Evening star., 1915-06-06
SOLDIERS FAITH
IN MAGIC CHARMS
From Pesrscn'a Weekly

From Parsons Weekly
Mascot ring. belonged to the late
Capt. Alfred Hutton. F. & A: set Ispis
by war: would sell"
This advertisement appeared the other
day in one of the principal London
newspapers. and there have been many
others like II issued during the course
of this war. AS matter Of fact, the
belief in mascots seems to have spread
of late from regiments to the officers.
We have grown accustomed to tho
troops and companies that had dogs
and cats and goats and sheep and
monkeys and small ponies as their
regimental luck bringers and pets. but
this craze for mascots that can be car
ried in an individuals pocket is OF
much more modern growth.
Il put it down to two things" said
an old curiosity dealer in Bayswater.
who displays big sign in his shop
window. 'Mascots Sold Here: The first
is the discovery on dead German sol
diers of written prayer that was sup
posed to guard the wearer from wounds.
from steel and bullets and from sud
den death. The second is the news
that the kaiser himself wears a magic
ring, which is said to be the only gen
uine charm or symbol of fate of the
Hohenzollerns.
This ring was handed down in the
German imperial family by King Fred
erick l. He got it from his father on
his death bed with the assurance that
SO long as 1T remained in the posses
sion of his house the prosperity of the
house should not only continue, but
should also increase.
"Originally this magic ring was the
property of the Elector Johann Cicero.
who f1ourished about the year 1890. It
consists of a big half-rounded, grayish-
brown stone in an old-faShioned gold
setting, and have a dozen like it here
on this tray of mascots," added the
old curiosity dealer. that you can pur
chase for sums varying from SIS to f5.
The fact is. / have read up a lot about
lucky stones, and all the rings on this
by experts to have magic properties
THE chief purchasers oAthese mas
cots, of course, are women women
with relatives at the front. They get
frightened when they see heavy list
of casualties from the war. and they
rush in here and buy mascots and send
them direct to loved ones in the firing
line.
Tommy Atkins himself. however.
does not seem to have much faith in
rings. When he comes in he asks for
sharks teeth, the nose of an idol. a
baby's caul or some little ivory image
of Buddha. They may not do me much
good he tells his sweetheart. with a
hearty British laugh, but they will
certainly do me no harm And if they
will make your mind easier. or moth
ers, well, j don't care how foolish the
chaps may think me when they see me
turn them out of my pockets.
'"rhe men in the Flying Corps are
great on these mascots. but they favor
even funnier luck bringers. including
potatoes. a dead mans finger and a
piece of coal.
But the occultists. the oriental crys-
tai gazers and the fortune tellers cut
up my business most" said the old
mascot seller, as he replaced his tray
of lucky rings carefully in glass case
and again turned the key in the lock
They advertise all kinds of mascots
suited to the eyes, the complexion, the
birth date, the character and the pre-
vailing astrological influences of the
soldier. A lot of silly mothers and
wives are taken in by this nonsense.
and 1 have heard of cases where they
have paid sums up to ESQ for these
mascots that are often not worth so
pence.
Now, everybody knows rings are the
only real mascots 80 even the kaiser.
Why, look how unlucky opals are to
wearers unless they happen to be born
in October"