Chapter VI: Part 6

(1) When one of the cards, shown black in the diagram, is moved, the card above it comes into play and can be moved.

(2) The "lay-out" does not take all the fifty-two cards. There are seven over. These can be used for making up sequences as and when desired.

Now, if you can get these three games to work out successfully and do them the same day, not necessarily the first time you try, frame your wish, a reasonable one, of course, and await the issue with confidence.

FORTUNETELLING GAMES

THE ZODIAC WHEEL

The wheel, illustrated on this page, is divided into a dozen sections, and each contains a symbol that stands for a Sign of the Zodiac. These signs greatly influence our lives. We were born under the rule of one of them, and it is the one that rules our own particular birth-date that we must specially note.

To test _YOUR_ luck on almost any question, cut out the wheel and fix it to a wall or door, by forcing a pin through the center. Do this loosely so that the wheel will revolve freely when spun in the direction of the arrow. If it is desired to keep the book intact, copy the wheel on a sheet of stiff paper. The twelve sections are easily provided with the assistance of a pair of compasses and then the signs must be drawn, as they are done in the illustration.

Before the wheel commences to rotate, blindfold yourself or if you can be sure of playing fairly, merely close your eyes. Then ask the wheel the question about which you desire information, and follow by touching the revolving symbols with some pointed instrument, such as a pencil.

The pencil point will arrest the motion of the wheel and, also, it will touch one of the twelve sections. Be careful to keep the pencil from moving until your eyes are opened. Then, note the section which the pencil indicates.

Take a long pencil, with a point. Place your hand high up above the oracle. Shut your eyes. Rotate the pencil three times and then bring the point down to the paper. Steady the pencil and keep it still: then open your eyes. If the pencil point rests within a circle, the number gives your age when you will be passing through a very lucky period of your life. If you are more than 20 years of age, add the additional years to the number found in the circle.

This is how the wheel answers your question: The reply is "Yes," if the pencil touches your Zodiacal month sign.

The reply is "Probably yes" if the pencil touches one of the sections on either side of your Zodiacal month sign.

The reply is: There is a fair chance of the answer being "yes" if the pencil touches one of the sections two away from your Zodiacal month sign.

The reply is "No" if the pencil touches the section directly opposite to your Zodiacal month sign. Thus VII is opposite to I, VIII is opposite to II, and so on.

The other sections give no reading at all.

Your Zodiacal month sign can be found from the following table:

I _Aries_ Born between March 21 and April 19.
II _Taurus_ " " April 20 and May 20.
III _Gemini_ " " May 21 and June 21.
IV _Cancer_ " " June 22 and July 22.
V _Leo_ " " July 23 and Aug. 21.
VI _Virgo_ " " Aug. 22 and Sept. 22.
VII _Libra_ " " Sept. 23 and Oct. 23.
VIII _Scorpio_ " " Oct. 24 and Nov. 22.
IX _Sagittarius_ " " Nov. 23 and Dec. 21.
X _Capricorn_ " " Dec. 22 and Jan. 20.
XI _Aquarius_ " " Jan. 21 and Feb. 19.
XII _Pisces_ " " Feb. 20 and Mar. 20.

Note.--When the wheel is to be spun, the section that corresponds to the date must be placed in the "twelve o'clock" position.

YOUR MARRIAGE MONTH

Here is a very popular game which tells you in which month you should be married. There are two diagrams. The first is a frame, embellished with the signs of the Zodiac. Cut out the blank part in the center. The second diagram consists of two court cards. Cut them out separately, leaving the signs given on the edges. It will be seen that the two court cards fit into the Zodiacal frame.

The game is based on the fact that the signs of the Zodiac are very powerful in watching over people's destinies.

To play this game, place the Zodiacal frame on the table, close your eyes, and twist the frame round three or four times, or until you have no idea of the position of the signs. Then, take the two court cards and, while your eyes are still shut, shuffle them about on the table until you do not know which is which. Pick up either of them, whichever you prefer, but without seeing them, and then proceed to fit the card of your choice in the frame. You will be able to do this by the sense of touch.

When you have set the card in the frame, open your eyes, and examine what you have done. If any sign on the card is immediately opposite the same sign on the frame, it indicates the month in which you are most likely to be married. When two signs on the card pair off with two signs on the frame, your choice lies between the two months suggested by the signs. On occasions there will be no signs on the card pairing off with the signs on the frame. These are the instances when the Fates are undecided. The belief is, however, that your marriage month is indicated by a sign on the card being duplicated by the same sign, one position to the right, on the frame. In saying "to the right," the intention is that the move be made in the same direction as the motion of the hands of a clock.

THE DISCS OF FATE

This is an excellent device for those who enjoy fortunetelling schemes. There are four discs and they all have to be cut out. While doing this care must be taken to preserve all the projections intact. Note that the white center of each disc must be removed. This is fairly easy to do if a pointed pencil is pushed carefully through the paper.

When the four shapes are ready for use, slip them on to a long pencil, so near together that they are almost touching. See to it that the disc bearing the lucky devices is fitted on last. It will then hide the three others. The game consists in revolving the discs and, while they are turning, there is a likelihood that they will spread out on the pencil-axis. This can be avoided by slipping a rubber band on to the pencil in front of the discs, and another behind them. Leave just enough space for them to revolve comfortably.

How to Consult the Discs

Place the arrow projections, one at 3 o'clock, another at 6 o'clock, the third at 9 o'clock, and the remaining one at 12 o'clock. When all is ready, twirl your finger three or four times round the disc in the same direction as the hands travel round a clock face.

Then, when the discs have come to rest, look at the cut-out space in the disc bearing the lucky symbols. Count up the numbers shown in this space and consult the lists below. Whatever message is attached to your number, so is your fate. It is well to remember that if any part of a projection comes within the disc-space, its particular number counts, whether it can be seen or not. The fact that the projection is visible is what matters.

You can consult the discs on love, marriage or fortune, but you must decide which you are engaging before the discs are rotated.

Love Answers

1.--Do not be cold. More affection will help on your cause.

2.--Take no thought of interfering relatives. Make up your own mind.

3.--A proposal is not far distant. Give it very careful consideration.

4.--A quarrel, followed by a speedy reconciliation, is predicted.

5.--A misunderstanding will cause a good deal of dissatisfaction; but all's well that ends well.

6.--A pleasant adventure will be experienced by you within the next twelve months.

7.--You are more successful than, apparently, you imagine.

8.--Make up your mind which one you want. There is danger ahead if you keep more than one hanging to your apron strings.

9.--Whatever is to happen will happen soon. Do not be taken unawares.

10.--What you think of him or her, he or she thinks of you.

Marriage Answers

1.--The right person is the one you think.

2.--Marriage will not come suddenly upon you and it will come late.

3.--Do not let money matters enter into the considerations of your marriage.

4.--There will be certain ups and downs to navigate before the ceremony is arranged.

5.--Your marriage will be influenced by a person with dark eyes and dark hair.

6.--You ought not to hesitate.

7.--There are as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it, so do not worry.

8.--Do not be in any hurry. Time is not precious and nothing is as important as knowing your own mind.

9.--More than likely, your own wedding will be influenced by some other wedding.

10.--Don't worry. Everything is progressing satisfactorily.

Answers Regarding Your Fortunes

1.--Money will come to you, but not until you have worked hard to gain it.

2.--Expect some important change of position very soon.

3.--Somebody is about to lend you a helping hand.

4.--A large slice of luck will come your way before two moons have run their course.

5.--Do not be afraid to strike out of the old rut.

6.--You are placing too much faith in friends. Be more self-reliant.

7.--When you are least expecting it, you will get all you deserve, and more.

8.--Do not be too keen on experiments. Be thankful for what you already have.

9.--Avoid anything in the nature of "chance" where money is concerned.

10.--You will go on a journey and much benefit will come of it.

THE LUCKY SQUARE

This is a rattling good game for several players. First, give each person a sheet of paper and a pencil. On the paper, a large square has to be drawn, such as is used for crossword puzzles. Each side of the square is divided into six equal portions, and lines are drawn from side to side and from top to bottom. The figure is now a large square, divided into thirty-six small squares--six along any horizontal or vertical row.

The next thing is to exhibit a card on which is printed the following signs of the Zodiac:

_ARIES_
_CANCER_
_TAURUS_
_VIRGO_
_PISCES_
_GEMINI_
_LIBRA_

The card is so placed that the players can see the names and refer to them during the game.

When play starts, the first person chooses any letter he likes, but will probably select one which helps to spell one of the words set out above. He calls out the letter and all the players put it in one of the squares on their paper. That done, the next person selects any letter he chooses, and, on calling it out, all the players put it in another of the squares. The third person does similarly, and so do all the other players, until the game is stopped by someone or until all the thirty-six squares are filled.

The aim of each player is to be the first to spell in consecutive squares, either horizontally or vertically, one of the names of the signs, as given on the card. And, naturally, the aim of the other players is to frustrate their opponents. Obviously, it is forbidden for one person to look at the attempt of another.

The first player to complete a word cries "stop," and if he is adjudged correct, he has a wish granted to him.

There is a good deal of skill needed in this game. Suppose the first competitor selects P as his letter. All the others know he is aiming for "Pisces" and player No. 2 then calls V. Clearly, he is trying for "Virgo." So player No. 3 quietly calls A which leaves him free to work on "Aries," "Cancer," "Taurus" or "Libra." Now, suppose No. 3 is working for "Aries," in calling, say I, he helps No. 1 to the I of "Pisces," and so on.

WHEN IS YOUR WEDDING?

Several ways are mentioned in this book of finding out which month is to bring you some particular portion of luck, and here it is proposed to describe a game of dominoes that tells you the month in which you are to be married. Nothing is told you about the year of your nuptials--merely the month, and it is an amusing game for unmarried people only.

Get out the dominoes and ask an unmarried friend to take a hand with you. When you have played to the finish, the result will provide one of you with the name of your marriage month, whichever was previously decided on. Then, it is usual to play a second game, so that the second of you may receive enlightenment on the same point.

The game is played in practically the ordinary way that one takes a hand at dominoes. All the cards from double-six to double-blank are shot on the table, pips down, and shuffled. Then, each player selects five cards at random and examines them. The player who is seeking information lays down any card he or she chooses and then the game consists in matching the two ends with other cards bearing a number that will match. This is done by the two players in turn.

If at any point in the game one of the players while still holding a card cannot match at either end, he or she must draw cards, one by one, from the heap on the table, until it is possible to match, but one card must always be left in the heap.

The game ceases when one player has disposed of all his or her cards, or when the game is shut (i.e., there are no more cards available that will match seeing that they have all been used) or when neither player can "go" and there is only one card left in the heap.

As soon as the game is finished, the pips at the two ends of the formation are added together, and, whatever the addition happens to be, stands for the number of the month. Thus, if there is a five at one end and a two at the other, this gives an addition of seven, and the seventh month is July. It should be remembered that when a "double" card figures at one end, only the single number is reckoned; thus the total can never exceed twelve, as two sixes, one at either end, is the highest possible score.

It will be very quickly appreciated that the thing to avoid is to stop the game with a blank at both ends. What this means will be perceived by all players.

THE GAME OF LUCK

L stands for Luck, and that is why the track of the game we are now discussing is arranged in the form of this letter.

The game, shown on the next page, is played by two or more persons and the scores are decided by throwing a dice, each person taking a turn.

Should any player arrive at one of the sections marked with a cross, he must go back to the nearest previous station which is a multiple of five; also, if he alights on a section marked with shaded lines, i.e. 15, 50 and 75, he goes forward to the next station which is a multiple of five.

The balloons are so arranged that every player must eventually reach one of them. This is how his luck or fortune is determined:

Whichever balloon is reached, the figures forming it are added up and the key is given below.

100 = 1 + 0 + 0 = 1.--You are a favored individual, who should find the world a very pleasant place. You are proud of yourself and your near relations, and you have a reputation amongst your friends that you value. Your worst fault is that you are prone to take yourself a little too seriously.

101 = 1 + 0 + 1 = 2.--You have a great deal of imagination and are not slow in recognizing how things will map out in the future. You can turn your hand to a good number of things and are, thus, a useful member of society. Your worst fault is that you are prone to believe too much of what irresponsible people tell you.

102 = 1 + 0 + 2 = 3.--You are a hard worker and you are likely to pull your weight in the world. You have an exploring nature and love to go about and see things. Your worst fault is that you are a trifle domineering and like to be obeyed.

103 = 1 + 0 + 3 = 4.--You have a facility for calculating and you have a head for business especially if figures play an important part. You are quick in most of the things you do. Your worst faults lie in the direction of grumbling and gossiping.

104 = 1 + 0 + 4 = 5.--You have a generous nature and are kindly and affectionate. In most ways, you are a clear thinker, but you have one fault. You are extravagant and must have whatever you desire at the moment, whether you can afford it or not.

105 = 1 + 0 + 5 = 6.--You have a charming personality, pleasing manners and are entertaining. You are excellent company and make an admirable friend. You will get on in the world, but, even so, you are not fond of hard work.

106 = 1 + 0 + 6 = 7.--You are a careful and patient worker: you are sincere and conscientious; you have an honest desire to get on in the world. Your greatest fault is that you lack a sense of humor and are totally unaware that life has a bright side.

A GAME FOR "GROWN-UP" PARTIES

A good deal of fun can be obtained at "grown-up" parties by giving marks to the various players, according to their merits, as set out in some of the chapters of this book: then finding out who obtains the highest score and adjudging him or her the champion of the evening.

The following details are suggested, but they may be, of course, altered in any way as thought desirable:

_PALMISTRY._--First, every player's hand is examined, and the person with the longest Marriage line is awarded five points. Those with shorter lines are given four, three, two, one or no points, according to the length of their Marriage lines.

The same process is then followed in the case of the Heart, Head and Fate lines.

This accounts for a possible total of twenty marks.

_BUMPS._--Second, the players take it in turn to have certain of their bumps read. For this, the chart of phrenology should be consulted and a maximum of five points awarded for the best development of the bumps numbered, on the chart, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

This, also, accounts for a possible total of twenty marks.

_HANDWRITING._--Third, everybody is given a pen and paper, and asked to write three or four lines of any passage, taken from a newspaper, in the usual handwriting. Anyone who obviously disguises or distorts his or her writing can be dealt a low mark. When all have finished the papers are examined and assessed according to the hints printed under the heading "Qualities Shown in Handwriting, Alphabetically Arranged."

The writing is tested for the following:

Accuracy, Generosity, Ingenuity, Logic and Wit. As the papers take a little time to check, it is advisable for a helper to attend to them while the next item is progressing.

If five marks are the highest awarded for each test, this will account for a further twenty marks.

_THE ORACLE._--Fourth, turn to the Oracle on p. 138, and allow each person to rotate the pencil and strike a number, the eyes being shut during the performance.

Give ten points to the player with the lowest score and deduct one point from ten for each successive score.

This will account for a possible total of ten points.

_THE ZODIAC WHEEL._--Fifth, the Zodiac Wheel is set up and each person, before being blindfolded, states the month in which he or she was born, and then asks a question. If the wheel answers "Yes," the player receives ten points; if the reply is "probably yes," then the player is awarded six points; while four points are given for the answer "there is a fair chance."

Here the game may end or it may be continued, at will, by introducing further items. If the program we outline is adhered to, the total of possible marks is eighty.

THE LUCK OF WEDDINGS AND MARRIAGES

It seems only natural that many superstitions should cluster around a bride and her wedding day, since from the dawn of civilization, if not the birth of humanity, all the world has loved a lover. Every act of hers, according to lore, is fraught with significance and attended by good or evil fortune, and she is hedged round on every hand by customs and conventions as old as the hills.

LUCKY AND UNLUCKY TIMES

The season of the year is an important consideration. She must avoid Lent if she hopes for good luck, but the forty days following Easter are supposed to be extremely fortunate for the celebration of nuptials; and so is June, which takes its name from Juno, the goddess who is generally regarded as the patroness of womankind.

If she values her prospects of happiness, a bride will avoid May. The belief dates from the time of the Romans, who observed the Festival of the Dead at that time. All other religious ceremonies and observances were neglected for the time being, even the temples were closed, and those who contracted matrimony then were considered to be acting in defiance of the Fates, who revenged themselves on the foolhardy mortals. In Scotland the feeling against May marriages dates back to the time of that most fascinating and tragic figure in history, Mary Stuart, who married her third husband, the Earl of Bothwell, then aroused criticism by wearing blue and white, and lived so unhappily all the rest of her life. Superstitious people shook their heads at the temerity of King Alfonso and Princess Ena of Battenberg, who elected to be married on May 31, and were the objects of a dastardly attempt on their lives whilst on their way back to the palace.

WHEN TO MARRY

Marry when the year is new,
Always loving, kind, and true.
When _FEBRUARY_ birds do mate
You may wed or dread your fate.
If you wed when _MARCH_ winds blow
Joy and sorrow both you'll know.
Marry in _APRIL_ when you can--
Joy for maiden and for man.
Marry in the month of _MAY_
You will surely rue the day.
Marry when _JUNE_ roses blow
Over land and sea you'll go.
They who in _JULY_ do wed,
Must labor always for their bread.
Whoever wed in _AUGUST_ be
Many a change are sure to see.
Marry in _SEPTEMBER'S_ shine
Your living will be rich and fine.
If in _OCTOBER_ you do marry
Love will come, but riches tarry.
If you wed in bleak _NOVEMBER_,
Only joy will come, remember.
When _DECEMBER_ snows fall fast
Marry and true love will last.

Another poet has given us a different version of the same theme:

Married in January's frost and rime,
Widowed you'll be before your time;
Married in February's sleety weather,
Life you'll tread in tune together;
Married when March winds shrill and roar,
Your home will lie on a foreign shore;
Married 'neath April's changeful skies,
A checkered path before you lies;
Married when bees or May-blooms flit,
Strangers around your board will sit;
Married in queen-rose month of June,
Life will be one long honeymoon;
Married in July's flower-banks' blaze
Bitter-sweet memories in after days;
Married in August's heat and drowse,
Lover and friend in your chosen spouse;
Married in gold September's glow,
Smooth and serene your life will flow;
Married when leaves in October thin,
Toil and hardship for you begin;
Married in veils of November mist,
Fortune your wedding ring has kissed;
When December's snows fall fast
Marry and true love will last.

THE LUCKY WEDDING DAY

Monday for health,
Tuesday for wealth,
Wednesday the best day of all;
Thursday for losses,
Friday for crosses,
Saturday no luck at all.

MARRIAGE DAY SUPERSTITIONS

Superstitions and customs vary greatly in different countries and periods, but they all bear somehow a strong family resemblance.

For instance, one old English proverb runs: "Blest be the bride that the sun shines on," yet in Germany a bride prays for rain, believing that a new joy comes with each raindrop, and that then all her tears will be shed before, and not after, her wedding. There, too, it used to be the custom to take a lot of old dishes to the door of the bride's house and break them to pieces in the street, and if by any chance one escaped, it was accepted as a bad omen.

In China, however, when a marriage was being arranged, and any article of value, such as a vase or a bowl, was broken the ceremony was postponed.

At the wedding feast in Scandinavia someone makes a speech or sings a song, which ends up in a tremendous noise, and this is the signal for a general peal of laughter and for the guests to present their congratulations to the newly-wedded couple.

The Slavs pour a tankard of beer over the bridegroom's horse for luck, and in the North of England, the maid pours a kettle of hot water over the doorstep to ensure that another wedding will take place ere long from the same house.

A curious idea among the Burmese is that people born on the same day of the week must not marry, and that if they defy the Fates their union will be marked by much ill-luck.

To prevent these disastrous marriages, every girl carries a record of her birthday in her name, each day of the week having a letter belonging to it, and all children are called by a name that begins with that letter.

In New Guinea it is always Leap Year, for in that island the men consider it to be beneath their dignity to notice women, much less to make overtures of marriage to them. The proposing is left to the women to do. When a New Guinea woman falls in love with a man she sends a piece of string to his sister, or, if he has no sister, to his mother or some other lady relative.

Then the lady who receives the string tells the man that the particular woman is in love with him. No courting, however, follows. If he thinks he would like to wed the woman he meets her alone and they arrange matters.

OMENS OF GOOD OR ILL

There are so many things for good or ill which the bride herself must or must not do that she would have a very anxious time keeping them all in mind if she is very superstitious. These customs begin on the eve of her wedding, when, for luck, she steps on a chair, and then mounts the table to ensure good fortune and a rise in the world.

On the morning of the day--the happy day--if she should be awakened by the singing or chirping of a bird, even of a sparrow, or by swallows sweeping past her lattice at dawn, she may accept these as signs of great good luck. She must be careful, however, not to break anything, particularly the heel of her slipper, as such things spell disagreement and trouble with her new relations.

A cat mewing betokens the same undesirable state of affairs, so she would be wise to see that it has its breakfast in time. If it sneezes, that means the best of luck.

The bride must not gaze on her reflections, however pleasing, in the mirror, after she has fully dressed. If she happens to do so, then she must put another pin in her veil, button her glove, or make some addition to her toilette, to avert evil consequences. The girl who keeps a pin removed from the bridal veil is not supposed to get married, and yet in Brittany the girl who secures one, makes sure of a speedy marriage.

If a small spider is found in the folds of the bridal gown or trousseau, it is accepted as an excellent sign that money will never be wanting in the family, but the spider should not be killed: it must be taken out of doors.

Under no circumstances may the bride read or listen to the reading of the wedding service immediately before the ceremony, not even on the day previous. She must not try on her wedding ring, and if it falls during the ceremony woe betide her. It is considered unlucky to pass a funeral on the way to church, or to meet a monk, a pig, a hare, a lizard or a serpent. On the other hand, it is a happy omen to encounter a lamb or a dove, as both of these are emblems of Christ, and the only forms into which the Evil One cannot enter, according to mediaeval superstition.

A storm of thunder and lightning during the service is regarded as fateful, and so is an open grave in the churchyard. In entering the church and returning to her home or the place where the reception is held, the bride should step with her right foot first. If she sees her groom before he sees her, she will rule him absolutely, but if he forestalls her glance, then he will be the master.

The bride and bridegroom are not supposed to meet each other until they do so at the altar, and in former times a bride did not appear at breakfast, or even emerge from her room, until she was fully attired and ready to go to church.

The forward individual who steals the first kiss before the bridegroom has had a chance to do so is supposed to ensure good luck throughout the year. It was wont to be the prerogative of the clergyman, but it seems a trifle hard on the newly-made husband.

THE ORIGIN OF MARRIAGE CUSTOMS

Since marriage is usually regarded as the chief event of life, for a woman at least, and as most women are highly superstitious, it is not surprising to find that every detail surrounding the auspicious occasion is enveloped in a web of legendary lore.

_THE BRIDAL WREATH._--In ancient times in England bride and bridegroom alike wore wreaths conserved specially for their use in church, and in the thirteenth century the bridal chaplet frequently consisted of ears of corn--signifying plenty. Rosemary was considered lucky in Shakespeare's day. "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance."

_ORANGE BLOSSOM._--These spotless blossoms, which betoken purity and innocence, and are symbolical of a prosperous life, are supposed to have been first brought by pilgrims from the Holy Land, and thereby possess a religious significance.

_THE BRIDE'S VEIL._--This was originally a fine piece of cloth held over the couple during the ceremony. Later on it was only held over the bride, as it was supposed she was more in need of it than her bridegroom, and so it became part of her attire. In Ireland the old custom still prevails of a sprig of mistletoe, or a twig of hawthorn, being used to keep her veil in place.

_THE WEDDING RING._--Since earliest times the giving or exchanging of rings cemented any and every contract. Amongst the early Christians, the thumb and first two fingers typified the Trinity, and the husband placed the ring on his wife's finger in the threefold Holy name. Some authorities believed that the third finger of the left hand was connected by a nerve or artery with the heart, hence its choice for this purpose.

_THE BRIDE'S CAKE._--This important part of the wedding feast has come down to us from the Romans, who baked one compounded of flour, salt, and water, which was partaken of by the bridal pair and their friends as they witnessed the wedding contract.

_THE BRIDE'S DOWRY._--The phrase "with all my worldly wealth I thee endow" dates back to primitive times when a man bartered so many head of cattle for his bride. This money, known as "dow," or "dower," was originally handed over during the ceremony, and in the course of centuries the bride's father provided its equivalent either in money or kind.

Later still the bride herself spun the linen for her portion, and was not regarded as eligible for wifehood until she had stocked a chest with her handiwork. The term spinster arose in this way, and if a girl's marriage was delayed until she was of mature age she occasionally sold the contents of her linen chest and set aside the proceeds as her dowry. The box, with a lid which is to be found in old-fashioned chests and trunks, was destined as a receptacle for money thus earned and earmarked.

_THE GOING AWAY._--The rice and confetti thrown after the newly-wedded couple signifies fruitfulness and plenty, and the flowers, usually roses from which the thorns have been extracted, bestrewing their path denoted happiness, just as the orange blossom and the myrtle of the bridal bouquet were emblems of constancy and never-dying love.

_THROWING OLD SHOES._--In Anglo-Saxon marriages the bride's father presented his daughter's shoe to her bridegroom, who touched her on the head with it to remind her that he was now her master. Then the throwing of shoes came to be considered a sign of good luck. "Nowe, for goode lucke caste an olde shoe after mee." The custom, too, is symbolical of the parting of the new life from the old, or of shaking the dust of a place from one's feet and severing all connection with it.

_A TEAR HANDKERCHIEF._--In some parts of the Tyrol a beautiful old custom is still observed. When the bride is starting for the church, her mother gives her a fine handkerchief, woven for the purpose of the best linen possible. This is called the "Tear-Kerchief," and with it the girl is supposed to dry the tears she will naturally shed on leaving home.

After the marriage-day the "Tear-Kerchief" is folded up carefully and laid in the linen closet, where it remains till its owner's death; then it is taken out and spread over her face.

THE BRIDAL DRESS

Something old, something new,
Something borrowed, something blue.

So runs the ancient rhyme regarding the bride's wedding dress. White is the popular wear, and has been for several centuries, but previously yellow, pink, and a brilliant scarlet were frequently chosen, unless by a girl named Mary, who was expected to wear blue, the Virgin's sacred color. Some years ago, the daughter of a duke, who was united in marriage to a commoner, shocked society by insisting on a "green" wedding. In less than a year, she and her baby were buried in the family tomb.

WHICH COLOR

Married in white, you have chosen aright.
Married in green, ashamed to be seen.
Married in grey, you will go far away.
Married in red, you will wish yourself dead.
Married in blue, love ever true.
Married in yellow, ashamed of your fellow.
Married in black, you will wish yourself back.
Married in pink, your spirits will sink.
Married in brown, you'll live out of town.
Married in pearl, you'll live in a whirl.

THE BRIDEGROOM

The groom, as the secondary figure in the day's ceremonies, escapes very easily as far as superstition goes, and may do pretty well what he pleases, save letting his hat or the ring drop, both of which are very unlucky. He should carry a tiny horseshoe in his pocket, and fee the clergyman with an odd sum of money.

No one ought to hand him or his bride a telegram on the way to church, and if he wishes to be master in his own house, then he must take care to see her before she has time to catch a glimpse of him ere arriving at the altar.

MARRIAGE PROVERBS

Happy is the wooing that's not long in doing.

Marrying for love is risky, but God smiles on it.

The married man must turn his staff into a stake.

Mary in May, rue for aye.
Marry in Lent, live to repent.

Advent marriage doth deny, but Hilary gives thee liberty: Septuagesima says thee nay, eight days from Easter says you may: Rogation bids thee to contain, but Trinity sets thee free again.

Happy is the bride that the sun shines on.

My son's my son till he gets him a wife.

To change the name and not the letter is to change for the worse and not the better.

Wedlock's a padlock.

He who marrieth does well; but he who refrains from marriage doth better.

Needles and pins; needles and pins,
When a man marries, his trouble begins.

Honest men marry soon,
Wise men not at all.

Marry in haste: repent at leisure.

He who repents him not of his marriage, sleeping and waking, in a year and a day, may lawfully go to Dunmow and fetch a gammon of bacon.

It will not always be a honeymoon.

Keep your eyes wide open before marriage and half shut afterwards.

Lips, however rosy, need feeding.

Marriage with peace is the world's paradise: with strife, this life's purgatory.

Marry above your match, and you get a good master.

Marry for love and work for silver.

Marriages are made in heaven.

Don't marry for money, but seek where money is.

A man may not wive, and also thrive all in the same year.

Better be half hanged than ill wed.

He that marries for wealth sells his liberty.

He that marries late, marries ill.

He that is needy when he is married shall be rich when he is buried.

Better have an old man to humor than a young rake to break your heart.

Marry your sons when they will; your daughters when you can.

Marry your daughters betimes, lest they marry themselves.

Two heads are better than one, or why do folks marry?

FOLKLORE AND SUPERSTITIONS OF THE MONTHS

JANUARY

This month is so called in honor of the god Janus, who is always depicted with two faces or heads, one to look forwards, the other backwards. His work was to preside over the beginning of any new thing and, ever since his time, people have invoked his aid and sympathy when they have been setting out on some new enterprise. On New Year's Day, the Romans gave presents to one another, much as we do at Christmas, but accompanying the gifts was usually a small copper token showing the double head of Janus. To possess one of these tokens ensured prosperity when commencing some new work, and it was supposed to carry enterprises already started, but not yet finished, to a successful conclusion. The accompanying illustration gives a reproduction of one of the tokens used.

_NEW YEAR SUPERSTITIONS._--Endless are the superstitions which have gathered around the dawn of the New Year, which, although neither a Christian nor a Church festival, afford sober reflection to many. In several districts, the custom known as "first-footing" is still common. People wait until the old year has been rung out and then they call on their friends to wish them a happy new year. They must not go empty-handed, however, or this will provide a lean year for the friends. A cake will ensure abundance, a red herring stands for luck, and the gift of even the smallest coin is a certain portent that a lucky financial year is opening.

While anyone is free to pay these visits, it is much the happiest omen if the caller be a man, a dark-haired man, and if he takes with him a lump of coal and a fish. Any fish serves the purpose--even a tin of sardines. Let a man, answering these requisites, be the first to cross the threshold of your door, after the old year has gone, and there is no better way of entering on the new year.

Another custom, which has many supporters, is to tidy up the house, to build up the fires and to open wide the front door, just when the old year is departing. The open door allows the exhausted year to make its exit completely. It is then supposed to take with it anything savoring of ill-fortune. The tidy house welcomes the new year in a spirit of brightness and gladness.

For a clock to stop just as the new year is coming in, or to be found to have stopped then, is an ill omen. Therefore, householders have long been careful to give an eye to their timepieces some little while before.

Weather-lore regarding the new year is plentiful. Here is a well-known rhyme:

If on New Year's night wind blow south,
It betokeneth warmth and growth:
If west, much milk and fish in the sea:
If north, much cold and snow there will be:
If east, the trees will bear much fruit:
If north-east, flee it, man and brute.

January has been described as follows:

The blackest month in all the year
Is the month of Janiveer.
In Janiveer, if the sun appear,
March and April will pay full dear.
If January calends be summerly gay,
It will be winterly weather till the calends of May.

(The calends, it may be explained, were the first days of the months.)

_ST. PAUL'S DAY_ (January 25th)

If St. Paul's Day be faire and cleare,
It doth betide a happy year:
But if by chance it then should rain,
It will make deare all kinds of graine:

And if ye clouds make dark ye sky,
Then meate and fowles this year shall die:
If blustering winds do blow aloft,
Then wars shall trouble ye realm full oft.

FEBRUARY

February derives its name from Februare--to expiate, to purify. In this connection, it is interesting to note that on the 2nd of the month falls Candlemas Day, which is the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

_CANDLEMAS DAY_ (February 2nd)

(a) If Candlemas Day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight:
But if Candlemas Day brings clouds and rain,
Winter is gone and won't come again.

(b) If Candlemas Day be fine and clear,
Corn and fruits will then be dear.
(There'll be twa winters in the year.)

_ST. VALENTINE'S DAY_ (February 14th).--Like so many of our old observances, the festival of St. Valentine dates from the time of the Romans, but the Church rechristened the custom and called it after one or two saints of the name, both of whom were martyred, one in the third and the other in the fourth century.

Latterly, the day has been dedicated to Cupid by fond lovers who believe it to be the date on which each bird chooses its mate.

The poet Drayton sings:--

Each little bird this tide
Doth choose her loved peer,
Which constantly abide
In wedlock all the year.

Charms and omens are in favor on St. Valentine's Eve. Maidens decorate their pillows with five bay leaves and firmly believe that, if they dream of their lover then, they will be married to him in the course of the year. Another fancy is that the first person of the opposite sex whom one encounters, that morning is destined to be one's husband or wife. Naturally, there must be some sort of friendship in view previously.

A weather prophecy regarding February runs:--

All the months in the year
Curse a fair Februeer.
February fill the dyke,
Weather, either black or white.
If February gives much snow,
A fine summer it doth foreshow.

In Cornwall, there is a proverb, "A February spring is not worth a pin," and the same thought is expressed in Wales by the saying that "The Welshman had rather see his dam on the bier than to see a fair Februeer."

MARCH

March was given its name by the Romans in honor of Mars, the God of War, as at this time of the year the weather was such that it enabled them to begin their campaigns after the worst of the winter was over. The Saxons called this month _LENET MONAT_, meaning "length month," in reference to the lengthening of the days.

Several weather prophecies refer to March:--

(a) A peck of March dust and a shower in May
Make the corn green and the fields gay.

(b) As many mists in March you see,
So many frosts in May will be.

(c) A peck of March dust is worth a king's ransom.

(d) March damp and warm
Will do farmers much harm.

(e) Eat leeks in March and garlic in May,
And all the year after physicians may play.

(f) March search, April try,
May will prove whether you live or die.

(g) If on St. Mary's Day (March 25th) it's bright and clear
Fertile 'tis said will be the year.

(h) A dry and cold March never begs its bread.

(i) A frosty winter, a dusty March, a rain about Averil, another
about the Lammas time (Aug. 1st), when the corn begins
to fill, is worth a plough of gold.

(j) March flowers make no summer bowers.

(k) March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers.

(l) Whatever March does not want, April brings along.

(m) On Shrove Tuesday night, though thy supper be fat,
Before Easter Day thou mayst fast for all that.

APRIL

The word April is probably derived from the Latin, _Aperio_, I open, since spring generally begins and Nature unfolds her buds in this month.

April is regarded as the most sacred month in the calendar of the Church, since it usually includes Good Friday, on which day blacksmiths once refused to work owing to the fact that one son of Vulcan made the nails for the Crucifixion.

_FIRST OF APRIL._--The great majority of the old-time customs which clustered round this day and contributed a dash of gaiety and humor to the more prosaic, everyday life of the community, have fallen into the limbo of forgotten things, and the day is chiefly remembered by schoolchildren, who exercise their juvenile ingenuity in playing pranks on their fellows.

The most careful research has failed to ascertain the exact origin of these observances, and someone has hazarded the theory that they began with the advent of the second man on earth, who sought to try the effects of a practical joke on the first.

Anyhow, a form of fooling may be traced to the time of the Roman Empire, but little mention of such a thing is to be found in English literature until the eighteenth century, although "Hunting the Gowk," the sending of some half-witted youth, the village idiot, on some utterly absurd errand from house to house, was long before then a favorite pastime in Scotland, and in France, too.

A weather prophecy for this day runs:

If it thunders on All Fools Day,
It brings good crops of corn and hay.

_SIMNEL OR MOTHERING SUNDAY._--It is a very old custom to make rich cakes during Lent and Easter, which are known as Simnel cakes. In South Lancashire the fourth Sunday of Lent is known as Simnel or Mothering Sunday, and young people provide themselves with delicious cakes "'gainst they go a-mothering." The sons and daughters present these to their mothers, who in turn regale their families with "furmenty" or "frumenty," derived from froment (wheat), as the dish was made of wheat and milk, with the addition of a few raisins. For children to fail in paying this compliment to their mothers is sometimes taken as a sign that they will have no further opportunity of doing so.

_GOOD FRIDAY._--It is a misnomer to name the world's blackest Friday thus, but the words are a corruption of _GOD'S FRIDAY_. Many quaint and curious customs are connected with its celebration, the origins of which are not merely secular but pagan, as well.

For instance, the worship of Terminus, the Romans' pagan god, has still left its mark on Christian England, where, in certain parishes, the custom known as "beating the bounds" is still kept up. Terminus decreed that everyone possessing land should mark the boundaries with stones and pay honor to Jupiter once a year. Failure to do this would invoke the wrath of Jupiter and the crops growing on the land would be blighted. Good Friday or the days previous were marked out for the ceremony.

A wet Good Friday has always been considered favorable for crops, although people on pleasure bent will think otherwise:

"A wet Good Friday and a wet Easter Day foreshows a fruitful year."

It may be useful to add here a saying about the day previous to Good Friday; it runs, "Fine on Holy Thursday, wet on Whit-Monday. Fine on Whit-Monday, wet on Holy Thursday."

_HOT-CROSS BUNS._--Hot-cross buns may be either a survival of the sacred cakes offered in the temples to the gods, or of the unleavened bread eaten by the Jews at the Passover. Bread marked with crosses was common in ancient Egypt before the days of Christianity. It is an old belief that the eating of buns on this day protects the house from fire, and other virtues are ascribed to them. For instance, to eat such a bun grants a wish that you may be anxious to realize.

_EASTER._--This name is derived from _Eoster_, the goddess of light and of spring, in whose honor a festival was held in the month of April. Few, if any of the old customs observed at this time still survive.

Eggs, as being the emblem of the Resurrection, are peculiar to the feast of Easter, and it is lucky to eat them on the morning of Easter Sunday. At one time, paschal candles were lit to signify the Resurrection of our Lord. These were of colossal size, and each church seemed to vie with its neighbor as to which should have the largest. Easter Sunday was known as Joy Sunday, and was celebrated by gifts to the poor and the liberation of prisoners. It was a time when all differences of opinion should be swept aside and enemies should be forgiven. To harbor enmity against others was to ensure a time of blackness for oneself.

Many curious customs used to be observed. Most of them have fallen into decay, but in some parts of the country bouquets in the form of balls are still presented, and graves are decorated with sweet spring flowers.

Weather observances are numerous:--

(a) April weather.
Rain and sunshine both together.

(b) If the first three days in April be foggy,
Rain in June will make the lanes boggy.

(c) If Christmas is snow, Easter is mud.

(d) If Easter is late, there will be a long, cold spring.

(e) A dry April, not the farmer's will.
April wet is what he would get.

(f) When April blows his horn (i.e., thunders),
It's good for hay and corn.

MAY

Some authorities maintain that the month takes its name from Maia, the mother of the god Hermes or Mercury; others claim that it comes from Majores or Maiores, the Senate of the first constitution of Rome.

_WHITSUNTIDE._--Whitsuntide, which shares pride of place in the Church Calendar with Christmas and Easter, is closely connected with the Jewish feast of Pentecost, which became identified with one of the great summer festivals of the pagan inhabitants of Western Europe, and this idea is borne out by the fact that Whitsuntide has always been the most popular festival period of the year.

It was commonly celebrated in all parts of the country by what was termed Whitsun ale, which was usually consumed under the auspices of the churchwardens in some barn near the church, when all assembled agreed to be good friends for once in the year and spend the day in "sober" joy.

The day was a prolonged picnic, for each parishioner brought what victuals he could spare. The squire and his lady came with their pipe and taborer, the young folk danced or played at bowls, and the old looked on while they sipped their ale, which was brewed fairly strong for the occasion and sold by the churchwardens for the repairs of the church.

During the Middle Ages, Whitsun services were marked by some curious customs, one of which was the letting down of a dove from the roof, another the dropping of balls of fire, of rose leaves, and the like.

_THE MORRIS DANCES._--Whitsuntide was pre-eminently the time for the performance of the Morris dances, which some suppose derive their name from the Spanish Moriseo, a Moor, and the dance was originally identified with the fandango. Others believed them to be connected with one of the season's pagan observances prevalent amongst primitive communities and associated in some mysterious manner with the fertilization and slaughter of all living things.