El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-09-16

tain vows, such as series Of prayers and
almSgiving. The information is usually
through certain signs, which are easily
understood But besides these appari-
TORS, which the New &exicans say have
a purpose, there are a series of super
stitions which have no explanation
The dead simply brighten people.
especially relatives and friends, with
no reason and with no purpose. A dis
tant friend or relative receives warn
rap on the bed, the falling of a chair,
a sudden noise of any kind, the pres
ence Of a small bird preferably a
white bird), small flame rising in
the air, a distant light, a passing
shadow, or finally the real presence OF
the ghost OF the person, usually dress
ed i'll black, standing or walking along
Souls Return to Pray.
1t IS also believed that the souls from
pun gatory may themselves come to
pray, and thus say the prayers they
Santa Fe, n. ", it is said that several
souls from purgatory assemble every
Good Friday TO say the rosary. Their
prayers are distinctly heard, they ring
a little bell and then disappear In FL
Rite, an old Spanish settlement in
northern New Mexico, there is a house
which has been abandoned for over q
hundred years through fear of ghosts
Nearly every abandoned adobe house
is said to be haunted by ghosts The
majority of the New Mexicans, men and
q
alone at night for any consideration
Whatsoever. 1t is feared as much as a
graveyard. Some New Mexicans are
afraid to enter a graveyard alone even
in the daytime, not to speak of the
night
Superstitions About Dead.
Some of the curious superstitions
about the dead are summarized as fol-
lows:
Ghosts appear to good people; never
to the wicked. If a person dies on
II on stormy day ne goes to hell
A person who crosses a funeral pro-
cesslon will die within the year fol-
loving
Il one is in continual dread of some
one who has died or one whose ghost
has been seen it is sufficient TO say to
him, 60 to h and one is troubled
no more.
If two persons call for Gods judg-
ment Oh any dispute or quarrel they die
at the same time
If one does not desire to be molested
by the ghost of a dead person it is suf-
fielent to visit the dead body and touch
its toes.
If the vice or customs of some dead
barely mentioned it Is necessary to Of
fer up prayer for him; otherwise
he VIII come at night and pull the
toes of those who ridicule him
If person dies and leaves money
hiddeT, he returns to disclose the secret
to one Of his family.
II any one cneWS gum In bed he is
maSticating his family.
II a person spills salt. any quantity
whatsoever, he has to come back after
death to pick it all up with his eyelids.
TO be strong and have no fear of the
dead 1t Is necessary to pray to St
Gertrude.
God is not pleased to hear people
speak of the dead. If the dead are
laughed at evil may follow
When candle is burning to the end
some one is dying.
The superstitions and beliefs con.
corning dreams are many and various
Some dreams are interpreted literally,
others not. Death. illness or other
nisfCrtunes are announced by dreams.
When one is desirous of having q
dreS N it is sufficient to place ones
shoes or stockings near the pillow and
a dream is sure to come.
If d person dreams chat a certain one
has died it means that friend or rela-
tive is dying or will die, but not the
one dreamed about
Dreams.
If one dreams of blood a terrible mis-
fortune is about to happen; that ones
teeth are falling, a relative has died:
OF lean meat a child will soon die of
fat meat, an old person will soon die;