The blood from a black cat’s tail cures warts.
A black cat or any kind of cat coming to your house is good luck.
Death superstitions are very numerous.
If a tree that has been standing alone for years in a field is cut down, one of the heads of the family will die. The tree may be killed, however, by digging round the roots or cutting them off; and if cut down then, no evil consequence will follow.
Many families have their special death warnings differing from the death tick. In some, old clocks that have not been wound for years are said always to strike just before a death.
The face of a corpse must never be in front of a mirror; it will destroy the quicksilver.
Cover all mirrors if a death occurs in a house; stop the clocks and muffle the bells.
Both ghost and death superstitions are full and explicit.
The neighing of a horse foretells death; the news will come from the direction of his head.
The negroes have a charming euphuistic way of meeting unpleasant facts. We see it often said that if you are struck by a broom, it is a sure sign you will go to jail. Our Baltimore jail and penitentiary are on East Madison Street. Hence this very local variant,—
If you are hit over the shoulders by a broom, it is a sure sign you will go to Madison Street College.
An unexplained expression declares that it is "Good luck to see Mr. Elephant swing on Mr. Rabbit's eye-tooth at the Three Nights' Ball."
The negroes have seized upon many European superstitions, which, now changed, exist as survivals; as that of "Chilmer's Day," or Holy Innocents', No work can be begun that day. They will work late the night before to begin a new piece, rather than start it the next day. Their "Animal Christmas," when the cattle kneel in their stalls at midnight, on Old Christmas Eve, is a survival of an ancient belief.
We wish to keep in our possession, among our archives, as many as possible of the papers read at the meetings held every month. And for the many items of interest that are reported at meetings, it has been proposed to have a sort of card catalogue, as a record of what would otherwise be lost. Our members are supplied with pads of regular size, on which to write down rhymes, customs, and superstitions, to be handed in for the card collection.
Besides the collections being made through the schools of Baltimore, societies are being formed in the State for the systematic collection of the folk-lore in the counties,
A visit to Frederick last summer opened up an interesting line
