40 Transactions. 



future partner in life. Those again who were curious as to the 

 number of their future family only requii-ed to pull a stalk of 

 corn out of a corn rick and see how many ears adhered thereto. 

 Whatever the number — tM'o, four, or ^ght — the family would be 

 accordingly. Even such trivialities as the coming husband's age 

 and the particular colour of his hair could be ascertained by those 

 who cared to undertake the appropriate rites. But we have said 

 enough to show the importance that was attached to these 

 dirinations, and we must now glance at the numerous supersti- 

 tions connected with the all-important marriage ceremony itself. 



Immediately the "banns" had been proclaimed — and it may 

 be remarked in passing that it was considered most unlucky for 

 anyone to hear their own banns proclaimed — the bride became 

 an object of interest to the whole of her unmarried male or female 

 acquaintances, for a charm was supposed to reside in her per-son 

 which rendered it specially lucky for them to rub shoulders with 

 her. It is still customary in Glencairn for the bride and bride- 

 groom to sally forth perhaps a week before the date fixed for the 

 wedding, and deliver their invitations in person. Sometimes as 

 many as a hundred invitations will be given in this way, and 

 although all may not attend the ceremony there are few who do 

 not acknowledge the invitation by sending a present to the bride. 



The state of the weather on the wedding day was, of course, a 

 subject of paramount interest. Sunshine seems to have been 

 looked upon with most favour, but as an offset to this we have 

 the adage, " Sap bodes luck," a considerate concession to those 

 upon whom the sun refused to shed his beams of bles.sing. It 

 was considered lucky for a bride to change some minor article of 

 wearing apparel before going to get married, but the marriage 

 wown once donned had on no account to be stripped until the 

 ceremony was over. Perhaps the most important custom in the 

 eyes of the guests at a rural wedding was the " running for the 

 broose," a race in which the young men of the bridegroom's party 

 competed for the bride's handkerchief. Originally the prize to 

 the winner seems to have been a dish of brose, hence the name of 

 the race ; but of recent years it has become customary to substi- 

 tute a handkerchief or a bottle of whisky as the trophy of victory. 

 The contest sometimes took place on foot, sometimes on horseback. 

 In Burns's day horseback racing nnist have been the rule, for 



