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when (by chance) an unlucky omen comes true, and have a satis- 

 faction even in relating their misfortunes ; while, since no one tells 

 of the cases that do not come true, every chance of fulfilment is a 

 new rivet in the chain that ought long ago to have fallen to 

 pieces. 



There is a sort of sacredness about them which renders people 

 afraid of putting them to the test ; but if they were fairly tried, 

 they would be detected as a mental tyranny, a popular fraud ; and 

 in a few generations would be remembered by the rustic classes 

 only, as the learned now remember the foolish excitement of their 

 forefathers in science, seeking the Elixir of Life and the Philoso- 

 pher's Stone. 



Most superstitions are signs of ill-luck, hence the unlucky 

 greatly predominate over the lucky omens. When going away, 

 it is considered very unlucky to meet a woman first. A farmer in 

 our own neighbourhood tells me that his father was once going 

 from Rosetrees to Drybeck to a cock-fighting contest. When 

 Hearing the latter place, he met an unlucky person — which simply 

 means a person who had been the victim of bad luck some time. 

 His first impulse was to climb the hedge, and so avoid passing this 

 man on the road; but on second consideration he went on. The 

 result of this unlucky meeting was the best possible luck : for he 

 was the champion of the day, his bird being victorious in eight 

 contests, and he finally bearing off the head prize, a pair of shoes. 

 It would seem there was a possibility of defeating bad luck and 

 wooing good ; for it was very common of people when going away, 

 in order to avoid a woman or a person accredited unlucky, to send 

 out a man to meet them first. It is also considered unlucky for a 

 woman first to enter a house on a Christmas or a New Year's 

 morning. Why, I don't know; but I know a man, who, last 

 Christmas, was absolutely forced to go into a certain house on the 

 plea that the goodwife would not like to see a woman enter first. 

 Nor was this enough ; he was pressed to take some spirits, but 

 being a teetotaler, had to eat a piece of bread before coming out. 



It is a common saying that as much as possible ought to be 

 carried into a house on the first day of the year ; but nothing 



