834. Treat biliousness by boring three holes in a tree and walking three times around it, saying, "Go away, bilious." Eastern Shore of Maryland.

835. The most powerful charm is a piece of printed paper called "the letter of Jesus Christ." This, in addition to the well-known letter of Lentulus to the Senate, contains many absurd superstitions, such as the promise of safe delivery in child-bed, and freedom from bodily hurt to those who may possess a copy of it. Newfoundland.

WATER.

836. Rub the hands with the first snow that falls and you'll not have sore hands all winter. Winn, Me.

837. On Ash Wednesday before sunrise dip a pail of water in a running brook (up stream), bottle it, and keep as a cure for anything. Maine.

838. Catch the last snow of the season (e.g., in April), melt and put into a bottle. It will cure sore eyes. Chestertown, Md.

839. Water made from snow that falls in the month of May will cure sore eyes. Prince Edward Island.

840. Rain-water caught the first of June will cure freckles. It will not putrefy. Massachusetts.

841. An Indian doctor used for inflammation of the eyes rain-water caught on the third, fourth, and fifth of June. It is said that this will not putrefy. New Hampshire.

842. The first water that falls in June is supposed to cure all skin diseases; and I am informed "it is dretful good for the insides, too." Westford, Mass.

843. Water in which a blacksmith has cooled his iron is a cure for freckles. Malden, Mass.

MISCELLANEOUS.

844. It is believed that "piercing the ear" will cure weak eyes or strengthen the eyes. It is often done to children for this purpose. Northern Ohio.

845. To cure hiccoughs repeat in one breath the words,—

There was an old woman who lived all alone, And she was made of skin and bone. One day to church she went to pray, And on the ground a man there lay, And from his head unto his feet The worms crawled in, the worms crawled out. Boston, Mass.

846. A variant,—

There was an old woman who lived all alone, And she was made of skin and bone. One day to church she went to pray, And on the ground there lay a man. And from his head unto his feet The worms crawled in, the worms crawled out. The woman to the parson said: "Shall I be so when I am dead?" The parson he said "yes." Portland, Me., Brookline and Deerfield, Mass.

847. For hiccoughs the nurse used to say in a droning, deep, ghostly tone,—

There was an old man an' an old woman, And they lived in a bottle and eat BONES. Brookline, Mass.

848. Other somewhat general remedies for hiccoughs are to munch a spoonful of sugar, to scare the one troubled with hiccoughs by some startling announcement or accusation, as, "See, you've torn your dress!" or, "How did you break my vase?" etc. Another custom is to steadily point a finger at the hiccougher, or to make him hold up his arm and shake it.

849. To cure hiccoughs, slowly take nine sips of water. Prince Edward Island and Northern Ohio.

850. Another cure for hiccoughs is as follows: Put the thumb up against the lower lip, with the fingers under the chin, and say, "hiccup, hiccup, over my thumb," nine times. Northern Ohio.

851. A cure for hiccoughs: Try for a long time to make the edges of the thumb-nails meet at the end. Chestertown, Md.

852. Think of the one you love best, to cure hiccoughs. Prince Edward Island.

853. For chapped lips kiss the middle rail of a five-railed fence. Bernardston, Mass.

854. To relieve coughing or strangling, put a pair of scissors down inside the back of your dress. Prince Edward Island.

855. Chew brown paper as a cure for nose-bleed. Eastern Massachusetts.

856. For nose-bleed, put a key down the back.

857. For nose-bleed, hold up the right arm.

858. For nose-bleed, place a wad of paper between the upper lip and the gum.

859. You can keep from crying as you peel onions if you keep the mouth closed. Northern Ohio.

860. Hold, by the points, two needles between your teeth, as you peel onions, and you will not cry. Prince Edward Island.

861. Hold a needle between your teeth with the point out, while peeling onions, and you'll not cry, i.e., will not feel the smart.

862. You will not cry in peeling onions if you hold a bit of bread in the mouth. Prince Edward Island, Cambridge, Mass. (Irish).

Or, put the bread on the point of the knife. Maine.

863. You will not cry in peeling onions if you let the faucet be open so the water will run. Cambridge, Mass.

864. To bring up the palate when it drops and tickles the root of the tongue, take a wisp of hair on the crown of the head and tie it up very tight. Chestertown, Md.

865. Rubbing a sty with a gold ring will cure it. Prince Edward Island.

866. Cure a sty by rubbing it with a wedding ring. General.

867. A sty in the eye is cured by rubbing a gold ring on the eye three mornings with a sign of the cross. Labrador.

868. A pebble in the mouth will ease thirst. Brookline, Mass.

869. A sore throat may be cured by binding about the neck on going to bed one of the stockings which the patient has been wearing (no other one will do). Somewhat general in the United States.

870. To cure the sore throat, take three handfuls of ashes with your left hand, put into your left stocking, and bind it around your throat. Mattawamkeag, Me.

871. To burn the "little nerve" in the ear will cure the toothache forever. Northern Ohio.



CHAPTER XIII.

WARTS.

CAUSES.

872. Blood from the warts on a cow's bag coming in contact with a person's hands will cause warts to appear on them. New Hampshire.

873. Blood from a wart, especially if applied to the tongue, will cause warts to appear. New Jersey.

874. To count another person's warts will cause them to appear on you. General in the United States.

875. If one counts stars while lying on his back, he will have as many warts as he has counted stars. New York and Trenton, N.J.

876. To drink the water in which eggs have been boiled will cause internal warts. Miramichi, N.B.

877. Washing the hands in water in which eggs have been boiled causes warts to grow. Cape Breton and Eastern Massachusetts.

878. Warts are caused by touching the white of an egg. Salem, Mass.

879. To touch the jelly-fish will cause warts. Halifax, N.S., and parts of Eastern New England.

880. Touching the excrescences that sometimes appear on trees will cause warts on the hand of the person who touches them. New England.

881. The handling of large species of toadstool, sometimes popularly called "wart-toadstool," will cause warts to grow on the part of the hand coming in contact with it. New Hampshire.

882. The handling of a toad will cause warts to appear. General in the United States.

CURES.

883. To cure a wart, grease it with stolen bacon, and hide the latter.

884. Split a bean and put one half on the wart, one half in the ground, and at the end of the week dig up the latter; place on the wart with the other half; bury again, and this will cure the wart. Greenfield, Mass.

885. Beans rubbed on a wart and thrown in the well will cure a wart. Maine.

886. Rub a white bean on the warts, wrap it in paper, and throw it on the road; whoever picks it up will get the warts. Connecticut.

887. If you find an old bone in the field, rub the wart with it, then lay it down exactly as you found it. The wart will be cured. Maine.

888. If a person has warts, he should rub them with a bone, and after replacing the bone they are said to leave. Alabama.

889. Rub a wart with the yellow milky juice of celandine (Chelidonium majus). Massachusetts.

890. The juice of "wild celandine" (Impatiens fulva) is used as a wart cure. Franconia, N.H.

891. Dandelion juice will cure warts. Revere Beach, Mass.

892. The milky juice of the Euphorbia hypericifolia (and other small prostrate Euphorbias) is thought to be a sure cure for warts. Northern Ohio.

893. The milky juice of the common cypress spurge (Euphorbia Cyparissias) will cure warts.

894. The juice of the common large milk-weeds (Asclepias) will cure warts. Massachusetts.

895. The juice of the "milk-thistles" (Sonchus) will cure warts. Prince Edward Island.

896. The milky juice of the Osage orange is used as a wart-cure. Southern Ohio.

897. The first time a person has seen your wart, if it is rubbed with fresh cream by that person, the wart will surely go away. Bruynswick, N.Y.

898[TN-7] Rub a wart with a stolen dish-cloth, and then hide or bury the latter. As it decays, the wart will disappear. General in the United States.

899. Rub the wart with a stolen dish-cloth, and secrete the dish-cloth until it becomes mouldy and decays, then the wart is cured. Bucks Co., Pa.

900. To cure a wart: Draw a blade across it, and then draw the knife across a sweet apple-tree. Lawrence, Mass.

901. Warts are cured by stealing pork from the family barrel of salted pork, rubbing the warts with it, and throwing it into the road. The person who picks it up gets the warts. Bruynswick, N.Y.

902. Sell your warts for money, throw the money away anywhere, but on your own land. Whoever picks up the money gets also the warts. Springfield, Mass.

903. To cure warts: Cut your finger-nails and put them in the knothole of a tree; then stop up the hole, wishing the warts on to some one else. Connecticut.

904. Make a wart bleed, and put the blood on a penny, throw the latter away, and the finder will get the wart.

905. Cut up an onion, rub the wart with each slice, and bury all the slices. Bucks Co., Pa.

906. Split a pea and rub the wart with both pieces, make a wish that some person shall get the wart, throw one piece over one shoulder and the other over the other (into the river), and the wart will go to the person wished. Miramichi, N.B.

907. If you rub your warts with a pebble, wrap the pebble in paper, and throw it away; the person who picks it up will have them come to him. Or, should you label the paper with some one's name and throw it away, the warts will go to the person whose name you have written. New England.

908. Take a green, mossy pebble, wrap it up, tie it, and throw it away. The finder will catch the wart which you had. Rhode Island.

909. Take as many pebbles as there are warts. Rub them on the warts. Roll them in paper and throw them away. The finder takes the warts. Boxford, Mass.

910. Go out of doors, count three, stop and pick up the stone nearest to your toe. Wrap it up in a paper, and throw it away. The one that picks it up will get the warts. Providence, R.I.

911. Count out secretly as many stones as you have warts, tie in a rag, and throw them where they can't be seen. Massachusetts.

912. If you have warts, walk nine steps backward with your eyes shut, having just picked up a pebble with which rub the wart, and throw it away. Fort Worth, Tex.

913. To cure warts, wash the hands in warm pig's blood. Nova Scotia.

914. Steal as many pins as you have warts, wrap them in paper, and throw them in the road: the warts will attack whoever picks up the paper, and leave you. Bruynswick, N.Y.

915. Run a pin through the wart, and put the pin in the road; the finder gets the wart. Missouri.

916. Rub warts with the head of a pin; hide the latter and do not look for it, or tie a knot in a string, lay it away, and do not look for it, and the warts will disappear. Western New York.

917. Take a potato and rub it over the wart, then wrap the potato in a piece of paper and throw it away. The one who finds it will have the wart. Maine.

918. Rub the wart with a cotton rag, spit on the rag and hide it under a water-board (a wooden gutter used as a duct for rain-water off the roof of a house), where the water will drip on it. The whole operation must be kept secret. Kansas.

919. Rub the wart with rock-salt till it bleeds, and throw a lump of salt in the fire; if it crackles and snaps out of the fire, the wart will get well; if not, not. Central Maine.

920. Binding a slug (Limax) on a wart will cure it. Cazenovia, N.Y.

921. Rub the warts with the sole of your shoe; as the leather wears away, the warts depart. Springfield, Mass.

922. When a person wishes to remove warts from his hand, cut as many notches on a stick as you have warts, and standing on a bridge, throw the stick over your left shoulder, and turn your head; they will go off before you leave the bridge. Alabama.

923. Cut notches in a stick to the number of warts you have, and then bury the stick. Massachusetts.

924. Some pretend to remove warts by "touching with the sharp point of a stick and rubbing them in the notch of another stick; then if the patient tells of it, they will come back.[TN-8] Alabama.

925. Take as many joints of oat or wheat straw as a person has warts, and burn them under a stone. As the joints rot, the warts disappear. This is to be done by another for you. Cape Breton.

926. Rub saliva on the wart, tie a string around the hand so that the knot comes on the wart. Take off the string and hide in a hollow stump. Southern Indiana.

927. Kill a toad, and put its blood on the wart. The warts will go away in three weeks. Marquette, Mich.

928. Warts are cured by tying a knot in a string for every wart, and putting under the eaves of the house. The warts go as the string rots. Ohio.

929. Warts may be cured by applying to them water standing in the hollow of an oaken stump. Boxford, Mass., and Ohio.



CHAPTER XIV.

WEATHER

COLD.

930. As the days begin to lengthen, So the cold begins to strengthen. Northeastern United States and Canada.

931. Fire spitting sparks means cold weather. Patten, Me.

932. If the fire burns well, it is coming cold weather. General in the United States.

933. Fog in winter is always succeeded by cold and wind.

934. Plenty of hawberries foretell a "hard winter," i.e., they are to serve as a store of food for birds. Canada.

935. Cold weather comes after the wind has blown over the oat stubble. Pennsylvania.

DAYS AND TIMES.

936. The first Tuesday after the new moon settles the weather for that quarter. Newfoundland.

937. If it is a fair sunset Friday night, it will rain before Monday. Massachusetts.

938. If it storms on a Friday, it will storm again before the next Monday. Massachusetts and New York.

939. If the sun sets clear Friday night, it will not rain before Monday night; but if it sets in a cloud, it will rain before Monday night. Boston, Mass.

940. The weather of the last Friday in the month governs the next month. Cambridge, Mass.

941. There will be sun during some part of Saturday the year through. Brookline, Mass.

942. If it rains the last Saturday or the first Sunday in a month, it will rain the three following Sundays. Maine.

943. The sun shines some part of every Saturday in the year but one. New England.

944. Saturday's moon comes seven years too soon, and denotes bad weather. Newfoundland.

945. Sunday's sail Will never fail. Topsail Bay, N.F.

946. Weather is apt to repeat itself in the following week, i.e., there will be a run of wet Sundays or fine Tuesdays, etc. Brookline, Mass.

947. The first seven days of January indicate the first seven months of the year. Mild days, mild months, etc. Nova Scotia.

948. If March comes in like a lamb, it goes out like a lion, and vice versa. General in the United States.

949. The corn is planted when the Baltimore orioles appear, or when the first green is noticed on the oak-trees. Milton, Mass.

950. A dry May and a wet June Make the farmer whistle a merry tune. Franklin Centre, R.I.

951. It rains often on July fourth. That is due to the firing of cannon, etc. General in the United States.

952. If there is a wet September, there will be a next summer's drouth; no crops and famine. California.

953. If it rains on Easter, it will rain seven Sundays thereafter. Hennepin, Ill.

954. A green Christmas makes a full churchyard, or A green Christmas makes a fat graveyard. General in the United States.

955. The twelve days at Christmas govern the weather of the months of the coming year. Eastern Massachusetts.

956. The twelve days at Christmas time make the almanac for the year. Massachusetts.

957. It is a general notion that a cold winter is followed by a hot summer, and vice versa.

958. It always rains while the Cadets are in camp. Eastern Massachusetts.

959. It always rains during May meetin's. Boston, Mass.

960. It always rains during a cattle-show. Deerfield, Mass.

961. Women "cruising," i.e., visiting about on "pot-days," especially Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, when people have their best dinner (usually pork and cabbage) in the pot, is a sign of bad weather. But it is also said that it is a sign of mild weather. Newfoundland and Labrador.

FAIR OR FOUL.

962. Of a change:—

Long looked for Long last, Short notice, Soon past. Brookline, Mass.

963. From twelve till two Tells what the day will do. New England.

964. If it rains before seven It will drip before eleven. Eastern Maine.

965. If it rain before seven It will quit before eleven. Prince Edward Island and, Maine, Massachusetts, and Northern Ohio.

966. If a storm clears off in the night, pleasant weather will last but a few hours. Northern Ohio.

967. In uncertain or threatening weather it is said that if you can see a piece of blue sky big enough to make a pair of breeches, it will clear off. Maine, Massachusetts, and Northern Ohio.

968. Variant: If you can see enough blue sky in the west to make an old woman's apron, it will clear off. Eastern Maine.

969. Clocks and watches tick louder before mild weather. Scilly Cove, N.F.

970. Cobwebs on the grass are a sign of fair weather. General in the United States.

971. If every dish is cleaned at a given meal, then look for fair weather the following day. Pennsylvania Germans.

972. Fog lying in valleys is a sign of a "civil" day. Bay Roberts, N.F.

973. If hoar frost remains after sunrise, the day will be fine; if not, the day will be wet. Scilly Cove, N.F.

974. A load of hay passing means fair weather. Massachusetts.

975. Rainbow in the morning, Sailors take warning; Rainbow at night, Sailor's delight. General in Canada and the United States.

976. A rainbow is a sign of showers. Prince Edward Island.

977. Rain falling while the sun is shining indicates more showers. Prince Edward Island and Northern Ohio.

978. Rain falling while the sun shines is a sign it will rain next day. Methuen, Mass.

979. Rain falling while the sun is shining means that the devil is beating his wife with a codfish. General in the United States.

980. Thunder in the morning, All the day storming; Thunder at night Is the sailor's delight.

981. Red at night Sailor's delight; Red in the morning, Sailors take warning. Maine and Eastern Massachusetts.

982. Evening red and morning gray Will speed the traveler on his way. Evening gray and morning red Will bring the rain upon his head. Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio.

983. Evening red and morning gray, You'll surely have a pleasant day. New York.

984. Red sun, hot day to-morrow.

985. High wind at dawn is a sign of a "civil" (calm) day. Newfoundland.

986. Sun's "hounds" (a sort of halo) before the sun denote dirty weather; after the sun, denote fine weather. Scilly Cove, N.F.

In Prince Edward Island and the United States these halos are called "sun-dogs," and are said to be a sign of coming rain.

987. Much snow during the winter denotes good crops next year. New Harbor, N.F.

988. If the stars are scarce, big, and dull, it portends mild weather in winter. If large and bright, it portends frost in winter. Newfoundland.

989. Stars twinkling are a sign of bad weather. Labrador and New Harbor, N.F.

MOON.

990. When the moon is on the back, it denotes weather wet or mild; when on the end, it denotes frost. Newfoundland.

991. Should the new moon lie on its back, it is a sign it will be dry that month, for the moon would hold water. The Indian says the hunter can hang his powder-horn upon it. But should the new moon stand vertically, it will be a wet month, for the moon will not hold water, and the powder-horn will slip off. Very many, however, reverse these signs. New England, New York, and Ohio.

992. The Indians told the first settlers that if the moon lay well on her back, so that a powder-horn could be hung on the end, the weather during that moon will be dry. Nova Scotia.

993. The moon changing in the west denotes that fine weather will prevail during that moon. Bay Roberts, N.F.

994. If the moon changes near midnight there will be fine weather. The nearer to midnight, the finer the weather. Conception Bay, N.F.

995. A disk or ring around the moon indicates bad weather (rain or snow). Newfoundland.

996. A circle round the moon means rain. In some localities the number of stars inside the circle denotes the number of days until it will rain. Prince Edward Island; general in the United States.

997. Where there is a ring around the moon, whichever way the ring opens; the wind will blow in. If it does not open there will be fine weather. The bigger the ring the nearer the bad weather. Trinity Bay, N.F.

998. If the new moon is of light color, there will be a frost; if it is red, it will be mild for a month. Bay Roberts, N.F.

999. The weather of the new moon governs the month's weather. Newfoundland.

1000. The weather of the new moon governs the first quarter and after that remains the same; therefore it governs the first half. Conception Bay, N.F.

1001. The moon being red near midnight, with blunted corners or horns, portends mild weather that month. If the corners are white and sharp, there will be frosty weather. Conception Bay, N.F.

1002. If there is a star before the moon, the weather will be calm; if the star is behind the moon, the weather will be stormy. New Harbor, N.F.

RAIN.

1003. A load of barrels foretells wet weather. Eastern Massachusetts.

1004. When the Brothers (Catholic theological students) turn out in a procession it will rain soon. Baltimore, Md.

1005. When a great many women are seen on the street, it will rain next day. Bedford, Mass.

1006. When you blow out the candle, if the fire on the wick burns bright, it means a fair day on the morrow; if it dies down on being blown out, it indicates a rainy day. Plymouth, O.

1007. When long cirrus clouds or "cow's tails" are seen, it means rain. Lewisburg, Pa.

1008. Cobwebs on the grass for three mornings running are a sign of wet.

1009. If there is no dew on the grass at night, it will rain the next day. General in the United States.

1010. Conjurers can stop rain by throwing up clods of dirt. Alabama.

1011. Fog on the hill Brings water to the mill. Fog on the moor Brings the sun to the door. New York.

1012. A fog from the hills Brings water to the mills. A fog from the sea Drives all the rain away. Prince Edward Island.

1013. Fog on the hill Brings water to the mill. Fog in the vale, Catch all the water in a pail. Massachusetts.

1014. Three foggy mornings and then a rain. Massachusetts.

1015. It will rain within twenty-four hours of a hoar frost. Deerfield, Mass.

1016. When the glass sweats, it is the sign of rainy weather. Alabama.

1017. If the ground is black, it means rain. Peabody, Mass.

1018. To wear your husband's hat is a sign of rain. Massachusetts.

1019. Talking of horses is a sign of rain. Labrador.

1020. Mackerel sky Five miles high Lets the earth Go three days dry. Miller's River, Mass.

1021. Mackerel sky, Rain by and by. Massachusetts.

1022. A mackerel sky is a sign of a storm. Prince Edward Island.

1023. Mackerel sky, Rain is nigh.

or

Mackerel sky, Rain to-morrow. Brookline, Mass.

1024. Mackerel sky Three days high Never leaves the earth Three days dry. Massachusetts.

1025. Mackerel's back and the mare's tails Make lofty ships carry low sails. Newburyport, Mass.

1026. Mackerel sky, horse's tail, Make the sailor draw his sail. Brookline, Mass.

1027. Mackerel sky, Wind blow high. Canada.

1028. Mackerel sky, Twenty-four hours dry. Salem, Mass.

1029. Open and shet, Sign of wet. Maine and Massachusetts.

1030. Open and shet, Sign of more wet. Massachusetts.

1031. Open and shet, Kind o' wet. Massachusetts.

1032. If raindrops linger on the pane, There will be further rain.

1033. Raindrops falling on a river, etc., and raising large bubbles, mean a heavy fall of rain and a flood.

1034. If you can see the reflection of the building, etc., in puddles in the street, it will rain inside of twelve hours. Salem, Mass.

1035. When the rain dries up quickly from puddles, it will rain again soon. Mattawamkeag, Me.

1036. The rope becoming slack denotes that rain is coming. Placentia Bay, N.F.

1037. Sparks on the bottom of the tea-kettle mean rain. Patten, Me.

1038. The sun drawing water means rain. General in the United States.

1039. When the sun sets in a bank of clouds, there will soon be rain. Alabama.

1040. It is believed that a rain may be stopped by putting one umbrella or more out in the rain. The longer left the better. New Orleans, La. (negro).

1041. Water boiling over out of a kettle is a sign of rain. Labrador.

1042. Water boiling away quickly from the kettle is a sign of rain. Newfoundland; general in the United States.

1043. The same, however, is also said to be a sign of mild weather. Bay Roberts, N.F.

1044. To eat or sing in the water-closet betokens rain the next day. Eastern Massachusetts.

1045. Water low in wells is a sign of rain. Placentia Bay, N.F.

1046. Whistle to bring rain. Newfoundland.

1047. When you hear a distant locomotive whistle, it is a sign of rain. Alabama.

1048. Comes the rain before the wind, Then your topsail you must mind. Comes the wind before the rain, Haul your topsails up again. Cape Cod, Mass.

1049. In northerly squalls:—

If the rain comes before the wind, 'T is time your topsail to take in; If the wind before the rain, You may hoist your topsail up again. Labrador.

WIND AND STORM.

1050. A broom falling across the doorway, or chairs set crosswise, is the sign of a storm. Stratham, N.H.

1051. If a cloud and wind are coming, the wind will last. Trinity Bay, N.F.

1052. If a cloud looks as if it had been picked by a hen, Get ready to reef your topsails then. Mansfield, O.

1053. Clothes hanging about the rigging will bring wind. Newfoundland.

1054. Blue blazes in a coal fire mean a storm. Eastern Massachusetts.

1055. When wood on the fire makes a peculiar hissing noise, it is said "to tread snow," and there will soon be a storm. Salem, Mass.

1056. If the stove-lids get red-hot when the fire is first made, it is a sure sign of a storm of some kind. Cambridge, Mass.

1057. If the vessel is becalmed, throw a halfpenny overboard to buy wind. Harbor Grace, N.F.

1058. If the halyard lies against the mast, the wind will increase. Newfoundland

1059. Sticking a knife in the mainmast produces wind. Conception Bay, N.F.

1060. Table-knives turning blue denote that a northeast wind is coming. Placentia Bay, N.F.

1061. Strange lights at sea are seen before a northeast gale. Newfoundland

1062. To see Northern Lights denotes that south wind and a storm will come inside of forty-eight hours. Massachusetts.

1063. If the fall "line storm" clears off warm, it signifies that storms through that fall and winter will clear away with mild weather, i.e., the way in which the storm closes at the autumnal equinox will rule the weather following storms until the vernal equinox storm. Then the same saying applies to the "line-storm" of March, and the spring and summer after storms is foretold.

The contrary would happen if cool weather followed the line storm. Weathersfield, Vt.

1064. In the fall, if the sky is red in the west at sunset, a gale is coming from the northeast. Newfoundland.

1065. If a sky turn gray, the wind will be north. Newfoundland.

1066. First rise after low Foretells stronger blow.

1067. Sailors putting the end of the sheet overboard will bring wind. Hitting it three times across the thwart stops the wind. Topsail Bay, N.F.

1068. The day of the month of the first snowstorm indicates the number of storms in the year. Eastern Massachusetts.

1069. If the stars are remarkably clear and bright, it is likely there will be a storm the next day.

1070. Stars in a circle around the moon foretell a storm in the same number of days as there are stars. Maine, Massachusetts, and New York.

1071. Stars shooting about portend wind. Heart's Delight, N.F.

1072. A shooting star shows that wind is coming from the direction toward which it goes. Conception Bay, New Harbor, N.F.

1073. If stars are in thick patches before twelve at night, it is a sign that wind will come next day from that quarter. Hearts Delight, Trinity Bay, N.F.

1074. For the sun to rise and go into a cloud means a storm. Massachusetts.

1075. If the sun sets in a bank, the wind will be in the "western bank." Bay Roberts, N.F.

1076. If the bottom of the tea-kettle is white when taken from the stove, it indicates a snowstorm. Peabody, Mass.

1077. The sun "getting up water" denotes wind and dirty weather. Scilly Cove, N.F.

1078. Whistle for a breeze. Universal among sailors.

1079. Whistling of wind in blocks aloft is a sign of a heavy storm. Conception Bay, N.F.



CHAPTER XV.

MOON.

DIVINATION.

1080. Repeat, looking at the new moon the first time you see it,—

New moon, true moon, tell unto, me Who my true love is to be; The color of his hair, the clothes he is to wear, And when he'll be married to me. Mansfield, O.

1081. On first seeing the new moon, hold any small object in the hand while you repeat,—

New moon, true moon, reveal to me Who my true love shall be; The color of his hair, the clothes he shall wear, And the day that we shall wedded be.

Put the object—handkerchief, pebble, or what not—under your pillow at night, and you will dream of your future husband. Prince Edward Island.

1082. New moon, moon, Hail unto thee! In my sleep upon my bed, May the one I am to wed In my dreams smile on me. Middleboro', Mass.

1083. If you see the new moon over the right shoulder, take three steps backward and repeat,—

New moon, true moon, true and bright, If I have a lover let me dream of him to-night. If I'm to marry far, let me hear a bird cry; If I'm to marry near, let me hear a cow low; If I'm never to marry, let me hear a hammer knock.

One of these sounds is always heard. Tennessee.

1084. Say to the new moon over your right shoulder,—

New moon, new moon.[TN-9] come play your part, And tell me who's my own sweetheart; The color of his hair, the clothes he shall wear, And on what day he shall appear.

Then dream. Massachusetts.

1085. The first time you see the moon in the New Year, look at it and say,—

Whose table shall I spread? For whom make the bed? Whose name shall I carry? And whom shall I marry?

Then think of one you would like to marry, and go your way. Ask some question of the first person you meet, and if the answer is affirmative, it indicates that you will marry your choice; if negative, it means you will not. Told by a Norwegian girl in Eastern Massachusetts.

1086. Rest a mirror on the head and look at the new moon in it; as many moons as you see mean the number of months before marriage.

1087. When it is new moon, take out a stocking, and as you knit repeat,—

This knot I knit To know the thing I know not yet, This night that I may see Who my husband is to be, How he goes and what he wears, And what he does all days and years. Nashua, N.H.

1088. Look over the right shoulder at the new moon, and count nine stars, pick up whatever is under your right foot, such as a stick, pebble, or what not; put it under your pillow, and you will dream of whoever is to be your husband. Deer Isle, Me.

1089. When you see the moon, say,—

I see the moon and the moon sees me, And the moon sees somebody that I want to see. Massachusetts.

1090. New moon, true moon, true and trusty, Tell me who my true love must be. Pennsylvania.

1091. Wish the first time you see the moon, and your wish will come true. General in the United States and Canada.

1092. Bow to the new moon seven times the first time you see it, and you'll get a present, or wish and you will get your wish. New England.

1093. If you shake your dress at the new moon, you will get a new one. Alabama.

FORTUNE.

1094. The moon seen over the right shoulder brings good luck; over the left shoulder, ill luck. General in the United States.

1095. If you should see the moon over your left shoulder, and should without speaking turn round and look at it over your right shoulder, your ill luck will disappear, and you will be as well off as if you had seen it over your right shoulder first. Maine and Massachusetts.

1096. It is bad luck to look at the moon over your right shoulder. If through mistake you should look at it over your right, face around, take three steps backward with your hands clasped behind, and then look at it over the left shoulder. Alabama.

1097. If you see the moon square in the face, you'll have a fall. Nashua, N.H.

1098. See the moon over the left shoulder, You will have a fall (tumble). Bedford, Mass.

1199.[TN-10] If you have money in the pocket when you first see the new moon, turn it over, and you'll have plenty all the rest of the month. Stratham, N.H.

1100. If you have money in your pocket the first time you see the new moon, and it is seen over your right shoulder, you will have money all the year. Nashua, N.H., and Massachusetts.

1101. Take out money and shake it in the hand on first seeing the new moon; it will increase your wealth. Miramichi, N.B.

1102. Look at the new moon through a ring, wish something while doing so, and your wish will come true. Alabama.

1103. If you first see the new moon with full hands, that is, with busy hands, you will be busy, full of work, all the month; if idle, the reverse.

1104. See the new moon through a glass, See sorrow while it lasts. Deer Isle, Me., and Salem, Mass.

1105. If you see the new moon through trees or brush, you will have trouble that month. General in the United States.

1106. If you see the new moon full in front, you will meet your lover within the week.

1107. If you see the new moon face on, you will go headlong through the month. Salem, Mass.

1108. Moon full face, Open disgrace. Portland, Me.

1109. One who chances to have a cup in his hand when he first sees the new moon is destined to wait on the sick until another new moon appears. Alabama.

MOONLIGHT.

1110. Some say you can see the man's axe and dog in the moon. New Brunswick.

1111. If the moon shines in your face as you lie in the bed at night, you'll die inside of a year. Central Maine.

1112. It is a general belief that it is dangerous to sleep with the moon shining on the face. If the moon shines on fish, they will spoil.

1113. Horses will be cured of any one of several diseases if you will insert a bit of silver—a dime is the favorite coin—in the part affected; but it is imperative that you do this by the "light of the moon." Clover Bend, Ark.

WAX AND WANE.

1114. Set out cabbages in the new of the moon to make them head up well, and gather apples in the new of the moon to make them keep well. Plant potatoes in the old of the moon. Mitchell Co., N.C.

1115. Plant flowers in the increase of the moon. Pennsylvania.

1116. Be careful as to the phase of the moon when felling timber. General in the United States.

1117. If brush and thistles are cut down in the full moon in August when the sign is in the heart, they will never grow again. Copied from an agricultural paper.

1118. Grass cut when the moon is waning will not "spend well." New England.

1119. If cut when it is waxing, the hay weighs and spends well. New England.

1120. Plant peas and potatoes in the increase of the moon. Miramichi, N.B.

1121. Seeds should be sown when the moon is new. This custom is still more or less observed. Corn should be planted at this time. Boston, Mass.

1122. Plant seed the first three days after the moon changes. Alabama.

1123. Plant potatoes "in the dark of the moon," so the potatoes will root and yield well. Mansfield, O.

1124. The full moon is the time to cut alders, spruce, or other undergrowth, because the roots then die quickly without sprouting. Nova Scotia.

1125. Shingle the roof in the decrease of the moon, so the shingles will lie flat ("go down"). Else they may warp and rise up. Mansfield, O.

1126. If a farmer lays a rail fence by the light of the moon, it will be stronger and last longer than if it was laid in the daytime. Western New York and parts of Massachusetts.

1127. Kill any animal for meat on the increase of the moon, and it will increase in the pot. Kill it on the wane of the moon, and it will shrink in the pot. General in the United States.

1128. If hogs are butchered on a rising tide, the pork will not shrink in the pan. Massachusetts.

1129. You must never kill cattle or pigs, or even wild game, by the "dark of the moon;" it is most unlucky, and the meat will come to no good. Clover Bend, Ark.

1130. If you wean a calf at the time of the full moon, it will make less fuss. You mustn't wean it when the sign is in the belly, or it will never grow fat. Pursue the same course with a pig, or it will squeal. Western Massachusetts.

1131. To make hair grow, cut it in the new of the moon. N.F., N.B., N.S., Me., Mass., and Talladega, Ala.

1132. Cut hair the first Friday in the new moon, if you wish it to grow. General in the United States.

1133. It is the custom for girls to cut their bangs on the forehead when the moon is new. It is supposed to make them grow. This custom is observed by many intelligent young people. Boston, Mass.

1134. Cut hair in the new moon, bury it in earth near a running brook, and it will make the new hair grow long and abundant. Maine.

1135. Clean the spring or well during the increase of the moon, so the water will run in and fill the spring after it is emptied. Mansfield, O.

1136. Make soap in the new of the moon. Talladega, Ala.

1137. Make soap in the full of the moon. Prince Edward Island.

1138. Do not marry or move during the wane (decrease) of the moon. Mansfield, O.

1139. To take away warts, steal a dish-rag out of the house, without anybody's knowledge, and go out of doors in the first of the moon, rub the dish-rag on the wart, and say: "Here, new moon! take away my new wart." Then throw the dish-rag away where no one can find it, and tell nobody. Talladega, Ala.

1140. To cure warts, go out of doors when the moon is new, take up a handful of mud, looking at the moon all the time, and rub on the wart. Holderness, N.H.



CHAPTER XVI.

SUN.

DOMESTIC AND MECHANICAL OPERATIONS.

1141. To make good bread, stir it with the sun. To make good yeast, make it as near sunrise as possible. Northern Ohio.

1142. If you wish to secure lightness, you must always stir cake and eggs a certain way, that is, the way the sun goes. Kittery, Me., Nashua, N.H., Eastern Massachusetts, and Southern Michigan.

1143. Eggs and cake are commonly beaten and butter made by stirring sunwise. Newfoundland.

1144. To make cake light, it must always be stirred the same way. Dalton, Mass., and Alabama.

1145. In cooking soft custard, the stirring must be continued throughout in the direction in which it was begun; otherwise the custard will turn to whey. Eastern Massachusetts.

1146. If, after turning the crank of a churn for a while with the sun, you change and turn the other way, it will undo all the churning you have done. Ferrisburgh, Vt.

1147. Ice cream will not freeze rightly unless the crank is turned the right way. Concord, Mass.

1148. In making lye soap, if you stir it backward it will turn back to lye. Warren Co., N.Y., and Alabama.

1149. In melting sugar for taffy, stir always one way, or it will grain. Allston, Mass.

1150. In greasing the wheels of a carriage, always begin at a certain wheel and go round in a set way. Peabody, Mass.

CURES.

1151. In rubbing for rheumatism, etc., rub from left to right (sunwise). Concord, Mass.

1152. Ringworm may be killed by moistening the finger in the mouth and rubbing sunwise around the diseased spot. Central Maine.

1153. To rub for "sweeney." Rub the diseased part of the horse's shoulder with a corn-cob with the sun every third morning. Northern Ohio.

1154. Rub a corn, a wen, etc., with the sun if by day, with the moon if by night. The sun or moon will draw all the pain away. Related by a Pennsylvania German. Northern Ohio.

1155. To cure a curb in a horse, rub it with a bone, at the going down of the sun. Plymouth, O.

1156. A "conjurer" can rub away a "rising" (boil) by coming to your bedside about daybreak, before you speak to any one, and rubbing the "rising" for nine successive days. Talladega, Ala.

1157. To cure a burn, moisten it with saliva, repeating:—

As far as the east is from the west, Come out fire and go in frost. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Come out fire and go in frost.

Blow three times, and rub sunwise three times. To be taught to not more than three persons of the opposite sex. Eastern Tennessee.



CHAPTER XVII.

DEATH OMENS.

1158. To raise an umbrella in a house is a sign of an approaching death. Pennsylvania; somewhat general in the United States.

1159. To open an umbrella in the house is a sign of ill luck. An action of this sort seriously disturbed a friend of the informant, an American girl of good family. "I would never dare to do that," she said. Niagara Falls, Ont.

1160. If a hoe be carried through a house, some one will die before the year is out. Mansfield, O.

1161. Carrying through the house a hoe, spade, or axe indicates a death in the family. Virginia.

1162. Carry an axe or any iron implement through the house, and some one will soon die. Southwestern Michigan.

1163. Death is foretold by the ringing of a bell that cannot otherwise be accounted for. Southern Ohio.

1164. When bread, in baking, cracks across the top, it means death. New Jersey and Ohio.

1165. Cracks on the top of a loaf of bread indicate the death of a friend. Several localities.

1166. When bright red specks resembling spattered blood appear on linen, it is held to be a token of misfortune, probably of death. Northern Ohio.

1167. If the candle burns blue, it is token of a death.

1168. To see a coffin in the candle is a token of death. Boston, Mass.

1169. To see a "winding-sheet" in the candle has the same significance. Virginia.

1170. Three lamps or candles burned close together mean death. Virginia.

1171. If a sudden and unaccountable light is seen in a carpenter's shop, it indicates that the carpenter will soon have to make a coffin. Cape Breton.

1172. If a coffin creaks in a carpenter's shop, another order soon follows. Newark, N.J., and Virginia.

1173. If the coffin does not settle down smoothly into place in the grave, but has to be raised and lowered again, another in the family will die inside a year. Stevens Point, Wis.

1174. Change a sick person from one room to another, and he will die. New Jersey.

1175. If a clock, long motionless, suddenly begins to tick or strike, it is a sign of approaching death or misfortune. Newark, N.J., Virginia, and North Carolina.

1176. If a corpse remains soft and supple after death, another death in the family will follow. Trinity Bay, N.F., and Prince Edward Island.

1177. A cow mooing after midnight means death.

1178. To dance on the ground indicates disaster, or death within a year. Boxford, Mass.

1179. The hearing, in the wall, of the "death-watch," or "death-tick," betokens a death in the house. General in the United States.

1180. A dish-cloth hung on a door-knob is a sign of death in a family. Deerfield, Mass.

1181. To knock on a door and receive no answer is a sign of death. Virginia and Englewood, Ill.

1182. The last name a dying person calls is that of the next to follow. New Hampshire.

1183. Sometimes the dying call for an absent one, as if in trouble. This is a sign that that person will have some great trouble in after life. New York.

1184. Death takes place at ebb tide. New England Coast.

1185. The person on whom the eyes of a dying person last rest will be the first to die. Boston, Mass.

1186. It is a sign of death to see a flower blossoming out of season, as, for example, a rose in the fall. This has proved a true omen in several cases, according to the experience of a lady who believes in these signs. In consequence of this belief, when she has such a a flower, she will pick it off the stem and throw it away, without mentioning the incident to any one. Niagara Falls, Ont.

1187. It is a sign of death to see a tree blossoming in the fall. Orange Co., Va.

1188. If a garment is cut out on Friday, the person for whom it is made will not live unless it is finished on the same day. Southern Indiana.

1189. If you begin a quilt on Friday, you will never live to finish it. Maine.

An act of this sort gave great distress to a domestic servant, who, until after the completion of the quilt, daily expected disaster. This woman came from French Canada.

1190. If a doctor is called on Friday, the patient will surely die. Cambridge, Mass.

1191. If a hearse is drawn by two white horses, death in the neighborhood will occur within a month. Central Maine.

1192. If anyone comes to a funeral after the procession starts, another death will occur in the same house. Ohio.

1193. At a funeral the first person who turns away from the grave will have the next death in his family. Trinity Bay, N.F.

1194. If one goes to a funeral with the intention of following to the grave but does not do so, a death soon follows in his family. Virginia.

1195. If it rains during a burial, another member of the family will soon follow. Poland, Me., Baldwinsville, N.Y., Ohio, and Alabama.

1196. If rain falls into an open grave, another burial in the same cemetery will occur within three days. Western New York.

1197. If you meet a funeral train, it is a sign of death. Prince Edward Island.

1198. Do not let any one wear your hat to a funeral when you've not worn it before yourself. Massachusetts.

1199. Whoever counts the carriages at a passing funeral will die within the year. Peabody, Mass., and Hennepin, Ill.

Or, some one will die.

1200. If shot remain in the gun after firing, some one of your family will die. Labrador.

1201. If you build on to your house, you will die within the year. Labrador.

1202. Lie down on a table and you will die before the year is out. Mattawamkeag, Me.

1203. To hold a lamp over a sleeping person causes death. Massachusetts.

1204. To break a looking-glass is a sign of death in the family before the year closes. General in the United States.

1205. To break a looking-glass is a sign of death, or of bad luck or[TN-11] seven years. This is quite a general belief. Domestic servants, and particularly superstitious persons, are often thrown into a panic by accidents of this sort. General in the United States and Canada.

1206. If three persons look into a mirror at the same time, one will die within the year. Peabody, Mass., and New Hampshire.

1207. If one try on mourning when not wearing it, he will have occasion to wear it soon. Pennsylvania.

1208. To put on a bonnet or hat of one in mourning is a sign that you will wear one before the year is out. Peabody and Boston, Mass., and Niagara Falls, Ont.

1209. To drive a nail on Sunday is a sign that some one in the family will die within the year. Pigeon Cove, Mass.

1210. Hearing an imaginary rap and opening an outside door lets death in. Ferrisburgh, Vt.

1211. The hearing of three raps is a sign that some member of the family is dead. Boston, Mass., and Orange Co., Va.

1212. If members of a family, after long separation, meet for reunion, some one of the members will die within the year. Cambridge, Mass.

1213. Ringing in the ears is a sign of death. General.

1214. Ringing in the ears means death before the week ends. Of this ringing the term "death-bell" is used. It may be said by a country woman: "Oh! I have heard a death-bell!" or, "What a death-bell in my ear! You will hear of a death before the week is out." In case of a sudden death, such a person might say: "I am not surprised; I heard a death-bell on such a day." Northern Ohio.

1215. The term "death-bell" is also a popular one in Prince Edward Island.

1216. In some localities the direction of the apparent ringing indicates the direction from which the news of death will come.

1217. If an empty rocking-chair is seen to sway back and forth when apparently unoccupied, it is supposed that the chair is held by the spirit of some deceased member of the family, who has come back to choose the next to go, and call that person quickly. Michigan.

1218. A spot resembling iron-rust on the finger means death. Maine.

1219. Beginning on Saturday a garment that cannot be finished means death. Ohio.

1220. Deaths do not come singly; but if one of a family dies, a second death in the same family will occur within a year. Cambridge, Mass.

1221. Whoever works on a sick person's dress, he or she will die within the year. Massachusetts.

1222. If some one is sick and a storm comes, it is a sign he will die during its continuance. Virginia.

1223. When a woman who has been sewing puts her thimble on the table as she sits down to eat, it is a sign that she will be left a widow if she marries. Central Maine.

1224. If one sings at a table while the family are eating, it means the death of a friend. Webster City, Iowa.

Or bad luck (Virginia); disappointment (New Jersey).

1225. If three drops of blood fall from your nose, one of your family is dead. Labrador.

1226. If you sneeze on Sunday morning before breakfast, you will hear of the death of some person you know before the next Saturday night. Northern Vermont.

1227. If you sneeze at table with the mouth full, an acquaintance will die soon. Virginia and Alabama.

1228. When sowing grain, if a strip of land is missed there will be a death inside of a year. Ohio and Maryland.

1229. When you shiver, it means that some one is walking over the place where your grave is to be. General in the United States.

1230. If sparks are left (unintentionally) in the ashes over night, it is a sign of death. Cumberland, Md.

1231. If sparks of fire fly out of an opened stove door, it is a sign of death. Trinity Bay, N.F.

1232. If any one in the town lies dead over Sunday, there will be another death before the end of the week. Bedford, Mass.

1233. Three horses of the same color indicate death, but this sign is not very noticeable in a thickly settled community. Baldwinsville, N.Y.

1234. Three chairs placed accidentally in a row mean death. Ohio.

1235. If there is a death there will be three deaths in the family within a short time. New York.

1236. To break the spell of thirteen at table, all should rise together, otherwise the first up (or, as some say, the last down) dies inside a twelvemonth. New England.

1237. If thirteen sit at table, the one who rises first will not live through the year. Somerville, Mass., Newark, N.Y., and Mifflintown, Pa.

1238. If thirteen sit at table, the last one who sits down will not die that year. Brookline, Mass.

1239. If window-shades fall down without being molested, it is a sign of death. Cape Breton.



CHAPTER XVIII.

MORTUARY CUSTOMS.

1240. If "salt water pigeons'" feathers are in a bed, the sick person on it will not die easily. Newfoundland.

1241. In old colonial burying-grounds—in Plymouth, Concord, Cambridge, and Rutland, Mass.—the graves are so placed that the headstones face west, that is, the body lies with the feet toward the east. Perhaps general in New England.

1242. Among Irish Catholics it is usual to place the body with the feet toward the door. The body of a young girl is usually draped in the robes of the society to which in her church she belonged. Over the corpse is constructed a white canopy, from one end of which images of white doves are often hung. At the feet is a stand or table, on which flowers are laid, and where, at night, candles are kept burning. Boston, Mass.

1243. Country people turn the mirror to face the wall while one lies dead in the house. Northern Ohio.

1244. While the corpse is in the house, the looking-glass must be turned toward the wall; otherwise, whoever looks into the mirror will die within the year. This custom is said to be most common among Irish Catholics, but it is not confined to them. Baldwinsville, N.Y.

1245. Bad luck (instead of death) is also said to follow violation of this rule. Washington, D.C.

1246. If, when any one dies, you put the coffin in any other room than the one the corpse is in, some other member of the family will die within a year. Western Massachusetts.

1247. "I have noticed at funerals of the aged, that when elderly people passed by the casket they would touch the forehead of the dead person. I was confident that there was some superstition connected with the act, because the same look was apparent on every face; but on being asked why this was done, they pretended it was bidding an old comrade good-bye. At last one told me that it was that they might not dream of the dead or see them." Westport, Mass.

1248. It is usual, after the conclusion of the funeral service, for the persons present at the ceremony to pass in front of the dead, and look on the face. Not to perform this token of respect is felt as a lack of propriety. It is not uncommon for the undertaker, or some person in charge of the proceedings, to say in a loud voice: "An opportunity is now offered to those who desire to look on the face of the corpse," or words to that effect. General in the United States.

1249. Only male relatives take part in the funeral procession. Philadelphia, Pa.

1250. In regard to the ceremonies at the grave, usage differs widely. In New England it is usual for near relatives to attend; and, in the case of important persons, for a procession to march to the cemetery. Among Catholics a great number of friends attend the hearse of persons in humble life.

1251. It is an old Connecticut custom that the yard gate should never be shut after being opened to let through a body being carried from its former home to the graveyard.

1252. The funeral procession must not cross a river. Baldwinsville, N.Y.

1253. "I was first led to notice the superstition about crossing a river, from having to attend funerals on the south side, when they would otherwise have been held on the north side. This is losing ground, owing to the frequency of crossing to reach the cemetery, but I had an instance only last spring." Baldwinsville, N.Y.

1254. The corpse must not pass twice over any part of the same road. Baldwinsville, N.Y.

1255. It is unlucky in a funeral, for those present to repass the house where death has occurred. Baldwinsville, N.Y.

1256. At a funeral, entering church before the mourners means death to some of the entering party. Boston, Mass.

1257. It is a bad sign to drive past a funeral procession. Maine.

1258. It is unlucky to pass through a funeral procession, either between the carriages or the files of mourners on foot.

This is a general superstition. The custom, which has become instinctive with many persons, is usually set down to the score of decency and propriety. General in the United States.

1259. To meet a funeral is bad luck. To avert it, turn round and take three steps backward before going on. St. John, N.B.

1260. It is bad luck to meet a corpse. One may follow it, but never meet it. A colored person will turn square about on seeing a funeral procession approaching. Talladega, Ala., and Virginia.

1261. To keep the corpse in the house over Sunday will bring death in the family before the year is out. South Framingham, Mass.

1262. If the grave is left open over Sunday, another death will occur before the Sunday following. Boxford, Mass.

1263. If a grave is covered on Friday, another in the same family will follow inside of a year. Chatham, N.B.

1264. If a grave is left open over night without the corpse, another death in the family will soon follow. Virginia.

1265. It is bad to disturb an old grave, as by putting up a tombstone; you will thus herald a death. Chestertown, Md.

1266. Many will not go through a graveyard on the way to call on friends, for fear of bringing death into the house. Massachusetts.

1267. The clothes of the dead wear out quickly. Westport, Mass.

1268. "The clothes of the dead never wear long" when used by the living. New York.

1269. If you put clothes of a live person on a corpse, when the clothes decay the owner will die. St. Joseph, Mo.

1270. It is quite customary, both in the United States and in Canada, to give the whole house a thorough cleaning after a death has occurred, even when the deceased has undergone no prolonged illness and has died of no contagious disease. A day or two after the funeral one sometimes sees, particularly in country homes, feather beds, mattresses, etc., etc., put out to air. Sometimes even rooms are whitewashed in the purification process.



CHAPTER XIX.

MISCELLANEOUS.

ACTIONS.

1271. If a child in eating an apple merely girdles it and leaves the apple good at stem and below, it indicates that he will be a poor man; the saying is, "a poor man's core."

1272. It is unlucky to turn back after starting to go anywhere. To avert misfortune after turning back, make the sign of the cross in the dust with the heel, and spit in the cross. Arkansas (negro), and Kentucky.

1273. It is unlucky to turn back after having once started out. Quebec.

1274. To get out of bed on the wrong side puts one out all day. "He got out of bed with the wrong foot foremost" is said of a person who has a fit of crossness. Northern Ohio.

1275. To drop your books on the way to school signifies that you will make mistakes in your lessons. Chestertown, Md.

1276. Drop a book and you will miss your lesson, unless it is immediately picked up and kissed. Alabama.

1277. Whoever eats the last piece of bread will be an old maid. Pennsylvania.

1278. If you break something, you will break two other things. Maine, Massachusetts, and Northern Ohio.

1279. To twirl a chair on one leg means that you are going to fight with somebody. Peabody, Mass.

1280. Whirling an empty chair indicates that a whipping is in store for the transgressor.

1281. If you twirl a chair around on one leg, it is a sign that you are about to break dishes. Chestertown, Md.

1282. You mustn't pay the doctor entirely, or there will be sickness in the family. Lonsdale, R.I.

1283. You must leave by the door through which you enter, or there will be trouble with the family, or ill luck to yourself. Pennsylvania.

1284. If you leave by any other door than the one through which you have entered, it is said that you will not come again. Cumberland, Me.

1285. In bathing, the eyes should always be rubbed towards the nose, as that makes them large, and rubbing out the opposite way makes them small. Cambridge, Mass.

1286. In climbing a fence,—

Get over, meet with clover, Get through, meet with a shoe; Get under, meet with a blunder. Sunderland, Mass.

1287. If you step on a grave, you will never grow any more. Chestertown, Md. (negro).

1288. Step over a living thing, and that thing, whether a human being or not, will not grow any more. Province of Quebec, Can.

1289. To step over one leg of a child will cause it to grow longer than the other. Baltimore, Md.

1290. To comb the hair after dark is a sign of sickness.

Comb your hair after dark, Comb sorrow to your heart. Connecticut.

1291. If you comb your hair after dark, it will make you forgetful. Northern Ohio.

1292. If the right hand itches, you are going to get money; if the left, you will shake hands with a friend. If the nose itches, a friend is coming. Talladega, Ala.

1293. Two persons wiping hands on the same towel and twisting it occasions a quarrel. Pennsylvania.

1294. Wash and wipe together, Live in peace together. Northern Ohio.

1295. If two persons wash their hands at the same time, it is a sign that they will be friends forever. Alabama.

1296. If two persons wipe their hands at the same time, they will be foes forever. Alabama.

1297. When two persons put one hand of each flat together, palm to palm, they will quarrel. Province of Quebec, Can.

1298. If two persons clasp hands so as to lock the fingers, bringing the palm of one person against the palm of the other person's hand, it will break friendship. Newton, Mass.

1299. If you hug your knee (hold your knee in clasped hands), you will hug up trouble. Salem and Medford, Mass.

1300. When your joints crack, it is a sign that you have not outlived your best days. New York, N.Y.

1301. If you kiss through a veil, there'll be a coolness. Portland, Me.

1302. Crossed knives are a sign of a quarrel. Cumberland, Mass.

1303. Stir with a knife, Stir up strife.

1304. Never look after a friend who is leaving you till he is quite out of sight, or you will never see him or her again; but turn your eyes away while he is still visible, that he or she may return. General in the United States.

1305. Never say "good-by" more than once. Alabama.

1306. One who habitually bites the nails is ill-natured. Ohio.

1307. If you bite your finger-nails you will always be poor. Massachusetts.

1308. If you sleep with your head towards the north, it will prevent sickness. General in the United States.

1309. If you can cut a pie fair and true, you'll have a likely husband. If you make the slices uneven, he'll be crooked.

1310. If you make a bed handsomely, you'll have a handsome husband.

1311. If you cut pie straight, you will go to housekeeping. If you cut pie crooked, you will have no house to keep. New Hampshire.

1312. If you make a rhyme involuntarily, you will have a present. New Brunswick.

1313. The free use of salt is a sign of having a temper. Lynn, Mass.

1314. To say anything backward is a sign you will get a present. Peabody, Mass.

1315. If you sing before you eat, You'll cry before you sleep. Ohio and Iowa.

1316. If you sing before breakfast, you will cry before supper. Cambridge, Mass.

1317. If you laugh before breakfast, you will cry before supper. Prince Edward Island and Somerville, Mass.

1318. Little birds that sing in the morning The old cat will catch before night.

Accustomed to be said to children when they were especially hilarious in the early morning. Northern Ohio.

1319. If a child sing before breakfast, it will get a whipping before night. New Hampshire.

1320. To sing after you go to bed is a sign that tears will come before breakfast. Maine.

1321. If the sole of either foot itches, you will walk on strange ground. Boston, Mass.

1322. When about to begin a new enterprise, one must not step over straws in starting out.

1323. If you stumble with the right foot, it means a glad surprise. Pennsylvania (negro).

1324. In going anywhere, if you strike the right foot you will be welcome wherever you may be going, and if the same happens to the left foot, you will be on strange ground. Bellville, O.

1325. To sit on a table is a sign of coming disappointment. Maine and Massachusetts.

1326. In drinking tea, if you take a stem in the mouth it means an enemy; you must bite it and throw it over the right shoulder. Central Maine.

1327. If you stub your toe going into a house, you are not wanted there. Guilford, Conn.

1328. If, in going visiting, you stub the right toe, you are welcome; if the left, you are unwelcome. Massachusetts and Ohio.

1329. If you stub your toe going anywhere, it means a disappointment. Bathurst, N.B.

1330. Stub your toe, Lose your beau. Salem, Mass.

1331. To bite the tongue while talking means that you have told a lie.

1332. If you bite your tongue suddenly while eating, it is a sign some one is coming hungry. Cambridge, Mass.

1333. In going along the street or path, where there is a tree, go inside rather than outside the tree, for you will be disappointed if you take the latter course. Eastern Massachusetts.

1334. In drinking water, if you glance over the glass, you are a flirt. Pennsylvania.

1335. Whistling girls and crowing hens Always come to some bad ends. General in the United States.

1336. Whistling girls and sheep Are the very worst cattle a farmer can keep.

1337. A whistling girl and a laughing sheep, Are the very best property a man can keep. Northern Ohio.

1338. Girls that whistle and hens that crow Make their way wherever they go.

1339. Whistle before you eat, Cry before you sleep. Baldwinsville, N.Y.

BODILY AFFECTIONS.

1340. If the right cheek burns, some one is speaking well of you; if the left, they are speaking ill of you; if both, they speak well and ill at once. Moisten the finger in the mouth and touch it to the cheek, naming those whom you suspect; the one at whose name it grows cool was speaking of you. New Brunswick.

1341. If your right ear burns, some one is talking well of you; if your left, he is talking ill. General in the United States.

1342. If you bite the corner of your apron, you will make back-biters bite their tongues. Pennsylvania.

1343. Pinch your ear, and the person talking of you will bite his own tongue.

1344. If the right ear burns, it is a sign that some one is thinking well of you; if the left ear burns, it is a sign that some one is thinking unkindly of you; but if both ears burn, friend and foe are fighting about you. Pennsylvania.

1345. If your ears burn, people are talking well of you; if your ears are cold, the contrary. New Hampshire.

1346. If your right ear burns, a lady is speaking of you; if the left, a man. Maine and Pennsylvania.

1347. If your left ear itches, some one is saying unpleasant things about you; but if your right ear, pleasant things. Some say,—

Both left and right Are good at night. Cambridge, Mass.

1348. If the right eye itches, it is a sign you will cry; if the left, you will laugh, because R stands for "roar" and L for "laugh." Baldwinsville, N.Y.

1349. If the right eye itches, you'll laugh; if the left eye, you'll cry. Boston, Mass.

1350. If your eye itches, some one wants to see you and can't. Peabody, Mass.

1351. If you look at one who has inflamed eyes, you'll catch the disease. Maine and Ohio.

1352. If your elbow itches, you will sleep with a stranger. Boston, Mass.

1353. If the right foot itches, it is a sign you will go where you will be welcome; if the left foot itches, it is a sign you will go where you are unwelcome. Baldwinsville, N.Y.

1354. If while going to see any one your left foot itches, you are not welcome. Alabama.

1355. The nose itching is a sign you are going to "get mad." Peabody, Mass.

1356. If your nose itches, it is a sign of a present.

1357. If your nose itches, some one will be provoked with you.

1358. If your nose itches, it is a sign that

You'll be mad, See a stranger, Kiss a fool, Or be in danger. Prince Edward Island.

1359. If your nose itches, you will

See a stranger, Kiss a fool, Or be in danger. Peabody, Mass.

1360. If your nose itches, it is a sign you will be kissed, cussed, or vexed. Somerville, Mass.

1361. If the nose itches, some say you will receive a letter; others declare it is a sign your lover is thinking of you. Baldwinsville, N.Y.

1362. If the palm of the hand itches, it is a good sign that you will kill something. Labrador.

1363. Itching in the palm is a sign of a fight, or of seeing a stranger.

1364. An unexpected scratch denotes surprise.

1365. A long scratch across the palm denotes a sleigh-ride. Pennsylvania (negro).

1366. A scratch on the hand denotes a ride; the length of the scratch indicates the length of the ride. New England.

1367. A scratch on the right hand is a sign of a ride to come; on the left, a disappointment. Baldwinsville, N.Y.

1368. If your knee itches, you are jealous. Boston, Mass.

1369. Being lousy is an indication that the lousy person is in good health. Newfoundland.

1370. Some hold that the white spots that one has on the finger-nails represent the lies you have told. Maine and Baldwinsville, N.Y.

1371. If you shudder without apparent cause, some one has stepped over or upon your grave. Gilsum, N.H.

1372. If you shudder, it is a sign that a rabbit is running across, or a goose is eating grass from your grave. Chestertown, Md.

1373. There is an old superstition that every sigh causes a drop of blood to flaw from the heart. Exeter, N.H.

1374. "Smooches" made on the face by soiled fingers (called beauty spots in Ohio) mean a present. New Brunswick.

1375. A lump on the tongue means that you have told a lie. Prince Edward Island, New York, and Northern Ohio.

APPAREL.

1376. If you mend your apron or dress while on you, some one will lie about you. Maine and Alabama.

1377. As many stitches as you take (in mending a garment while wearing it), so many lies will be told about you. New Hampshire.

1378. If a garment is mended while being worn, it is a sign the wearer will do something he is ashamed of before the week is out. Newton, Mass.

1379. If one mends his clothes upon his back, It is a sign his trouble will never come back. Connecticut.

1380. Basting threads left in a garment signify that it is not yet paid for. Massachusetts and Ohio.

1381. Put your clothes on the wrong side out and you'll have a present before the week is out. Peabody, Mass.

1382. If, when dressing, one puts on any of his clothing wrong side out, it is a sign that he will soon receive a present. Alabama.

1383. If you happen to put your skirt on wrong side out, you are likely to get a new one. Alabama.

1384. You mustn't talk when some article of dress you are wearing is being mended, or some one will talk or tell lies about you.

1385. In dressing for a journey, if you wish to have good luck, dress the right foot first. Belleville, Ohio.

1386. If the hem of a lady's dress turns up, she is sure to have a new one. Alabama.

1387. While sewing on a garment, should you sew it to your dress by mistake, as many stitches as you take, so many lies will be told about you. Baldwinsville, N.Y.

1388. If you break your needle in making a dress, you will live to wear it out. If you tear a hole in a new dress, the first time wearing it, you will have a new one before that is worn out. Deer Isle, Me.

1389. If you break a needle in sewing a new gown, it is a sure sign you will live to wear out the garment. Holyoke, Mass.

1390. If you break your needle in making a garment, or have to rip out some of it, you will live to wear it out. Boston, Mass.

1391. If a white petticoat falls below your dress, it is a sign that your father loves you better than your mother. New England.

1392. Crooked pins are a sign that the owner is an old maid. Province of Quebec, Can.

1393. Should a friend withdraw a ring from the finger of another, it is a sign it will break friendship. The owner should take off the ring and hand it to the friend. Baldwinsville, N.Y.

1394. A hole in the toe of your shoe or stocking, so as to show the toe, means a letter. Cape Breton.

1395. Old shoes, particularly the soles, were often buried by negro servants on Monday morning to keep the devil down through the week. Chestertown, Md.

1396. Save the old shoes to throw after the carriage, when any of the family start on a journey; it will insure a safe return. Massachusetts.

1397. Wear the boot (or shoe) on the side, a rich man's bride; On the toe, spend as you go; On the heel, love to do weel; On the ball, live to spend all. Boston.

1398. Hole in the toe, spend as you go: Hole at the side, be a rich bride; Hole at the heel, spend as you feel; Hole on the ball, live to spend all. New York.

1399. Wear at the toe, live to see woe; Wear at the side, live to be a bride; Wear at the ball, live to spend all; Wear at the heel, live to save a deal. New York.

1400. Wear on the toe, Spend as you go; Wear on the ball, Love to spend all. Wear on the side, You'll be a rich bride.

1401. Of stockings:—

Wear at the toe, Spend as you go: Wear at the heel, Spend a good deal; Wear at the ball, You'll live to spend all. South Carolina.

CUSTOMS.

1402. Halloween cabbages are pulled and thrown against the owner's door as a reminder of his laziness. Southern Pennsylvania and Ohio.

1403. Shelled corn is thrown at every one—the significance not known. Southern Pennsylvania.

1404. If a man is insulted and means to be revenged, he will bare his arm and cut a cross in it with his knife, called a "vengeance mark." Mountains of North Carolina.

1405. If you wash your face in dew before sunrise on May Day, you will become very beautiful. Alabama.

1406. Dry spots, where there is no dew, are called "fairy rings." Salem, Mass.

1407. Run round a fairy ring twice on Easter Sunday morning, and fairies will arise and follow you. Salem, Mass.

1408. The looking-glass is often turned with the face to the wall, or taken out of the room during a thunder-storm, because "quick-silver is so bad to draw the lightning." Bathurst, N.B.

1409. You are said to "take the manners" if you take the last of any kind of food from a plate. New England.

1410. "Manners dish" is the dish put on for show, and not expected to be eaten. Northern Ohio.

1411. Homoeopathic pills must be taken in odd numbers. New England.

1412. When a meteor is seen, Catholics often say, "A soul is ascending into heaven."

1413. A present of a knife or any pointed instrument cuts friendship; always sell it for a penny.

1414. A present of pins breaks friendship. General in the United States.

1415. There was a superstition among old people who had never been much abroad, in the town where I was born (Stratham, N.H.), that if they were photographed they were likely to die soon after, and many rather objected on that account. Stratham, N.H.

1416. After sneezing, it is customary to say, "God bless you." General in the United States.

1417. A bit of steel, such as a needle, protects one from witches. Brookline, Mass.

1418. A thief may be detected by a key turning in the Bible to Psalm i. 18-21, when the name of the guilty person is mentioned. Labrador.

DAYS.

1419. What you do on your birthday, you will do all the year. Salem, Mass.

1420. On cutting the finger-nails:—

Cut them on Monday, cut them for news, Cut them on Tuesday, a pair of new shoes, Cut them on Wednesday, cut them for health, Cut them on Thursday, cut them for wealth, Cut them on Friday, cut them for sorrow, Cut them on Saturday, see your sweetheart to-morrow, Cut them on Sunday, cut them for evil, All the whole week you'll be ruled by the devil. Baldwinsville, N.Y.

1421. If you wear a garment for the first time on Saturday, you will have another one before it is worn out. Bedford, Mass.

1422. Study on Sunday, forget it through the week. Nashua, N.H.

1423. If, of your own accord, you leave home for Sunday visiting, you will be forced to leave for two Sundays following. Labrador.

1424. Get a letter on Monday, and you'll get six during that week. New York, N.Y.

1425. If you break anything on Monday, you will break something every day in the week. Somerville, Mass.

1426. If you break anything Sunday, you will continue to do so every day of the week, or as you commence Sunday, so you will go through the week. Eastern Massachusetts.

1427. If you begin anything Saturday, it must be finished that day or it will not get finished. Boston, Mass.

1428. Sneeze on Monday, sneeze for a letter, Sneeze on Tuesday, sneeze for something better, Sneeze on Wednesday, sneeze for news, Sneeze on Thursday, sneeze for a new pair of shoes, Sneeze on Friday, sneeze for sorrow, Sneeze on Saturday, see him to-morrow. Niagara Falls, Ont.

1429. Sneeze on Monday, sneeze for danger, Sneeze on Tuesday, kiss a stranger, Sneeze on Wednesday, receive a letter, Sneeze on Thursday, something better, Sneeze on Friday, sneeze for sorrow, Sneeze on Saturday, see your true love to-morrow. Sneeze on Sunday, your safety seek, Or the devil will have you the rest of the week. Crown Point, N.Y.

1430. Sneeze before twelve and one, and you will hear news. Brighton, Mass.

1431. Sneeze at the table, there will be one more or one less at the next meal. Alabama.

1432. Sneeze before your breakfast, See your beau before the day is past. Brighton, Mass.

1433. If you sneeze once, a girl is thinking of you; twice, she is wishing for you; thrice, it is a sign of a cold. Alabama.

1434. Sneeze before seven, Sneeze before eleven. Boston, Mass.

1435. What you sew on Sunday, you'll take out on Monday. What you sew on Sunday, you'll rip out in heaven. Massachusetts.

1436. Never cut your toe-nails Sunday, or you will do something to be ashamed of before the week is out. Granville, Mass.

1437. Cut your nails Monday morning, without speaking (?), and you will get a present before the week is out; some have it, "without thinking of a red fox's tail," instead of "without speaking." Westport, Mass.

DOMESTIC LIFE.

1438. It is supposed that a broom placed behind the door will keep off witches. Bruynswick, N.Y.

1439. To burn the stub of a broom or break a sugar-bowl, means a quarrel. Westport, Mass.

1440. A spark seen on a candle or lamp when the light is extinguished means the receipt of a letter. St. John, N.B., and Salem, Mass.

1441. Wet the finger and touch the "letter" on the candle. If it come off on the finger, it means a letter for you. Maine.

1442. The letter in the candle will face the one for whom the letter is to be. If the little snuff bud is bright, it means a letter. Northern Ohio.

1443. If the candle is sooty, or shows a spark in the wick on blowing out, it is a sign that a letter is on its way.

1444. If chairs become entangled (legs interlaced, etc.), it means a quarrel. Bathurst, N.B.

1445. If you choke (food gets in the windpipe), it means some one has told lies about you. Cape Breton.

1446. It is a sign of good old-fashioned economy to use up a dish-cloth until it can be put into your mouth. Massachusetts.

1447. If a door opens of itself, it is supposed to indicate the presence of a spirit, usually one of the family. Massachusetts.

1448. It is unlucky to name a child after a dead child of the family. Newfoundland.

1449. If you begin keeping house with many in the family, it is a sign that you will always have a large family or houseful. Ohio.

1450. If a wood fire snaps and sparkles, each time it does indicates the receipt of a letter. Peabody, Mass.

1451. One of the negro superstitions was that when the fire burned with a blue flame, it was the devil seeking to speak to them. A handful of salt would make him go away. Alabama.

1452. Sweep the floor after dark, you'll see sickness before morning.

1453. If while eating you drop food on the floor, it is a sign that some one is telling lies about you. Cape Breton.

1454. Food dropped on the floor by one signifies that some one grudges you it. Common in the United States.

1455. Do not change your place at table; it is very unlucky. New York, N.Y.

1456. If you keep changing your furniture to different places, you'll be poor. Massachusetts.

1457. Not drinking the whole contents of a glass or cup means disappointment. Westport, Mass.

1458. If sooty bubbles form and blacken on the wick in a lamp burning whale oil, each bubble indicates the receipt of a letter. Peabody, Mass.

1459. When sparks are seen on the bottom of the tea-kettle, it is a sign that folks are going home from meeting. New Hampshire and Boxford, Mass.

1460. Sparks flying from a fire mean letters; the number of the sparks is the number of the letters. Boston, Mass.

1461. If a spark or sparks jump out of the fire and hit you or come towards you, it is a sign some one has a spite or grudge against you. Bathurst, N.B.

1462. Two spoons given to one person denotes that that person will have two homes before the year is out. Chestertown, Md.

1463. The tea-kettle suddenly singing means news. Patten, Me.

VARIOUS.

1464. A stratum of warm air indicates the presence of the devil. Boston, Mass. (Irish).

1465. If, when a newly-married couple go to housekeeping, she slyly takes her mother's dish-cloth or dish-wiper, she will never be homesick. Old Mrs. —— told me that she believed that was the reason she was not homesick when they moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio. Ohio.

1466. To have a sharp knife is a sign of a lazy man. Central Maine.

1467. Passing anything through a ladder is a sign of a long passage. Conception Bay, N.F.

1468. If a ship has a starboard list, it is a sign of a quick passage; if a port list, it is a sign of a long passage. Conception Bay and New Harbor, N.F.

1469. Write the date of the first snowstorm, and you'll gain a bet before the winter is through. Massachusetts.

1470. To ascertain a girl's age, pull a hair from her head, hang a finger-ring from this inside a tumbler or goblet, and it will strike the number of years. Boston, Mass.

1471. Throw a strand of your hair in the fire; if it blazes you will live long and happily; if not, you will die soon. Alabama.

1472. If a tree falls to the right while you are looking at it, you are going on a long trip before the end of the year, and will have some unexpected piece of good luck. Alabama.

1473. A person born on Halloween is said to be possessed of evil spirits. Alabama.

1474. Place a broom across the door, and if any of your departed friends wish to speak to you they are free to come and go at will while the broom remains there. Alabama.

1475. If a person who raises fowls is bothered with hawks, he may prevent the trouble by throwing a handful of "rocks" into the fire while it is burning brightly. Alabama.



NOTES.



NOTES.

Introduction, page 8.—S.G. Drake, Annals of Witchcraft in New England, Boston, 1869, p. 189, remarks that the principal accusers and witnesses in the witchcraft prosecutions of 1692, in Salem, Mass., were eight girls from eleven to twenty years of age, and adds with reference to their conduct previous to the accusations: "These Females instituted frequent Meetings, or got up, as it would now be styled, a Club, which was called a Circle. How frequent they had these Meetings is not stated, but it was soon ascertained that they met to 'try projects,' or to do or produce superhuman Acts. They doubtless had among them some book or books on Magic, and Stories of Witchcraft, which one or more of their Circle professed to understand, and pretended to teach the Rest." An examination of the evidence in the trials, however, shows not only no authority for these assertions, but that no such meetings took place previous to the trials, nor did any such "circle" exist. Drake derived his information from a paper by S.P. Fowler, who, in an address before the Essex Institute, in the year 1856, had remarked: "These girls, together with Abigail Williams, a niece of Mr. Parris, aged eleven years, were in the habit of meeting in a circle in the village, to practise palmistry, fortune-telling, &c." For such representation Mr. Fowler had no warrant; it would seem that he had obtained the notion by transferring to the time of the trials his experience in connection with spiritualistic "circles" of his own day. It is curious to observe how readily this suggestion was adopted, and with what uniformity recent popular narratives of the delusion reiterate, with increasing positiveness of phrase, the unfounded assumption. The expression, to "try projects," is therefore taken by Mr. Drake from modern folk-lore. Fowler's address, entitled "An Account of the Life and Character of the Rev. Samuel Parris, of Salem Village, and of his Connection with the Witchcraft Delusion of 1692," was printed in the Proceedings of the Essex Institute, Salem, Mass, 1862, vol. ii. pp. 49-68 and also separately (Salem, 1857). For assistance in determining the origin of Drake's statement I am indebted to Mr. Abner C. Goodell, Jr., of Salem, Mass.—W.W.N.

Nos. 15-16.—The reader who is interested to know how much importance has been attributed to the caul will do well to consult Levinus Lemnius, De Miraculis Occultis Naturae. Chapter viii. of Book II. is headed: De infantium recens natorum galeis, seu tenui mollique membrana, qua facies tanquam larva, aut personata tegmine obducta, ad primum lucis intuitum se spectandam exhibet.

The belief in the efficacy of the caul goes back at least to the time of St. Chrysostom, who, in the latter part of the fourth century, preached against this with kindred superstitions. Advertisements of cauls for sale, at prices ranging from twenty guineas down, have from time to time appeared in the London papers as recently as the middle of the present century, if not even later.

No. 60.—See "Current Superstitions," Journal of American Folk-Lore, vol. ii. No. V.

Nos. 116-118.—The custom of consulting in augury the occasional white spots on the finger-nails still survives, despite the protestation of old Sir Thomas Browne. He says:—

"That temperamental dignotions, and conjecture of prevalent humours, may be collected from spots in our Nails, we are not averse to concede. But yet not ready to admit sundry divinations vulgarly raised upon them. Nor do we observe it verified in others, what Cardan discovered as a property in himself: to have found therein signs of most events that ever happened unto him. Or that there is much considerable in that doctrine of Cheiromancy, that spots in the top of the Nails do signifie things past; in the middle, things present; and at the bottom, events to come. That White specks presage our felicity; Blue ones our misfortunes. That those in the Nail of the Thumb have significations of honour, those in the fore-Finger, of riches, and so respectively in other Fingers (according to Planetical relations, from whence they receive their names), as Tricassus hath taken up, and Picciolus well rejecteth."

No. 148.—A very complete account of the signification of moles is quoted from "The Greenwich Fortune Teller," in Brand's Popular Antiquities (Bonn's ed.), iii. 254.

CHAPTERS IV. AND V.—Two of the most interesting and most accessible lists of projects and Halloween observances are Gay's well-known Shepherds Week and Burns's Halloween.

No. 170.—It is an interesting psychological fact that projects are in the great majority of cases tried by girls and young women rather than by boys and young men.

No. 174.—Here, as in many other cases, it is assumed that young men and women are accustomed to indulge in promiscuous kissing. The use of the word gentleman sufficiently indicates the level of society from which this project was obtained. Gentleman in this sense signifies any male human being over sixteen. It is often used more specifically to mean sweetheart, as "Mary and her gentleman were at the policemen's ball."

No. 184.—On Biblical divination see Brand's Popular Antiquities (Bonn's ed.), iii. 337, 338.

No. 186.—This custom of divining the color of the hair of one's future wife or husband, which is probably very old, yet survives in many places, but with interesting modifications as to the bird which gives the signal to try the divination. In Westphalia it is at sight of the first swallow that the peasant looks to see if there be a hair under his foot. According to Gay, in England it is the cuckoo.

"When first the year I heard the cuckoo sing, And call with welcome note the budding spring, I straightway set a running with such haste Deborah that won the smock scarce ran so fast; Till spent for lack of breath, quite weary grown, Upon a rising bank I sat adown, There doffed my shoe; and by my troth I swear, Therein I spied this yellow frizzled hair, As like to Lubberkin's in curl and hue As if upon his comely pate it grew."

Nos. 187-193.—These practices, and others like No. 453 and the asseverations, Nos. 60-67, shade off insensibly into children's games, customs, and sayings. Games pure and simple have been omitted from the present monograph, since they are evidently out of place among superstitions. They have been admirably treated in Mr. Newell's Games and Songs of American Children. The customs and sayings for the most part belong in collections like Halliwell's Nursery Rhymes rather than in the present collection.

No. 211.—Projects in which flowers and leaves are employed certainly much antedate the Christian era. Theocritus (Idyll III.) describes one in which a poppy petal is used, and he also refers to another form of love-divination by aid of the leaf of the plant Telephilon.

No. 245.—It is probable that the direction in which one is to walk during the performance of this and similar acts of divination is not a matter of indifference, even when no direction is prescribed. One would expect to find it done sunwise. See note on Chapter xvi.

Nos. 254-256.—The Sedum has long enjoyed a reputation for aphrodisiac qualities, as is set forth in Gerarde's Herbal and other authorities. Perhaps the choice of the plant for use in this form of project is due to some lingering tradition of its potency, or it may be simply because of its great vitality and power of growing under adverse conditions.

No. 334.—I happen to know that in 1895 one bride, in a Boston suburb, wore seven yellow garters, at the request of seven girl friends. Probably the fashion of wearing yellow garters owes its present currency to the repute in which they are held as love-amulets.

CHAPTER VIII.—Some notion of the prevalence of a popular belief in the omens to be derived from dreams may be obtained from the fact that dream books are still enough in demand to warrant their publication. I have seen but one such volume. That was more than thirty years ago. A dream book is now published by a New York firm, and I find, from inquiries in Boston, that it sells at a moderate rate.

No. 626.—See Shoe Omens in Brand's Popular Antiquities (Bohn's ed.), iii. 166.

Nos. 785-789.—The curious reader will find an excellent summary of the beliefs in regard to sneezing in Brand's Popular Antiquities, vol. iii.

Nos. 796-800.—In New Hampshire it was formerly usual for young people to purchase gold beads, one at a time, with their earnings. When a sufficient number of beads was obtained the necklace was made, and after it had once been put on was never taken off by night or day. It is difficult to induce the elderly people who still retain these necklaces to part with them, there being a superstitious feeling in regard to the consequences.