Page:Cornish feasts and folk-lore.djvu/171

 Charms, etc. 159 "On the afternoons of Good Friday, little girls of Carharrack, in the parish of Gwennap (West Cornwall), take their dolls to a stream at the foot of Carnmarth, and there christen them. Oc- casionally a young man will take upon himself the office of minister, and will sprinkle and name the dolls." — Charles James, Gwennap. The Rev. S. Rundle, Vicar of Godolphin, says, "That once he was sent for to baptise a child, around whose neck hung a little bag, which the mother said contained a bit of a donke/s ear, and that this charm had cured the child of a most distressing cough." "In some parts of Cornwall it is considered a sure sign of being sweethearts if a young man and woman ' stand witness together,' i.e. become godfather and godmother of the same child." — T. C. But not in all, for I remember once hearing in Penzance a couple refuse to do so, saying that it was unlucky. " First at the font, never at the altar." When I was young, old nurses often breathed in babies' mouths to cure the thrush, thrice repeating the second verse of the Eighth Psalm, " Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings," etc. " May children and ' chets ' (kittens) never thrive," and it is unlucky to "tuck" (short coat) children in that month. " Tuck babies in May, You'll tuck them away." It is of course considered an unfortunate month for marriages. Neither should babies " be tucked " on a week day, but on a Sunday, which day should also be chosen for leaving off any article of clothing ; as then you will have the prayers of every congregation for you, and are sure not to catch cold. A friend lately sent me the following charm of one year's duration which prevents your feeling or taking a cold. "Eat a large apple at Hallow-een under an apple-tree just before midnight ; no other garment than a bed- sheet should be worn. A kill or cure remedy." An empty cradle should never be rocked unless you wish to have a large family, for — " Rock the cradle empty You'll rock the babies plenty."