ose life
he does not desire to prolong, he will do well to retain his property;
but if the name of one dear to him is sounded, he may rescue the
person from early doom by casting away one of the articles. The life
of esteemed friends is precious in one's sight, but his own life is
generally dearer, and therefore the listener should take care not to
cast away every rag he has, lest his own name should be called after
he has parted with his last garment.

Another way of discovering one's future partner:--Let a person take up
a position before a mirror, eat an apple before it while combing his
or her hair, and now and again holding out the apple, as if offering
it to some one supposed to be standing on the right side. Before the
hair is properly arranged and the apple eaten, the person whose
presence is desired will appear in the attitude of accepting the
apple.

By the burning of nuts, it may be discovered whether lovers are to
prove true or false to each other. One nut is taken to represent the
gentleman, and another is named after the lady. Both nuts are laid in
the fire: if they consume quietly together, then it is learned that
fortune has appointed the lady and gentleman to spend their lives in
happy union; but if one of the nuts start away, or should they both
fly off in different directions, the individuals appealing to the
fates are to understand that they will never be united in wedlock.

November--gloomy November--was known as _Blot-monat_ (blood month) by
the Saxons, as it was the time when large numbers of sheep and cattle
were killed for sacrifices and for provisions.

The first day of November--All Saints or All Hallows--is a day of
general commemoration of all saints and martyrs in honour of whom no
particular days have been expressly assigned. The origin of this
festival is supposed to have been in 607, when Phocus, the emperor,
wresting the Pantheon from the heathens, gave the splendid edifice to
the Christians. Boniface IV. consecrated it to the Virgin Mary and all
the saints of both sexes. The Pagan dedication of it was to Cybele and
all the gods.

The second day of November is an important day in the eye of the
Church of Rome. On this day there are particular services in that
Church relative to the souls supposed to be in purgatory. Odilon,
abbot of Cluny, enjoined, in the ninth century, the ceremony of
praying for the dead. The practice became common after this, and the
next century a general fe