Current Superstitions Part 49

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 st.i.tches 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, Ma.s.s._

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, Ma.s.s._

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 friends.h.i.+p. 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.

_Ma.s.sachusetts._

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. Sh.e.l.led 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, Ma.s.s._

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

_Salem, Ma.s.s._

1408. The looking-gla.s.s 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. h.o.m.oeopathic 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 friends.h.i.+p; always sell it for a penny.

1414. A present of pins breaks friends.h.i.+p.

_General in the United States._

1415. There was a superst.i.tion 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.