The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1921-01-12
Why and Because.

If you are not reader. of Henry
Ford's Dearborn Independent, these
why's and becauses" will interest
you:
Why is the fee given to a servant call
ed ''tip?"
Because the letters which compose
, the word are the initials of 'to insure
promptness," an inscription on the
money box which used to be in every
tavern. Into these the traveller dropp-
ed his coin, and the staff, as whole,
shared the benefit. This custom still
prevail5 IN some places. but in the
United States we give the fee to the
particular individual who serves us.
Why is married woman living apart
from her husband called a "grass
widow ?"
Because she is widow by courtesy
or grace" The term "grace widow"
which is from the French, means any
woman separated from her husband
otherwise than by death. The French
pronunciation of "grace" is the same
as our grass" which explains the
corruption to "grass widow"
Why do widows wear caps?
. Because when the Romans were in
England they used to shave their
heads as sign of mourning, and as
woman could not let herself be seen
with a bald head, she made herself a
pretty cap. Though the necessity for
| it has long since passed away, the
| cap still remains.
Why do many persons, half In jest
| and half in earnest, knock on wood
! as preventive of misfortune?
Because there was at one time
&c neral belief that tree and humanity
were allied in close bonds of union,
and that certain trees had healing
qualities. 1t was customary for a
person afflicted with disease to take
a wooden string of three colors, and
with his right hand tie his left loosely
to the limb of tree, then slip it out
and hasten .homeward without casting
glance back, the belief being that
the disease was transferred to the tree
by touching it. Thus from a tree it
has become common practice to touch
any article made of wood to ward off
| misfortune.
Why do we wear heels on our shoes :?
Because the sandal-like footgear of
olden times was not adapted to horse
back riding, and when the high boots
were introduced heels were put on for
the purpose of giving the foot a good
hold on the stirrup.
| Why do brides wear wells at the mar
riage ceremony?
Because it was the Anglo-Saxon
custom to perform the nuptial cere-
mony under square piece OF cloth
held at each corner by tall man, the
object being to hide the brides bushes.
From hiding both the bride and bride
groom the custom changed and the
/ bride only was shielded from the IN
quisitive gaze, and the veil was sub
stituted for the cloth.
Why do persons sigh?
| Because an interval of several sec
onds, during which the walls of the
chest remain rigid and cause oxygen
starvation, always follows mements
of mental disquietude; when nature
demands her supply of oxygen the
deep inhalation occurs, the expiration
after which we call sigh.
Why, when a person displays cow
ardly spirit, do we say that he
s'shows the white feather 2"
Because in the days when cock
fighting was the popular sport q
white feather in the tail of a bird was
taken as evidence Of inferior breeding
and courage and the term became
common among the slang phrases Of
the period as applied to persons who
showed lack of courage.
Why do physicians place at the heaf
of prescriptions the letter r, witt