Among the many pleasant little superstitions, never really believed, rarely wholly disregarded, are the custom of the horse-shoe symbol, the faith in “ luck,” the distrust of Friday as a day of evil omen, the dislike of sitting thirteen at a table, the disagreeable feeling at upsetting the salt, the suspicion of uncanniness about black cats and dogs, and the opinion that most odd numbers are more fortunate than even ones. All these popular fancies and many more are discussed by Dr. Lawrence with a wide reach of citation and illustration.
Works of this class have a value'much beyond the recording of trivial superstitions. They are contributions to the psychology of man, and often throw unexpected light on serious investigations into the history of religions and rituals. The same motives, hopes, fears, underlie all beliefs in the unseen, unknown powers which control the destiny of man; and it is profitable to study these motives, in all their manifestations, however insignificant they may individually seem.
