
Poverty you'll never lack.
when the world was new the devil spent
a lot OF time sowing. 1t with stones. lie car
ried the stones In his apron. and where YOU
see spots that they. are very thick you can
knoTE O me 'oS apron SS bIcrnSs SrS IKE b mere near WIN
can hold your little fingers together without
their touching.
cut a little bit from each toenall and finger
nail, Then wrap the cuttings IN a white paper
or birch bark and put EN- in a hole ole bored IN :
you won't have any trouble with aching
teeth az long a.. YOU live. though this won't
prevent your losing your teeth by decay.
"IOu can cure YOUR rheumatism by putting
mustard In your shoes.
II you have the stomach ache
Eat a piece OF burnt cake.
You can stop the nosebleed by putting a
piece of pa per under your tongue, You can
stop it, too. by placing a key on the back OF
! yonr neck; Milan - a , ho,,,. ,u,,h u.,..
at a spring on Easter morning before sun
| rise. There ain any medicine advertised in
the papers that can equal such water. be-
time. Drink a little OF IL II anything Is the
matter inside Of yom.; and IL you have a sore
| rub IL on outside. You'll be surprised TO see
what It does for you, no matter what disease
when you're out drivin' in the winter and
warm EN- even II they're like ice. You see
the cold air drives the blood from the head,
and your feet can't help but get warm;
Don't cut q twiR to string your fish on
until you EetCh your first fish. n you do
you won't ketch any.
notice whether II flies IN or down. II Il files
up YOU will go up-that is, Won will have good
luck during the year; but IN II flies down you
will have bad luck.
Never carry a cat across running water
II you want TO have good luck. IL will ruin
your life. You might lust as well take a dose
Of deadly poison and be done with II.
IF a spider drops down before YOU II IL a
sign you are Roin' 10 have company.
"SDit for luck on your friends new shoes
and he will never wear them TO a place where
he will be unhappy.
What q baby weighs at birth In Just one
twentieth Of what IL will weigh as a grown
"a baby should be carried upstairs before
II IL carried down even II you have to take il
into the garret. To carry II downstairs first
would make II low minded, and IL would
never rise in the world.
"If you ind a cluster OF bubbles on your
coTee that means money Ia coming.
You may know that a man has money TO
lend II be wears his hat pushed back on his
head.
IF Won SILVER on a warm day YOU may
know II II because some one Is walking over
the spot that Ia to be your grave.
Something bad Ia bound to hR Dpe 10 YOU
u you go 10 a funeral ridin' after a white
horse.
T upset your teacun IL a sign that a
strang ger IL coming 20 call.
sneeIe before seven
Have company before eleven.
IF you see the new moon through the
branches Of a tree you will see sorrowa.
eileen In a bean neld and n will maize van