Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-09-23
MEMcANs SUPERST|T|OUs
Queer Beliefs Are Held in Com
mon by All the Poems.
Everything They DO Prescribed with
Right and Wrong Methods-One
Cure for All stomach Troubles ,x
and Bad Husbands.

Mexicans enjoy the well-earned repu-
tation of being one of the most super
stitlous races Of the world. Superstition
exists wherever there is human being,
but Mexico seems to be the place where
all human superstitions are conferred To
such an extent is this true that super
stltion has become almost n kind Of re-
liglon, governing every act and thought
of the people.
From earliest childhood the poems are
taught to make the sign of the cross
before touching the floor with their toes
In the morning. Maidens until they be-
come brides, arc urged by their mothers
to put their shoes point against point
under their bed at night to bring happy
dreams and TO be able to converse with
the Virgin during their sleep.
When dressing. the right shoe-never
the ieft-is put on first. The buttons Of
the suit are buttoned from the lowest to
the top. This is to signify that Two are
very low here In this earthly planet but
that during tho day we will try to go
upward Furthermore, this practice,
il faithfully and constantly observed.
will lead UP very high. to Heaven when
we die. The contrary will take us down
to Inferno
After ono Is ready to go out of his
room one must always move the right
foot first IF It happens that you find at
the door Of your house a bunch of hair
or hemp It is proof that witch Is after
you with some Ill purpose. and you must
bring at once some salt and throw four
handfuls as far as you can, one to the
east. another to the west. the third to
tho north and tho last one to the south,
at the same time saying: ave Maria
pusisima del refugio." Then you have
nothing to fear from witches in the
course of the day. But at night, when
you retire. you must take two very flne
sticks, make a cross with them and nail
it to your door. No witches. ghosts or
devils will bother you thereafter.
BAD LUCK AT BREAKFAST.
If before taking breakfast you happen
to see black cat, three lame men on
one and the same street. or a corpse. 1t
would he better for you to go back home
and stay indoors Tor the day, because
something wrong is in store for you.
If, on the contrary. you meet a hunch-
back II would be good for you to shake
hands with him. pat his hump and give
him some money II he is Il beggar; that
will bring you good luck. Hunchba cks
are exceptionally good omens for those
who buy lottery tickets. II you buy one
do not see Its number until you have
rubbed it against somebody's hump; then
you are sure to win a prize.
Numbers T. Is, and 81 are lucky; g. 70
and Al are unlucky. No. 10 especially Is
hot fol 90 I,ri,
never live in a house or room numbered
IL. Be very careful when you ascend a
staircase with Is steps. Never ride on
car 10. and under no circumstances eat,
drink or wear anything that has cost
you 10 cents or dollars. or that you have
bought on the 18th day of the month.
Tuesday and Friday are bad omen
days. and there Is n common saying
that goes: EN- viernes martes. nj te
cases nj tie embarques." which means
do not marry or start on any business
on Tuesday or Friday"
To pass under a scaffold is also some
thing that you should never do. This is a
well-founded superstition.
Are you suffering from rheumatism?
Have a hairless dog sleep under your
bed one night. Next morning you will
be cured and the dog will die the follow
Ing Friday.
CURE FOR STOMACH TROUBLE.
But If your sufferings come from stom-
ach troubles it does not matter what
| kind of disease it Is or how serious It
| may be, all you have to do Is to get up
before dawn one Friday. hunt up a black
COW and drink n glass of milk just OBJ
tanned by a girl who has not reached
the age of 13. You will not feel any
relief. however until Sunday morning.
! when you have to attend mass All your
| sutferings will be completely relieved
when the priest gives you his benedic-
| ton.
For deafness the remedy is TO put a
small branch of rosemary or rue behind
your ears. but this only after sinking
the plant three times in succession In
holy water. saying at tho same time
Cure me, cure me, cure me 80 After
three days tho most desperate case will
| be cured.
Is there among your relatives OF
friends somebody deprived of the use
of speech? Give him for breakfast
three consecutive days three raw spar
IoWS ana AFTER tlrlc he Will INA IL 4
very hard task to keep his tongue quiet
Deer render valuable service. If you
suspect that in conversation YOU can
| not overhear your personality Is being
discussed. all you have to do is to &c,
a deer's right forefoot and apply 1t 10
your right ear You will hear everything
as over 4 telephone.
butterflies are good or bad omens. &C.
cording to their color. white ones
bring happiness; yellow ones advise us
to maintain alive our hopes of love OF
fortune and black ones announce that
death is stalking around US or our rcla-
tives."
DOG MANS GREATEST FRIEND.
A dog Is the greatest friend OF man;
no doubt about that, as he Is endowed
with the power of seeing ghosts, devils
and death When you hear your dos
bowling 1t is proof that he is warning
you against some evil event.
One thing Of apparently small impor-
lance. but which brings fatal results. Is
the lighting Of three cigars or cigarettes
on the same match. One of the three
lighting their cigar will certainly die
| within the year.
| Here one has one means OF knowins
whether one Is going to die in the course
| of any given year. 1t cannot be more
simple. You get up very early In the
morning of January l and await on the
field for the sun to rise. you looking
westward. The minute the sun rises