Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-23

RETRACING ONES STEPS.
A Superstition With Which Many Are
Afflicted.

one of the many strange and fallacious
supersuttons of the day. and one which
applies to men and women alike. especially
to the fair sex. Is the Discrimination some
people show to retrace their steps once
they have started for a place, and to go
back either for something they may have
forgotten or for other reasons,' remarked
gentleman who gives such matters at
tention 10 a Star reporter
Il was once victim of this common
place superstition. and its microbe had set
its teeth in me good and hard. was
positive crank on the subject and under no
circumstances would l go back for any
thing | wanted or had forgotten in the
house or at my office. On the street j
would walk around an entire square rather
than retrace my steps, or when in one of
the large office buildings / would 70 clear
around the corridors rather taan go back
to a room few PAGES distant behind me.
l carried it so far on the street that
where ! found il imprac ticable to go around
the square ! would cross to the opposite
side of the street and describe a complete
circle before continuing on my way.
Some ladies, upon going back to their
homes, or to shop, for some article for
gotten viii invariably sit down before MAX
ing the renewed start. Still others of the
fair sex Will turn around three times in
the bargain. and many of the more super
stitious will rap vigorously upon wood, to
scare the hOOdoo away. | suppose. Some
individuals have regular formula which
they carry out every time with character
lstc pcrsiStency. and. furthermore they
really and honestly believe in the righteous
efficacy in the performance of this absurd
habit
Gen Grant was probably the greatest
exponent in this country of not-gong
back habit. and he would resort to all
sorts of eXpedients to avoid retracnR his
"a MI n
one of his celebrated dispatches from the
front. in which ne said. I will take no back
ward steps, illustrated this popularity of
his, while another, L will stay on this line
and fight 1t out If it takes all summer. is
national proverb
Il am not prepared to say whether this
popularity of Grants contributed primarily
to his success as general in the field, and
II may perhaps be better accepted as an
indication of the iron will and adamant de-
termination of this great American. His
action in this regard has no doubt in
fiuenced many persons in this generation to
follow a like plan.
Il was cured of the habit in a single day,
however, and l never fail to go back now
whenever necessary-in fact, l like to go
back, and will keep on going back just the
same, and will encourage the gong-back
habit. With 1t | dropped the sitting down,
turning around three times and knocking
on wood incidentals. The cure happened
this way:
Recently / had negotiations with man
which were of the utmost Importance to
me- though they were merely Incidental
with him. and unless they went through
upon a particular date 1t meant my going
out of business and into acute financial
distress | found it to be simply impOsSi-
BILE to move an inch, and the weeks went
by and things looked decidedly black for me
and my family.
zone day, and it happened to be a crucial
day in the negotiations, l received the same
4 hon, loft IN c
On my way out of the building | thought
of certain point regarding the negotia-
tons which l had forgotten to communl-
cate to him. l hesitated at the entrance
and asked myself the question, Shall l go
back ! decided the question affirma tive
~. ran upstairs and laid the point before
him 1t was accepted at once, and l got
my money the next day; but had waited
until the next day 1t would have been then
too late and l would have been forced into
bankruptcy.