Mooney.] '^08 [Jfay 3, 



partner in case the other should die, and so on witli the third. One old 

 man admitted that he had tried this in his young days, at a time when he 

 was paying some attention to a girl named Mary, whom, however, he had 

 no intention of marrying. Sure enough, what name did he hear at the 

 first house but Mary. He went on to the next, and again he heard the 

 same name. Afraid to go to the third, he spit out the beans and the water, 

 exclaiming in a passion, "To hel with Mary !" He finally fulfild the 

 prophecy by marrying a Mary, but a dift'erent one, of whom, at the time, 

 he had no thought. His wife, who had been an interested listener, added, 

 "No, but she was kind to you." 



Two pieces of alum ar sometimes christend in the same way and placed 

 together near the fire. If they melt or run together, it is a sure token that 

 the fortunes of the lovers wil be joind, but otherwise, they wil never wed 

 each other. 



The young folks also go blindfolded into the garden at midnight to pull 

 up cabbages, and according as these ar full or s'unted, with straight stalks 

 or crooked, so wil the future partner be of fine appearance or witherd 

 and misshapen, or neat or slovenly in habit. The stalk is taken home and 

 placed over the door, and the first one who comes under it in the morn- 

 ing wil bear the Christian name of the destind husband or wife. The cab- 

 bage stalks ar sometimes thrown against the doors of the farmers. 



Another mode of divination is by means of melted lead, which is pourd 

 through the ring of a key into a vessel of water drawn from a spring wel. 

 The shape assumed by the metal on coming in contact with the water in- 

 dicates the trade or occupation of the coming man. Each girl making the 

 trial must hav a separate vessel of water, and the water must be brought 

 and the operation performd in silence. 



Three basins ar also ranged on a table, the first containing clean water, 

 the second, calld the baintreah'ac' (boncMrakh) or "widow" containing 

 dirty water, and the third fild with clay. With ej^es closed or blind- 

 folded, each girl then walks up to the table and lays her hand on one of 

 the basins, and according as she touches the clean water, dirty water or 

 clay, so will she find a' handsome mate, an ugly husband or widower, or 

 a grave before the end of the year. In the south, according to one 

 authority, the basins ar fild respectivly with water, earth and meal, sym- 

 bolic of long life, death within a j'ear, or the attainment of wealth.* 



In Limerick a cake is baked with a ring inside, from which omens ar 

 drawn in the manner already described in treating of Shrove Tuesday. 



Various devices ar resorted to in order to dream of the future husband, 

 the method generally adopted being to eat something which wil cause in- 

 tense thirst, in the belief that the apparition of the destind man wil come 

 to the bedside of the sleeping girl at midnight and ofier her a drink from a 

 glass of water which has been placed conveniently near. Sometimes a cake 

 containing a large quantity of salt is baked, and must be eaten in three 



* O'Hanlon (1S65), in English Traditions and Foreign Customs, Gentleman's Magazine 

 Library, 29, Boston, n.d. (18S5). 



