The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-03-02

| +'@|+t @ "-nIt+'@N -1+N"N u Us nave
vein Of superstition rsinuink through
our makeup" Then rather stcepish.
" he drew rabbits foot. silver
mounted and fastened TO a chain. from
his pocket and held 1t up 10 me. This
is pretty good mascot, find. One
Of the negroes got II for me. am not
sure that Il Is the left hind foot OF
graveyard rabbit. killed at midnight
in the da,h Of lie moon on the grave
of q murderer by a red-headed. cross
Eeyed negro as the recipe calls for,
but do know that am mot going to
leave This house without it,
Beans on Good Friday.
Ihe only day / left 1t at home
since ! got II my horse threw me and
was laid up with d broken collar bone
for two weeks Why. they says it's
superstition that makes me always
have my meat killed In the light Of
the moon. but i honestly believe that
meat kiiied any other time shrinks
away in the cooking. same way with
soap, My wife never has her soap
made in the dark Of the moon, and she
has old Mary watch csTeruliy to see
THAT It isn't stirred the wrong way.
four family has always adhered to the
custom of planting beans on Good Fri.
day, a custom that came over with
our forefathers from England, u be.
| lieye. 4 don't know IT'S origin, but
1--we always plant that day.
4 We drifted into "a long discussion or
Epresent-day superstitions; concluding
that after all we hadn't come far from
the old:time traditions and beliefs OF
Jour less enlightened ancestors, who
dreaded blaekicats tecause they might.
be witches, who saw winding sheets
in candle drippings and journeys in
coffee grounds. AS nation, we
doubtless. cling to our superstitions
because they are a sort OF luxury, and
not because We really haven't the
i strength to shake them on. Someone
has said that we like old, picturesque
beliefs and customs quite as much as
4 we do old china, old books, and old
carvings.
4 What Women VIII Do. z
1t hasn't been a century ago since
rural dweIiers in North Carolina were
snrreptitiously placing Bibles under
the heads OF their sleeping children
otcharm away the. same witches that
dwellers in old Salem and Boston had
tried and burned a hundred years be.
fore whom caught in human shape. II
an not superstibols at all. I am real.
iEly too enlightened, some charming
housewife will tell you, and. then win
add with a smile, sshut I do hate to
cross funeral PROCESSION on the
street, or begin a Journey on Friday.
Many women will never start the max.
lii.g Of dress on Friday and II a spark
from the fire should burn hole in
the garment while 1t IS peing made II
Is considered a sure Sign that the
wcarer VIII die before the garment
/ wears out. To turn back for a forgot.
ten article after one starts out Of the
A =
house is a bad sign, unless one sits
down a minute in the parlor to avert
evil. To turn back twice is good luck.
To Change the luck.
Sing before breakfact and you Viii
weep before dark runs another old
saying, and some country folk believe
that be who cuts his naiIs on Sunday
iwili suffer much same and nortificasI
ton before the day Is over. TO put Al
stocking on wrongside out when dress.
ing in the morning is very bad luck,
unless the wearer Will sit down at the
exact hour of noon and turn the I'm.
conscious tool OF destiny. True, this
performance might be embarrassing,
but 1t must ue done to change the
luck In some communities Gus.
tom brought from the Old World re-.
quires a member OF mouse where
death has come to go out and whisper
the news to the bees in, the hive ana
beg them te stay, else they will de-
part. lls3s:
Thirteen as a 100000.
Thirteen will always be a hoodeo
number. 1t has survived centuries Of
reform and progress, dating back. It
is said, to the Lords Supper. when
Judas betrayed his Master. Men are
even more uneasy over this number
than women, often remusfng to SIT at
a table where there are 10, and declin.
ing pointblack to occupy rooms in a
h ~ that bear the cabalistic sign.
This superstition is SO general that
upto.date hotels and steamers have no
rooms numbers is. The diyining rod
is still to be found in this country
sough people have laughed time ana
again over the superstition of the day
of the father ofProphet Joseph Smith,
when that worthy went seeking for