The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-20
UNITES TWO HOUSES
OF BRITISH PEERAGE

/ mat prevailing in the old country but
intentions, and purposes, on the CON
| h3ry, To develop colony of freo-
| ii"iIers men who will own their own
land and he wholly independent In
! every possible way. These shrewd
! hard working, thrifty and law-ubiding
: scotch farmers will be a most velua
/ hisacquisit.on. and contribute mater
iitiiy to the wealth. the prosperity and
+ me advancemcnt of Canada: and the
/ immigration authorities OF the United
! states may well look with .nviouB
eyes az This stream of most desirable
material for citizenship pouring into
me territory OF their northern nriGhbor.
The number thtrtaen played an i'm
! pcriant part in the career of thu duke,
/ Tor it is largely owing to II that he
/ is indebted for his happy married lite.
/ sim only Marquis OF Stafford inc Was
| invited by the Countess of Rosslvn to
| q dinner party IN honor OF her eldest
! daughter, Lady Brooke. Now Lady
! Rosslyn was somewhat superstitious.
CONSEQUENTLY she was horrined when
! she :ound that owing to the non-ar-
! rival of one OF those invited the
I number of the guests would be just
! mat uminouS thirteen around her hos
pitablc board. To dismiss Il guest, taus
| reducing the number to the safe fig
I ure OF twelve. was OF course out OF
the question and there was no time
/ TO scnd out other invitations. So the
| countess sent for her daughter Lady
| Milliccnt who was barely siXte cen, to
! come Immediately from the school room
| Just as she was. in her plain. simple
dress taking no time 10 even brush
her hair, which Was all rumplcd. as
sh had been rompinG with her little
sisters. OF course all those present
! We're en- grandc tcnuc, and when She
entered the maSniiicently illuminated
| dining hall. Laughing and painting from
I tlh.s NtS.l
! amusing contrast with the ladies and
| gentlemen deckcd IN their most brill
, liant nnery. Yet such an attractive
! picture did s..e present in her pretty
simplicity that Lord Stafford. who sat
| next to her at table, fall instantly In
love with her and shortly afterwards
| asked for her hand in marriage. The
| wedding took place on her seventeenth
| birthday. so that she may be said to
have made but one stop from school
/ room to altar.
In the foregoing, instance the numbsr
thirteen superstition may be said to
have brought good luck. Lady Rosslyn.
| however. Is not the only notable per-
| sonaSc who entertained this dread OF
the bakers dozen" For example. the
great Prince Bismarck-the man of
iron-beleved implicitly In its evil
| quality, and was ready to go almost
any length In the way of discourtesy
and violation of the laws of court
etiquette. rather than be one Of thir-
! or moment
On the other hand. he regarded 80"
as his mystic and favorite number,
destined TO bring him luck, and iden-
| titled in very particular degree with
HIS whole career Thus his ancisnt
family motto was In trinitate robur."
and his armorial bearings consisted pt
trefoils and of three leaves of oak Ha
was Chancellor under three Emporors.
| received three titles of nobility and
was responsible for three wars, all
| of which were brought to victor
i1us closs for his country. and much
| ACKNOWLEDGMENT to himself. Further
| more, he negotiated the three treaties
| OF peacs concluding these hosti!ities
and brought about the Three Emper-
Indeed, In various ways the figure
| three seems to have played a more
than Important part in his long life.
The most amusing incident OF this in
| iiuence rof the number three ,ipon him
Is the fact that many caricaturists
! made point of representing him wit
three solitary hairs on his round, bald
! head.
With regard to the origin Of the
| superstition concerning tho question
of sitting down thirteen at table, IL
can be traced back to an old Morse
great divinities of Scandinavia were
one day assembled at table in The Wal
haila when suddenly Loki the God
of Oiscord. appeared. insisted upon sit
| tih5 uV"n Win lnCm, immediately
picking a quarrel with Balder, the God
of Pcacs, piercing his heart with an
arrow and breaking up the banquet.
| Ihe church tried to dispel this super
| stitlon three or four centuries aEo by
| giving out story to the affect tina /
when Gregory the Great made prac-
| ticc OF serving n good dinner every
| Day TO twelve poor man In memory OF
! the Last Supper, on one occasion Christ
| came and sat down ut the tnble and
| made the thirteenth guest. In consc-
| quence, thirteen was for a time looked
F., upon as sacred number: hut during
| the last hundred years the Euperstition
| against 1t has been revived In all It's
| intensity, and in London there are men
| who makes practice OF holding them
saves in readiness TO no called al th.
last moment. in order to become the
fourteenth guest whore, on account OF
the failure OF some one to appear, the
! number would otherwise be thirteen
| Copyright 1912, by the Brentwood
| Company