40 Transactions. 
future partner in life. Those again who were curious as to the 
number of their future family only required to pulla stalk of 
corn out of a corn rick and see how many ears adhered thereto. 
Whatever the number—two, four, or 4ight—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 
divinations, 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 person 
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 thos 
upon whom the sun refused to shed his beams of blessing. It 
was considered lucky for a bride to change some minor article of 
wearing apparel before going to get married, but the marriage 
gown 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 piace on foot, sometimes on horseback. 
Tn Burns’s day horseback racing must have been the rule, for 
