GAMBLING SUPERSTITIONS. 365 



tion of the rule the following instance from his own 

 experience : ' I remember,' he says, ' a curious inci- 

 dent in my childhood which seems very much to the 

 point of this axiom. A magnificent gold watch and 

 chain were given towards the building of a church, and 

 my mother took three chances, which were at a very 

 high figure, the watch and chain being valued at more 

 than 100L One of these chances was entered in my 

 name, one in my brother's, and a third in my mother's. 

 I had to throw for her as well as myself. My brother 

 threw an insignificant figure; for myself I did the 

 same ; but, oddly enough, I refused to throw for my 

 mother on finding that I had lost my chance, saying 

 that I should wait a little longer rather a curious 

 piece of prudence ' (read, rather, superstition) ' for a 

 child of thirteen. The raffle was with three dice ; the 

 majority of the chances had been thrown, and thirty- 

 four was the highest.' (It is to be presumed that the 

 three dice were thrown twice, yet 'thirty-four' is 

 a remarkable throw with six dice, and ' thirty-six ' 

 altogether exceptional.) ' I went on throwing the 

 dice for amusement, and was surprised to find that 

 every throw was better than the one I had in the raffle. 

 I thereupon said, " Now I'll throw for mamma." I threw 

 thirty-six, which won the watch ! My mother had been 

 a large subscriber to the building of the church, and 

 the priest said that my winning the watch for her was 

 quite providential. According to M. Houdin's autho- 

 rity, however, it seems that I only got into " vein," 

 but how I came to pause and defer throwing the last. 



