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<h2 class="chapterhead">CHAPTER XI.</h2> VISITORS. 736. Having a piece of bread and taking another is a sign some one is coming hungry. Maine, New York, and Pennsylvania. 737. If you drop a slice of bread with the buttered side up, it is a sign of a visitor. Bathurst, N. B. 738. If a broom falls across the threshold, it means a visitor is coming. Massachusetts. 739. Three chairs in a row is a sign of a caller. Bedford, Mass. 740. Two chairs chancing to be placed back to back denote that a visitor is coming. Danvers, Mass. 741. One chair in front of another means a stranger. Peabody, Mass. 742. If you go around the chimney without sitting down, you will bring company to that house. Guilford, Conn. 743. Company on Sunday means company all the week. New England. 744. If you have company on Monday, you will have company every day in the week. General in the United States. 745. If you drop the dish-cloth, it is a sign you will have company. General in the United States. 746. If you almost drop a dish-cloth and catch it before it falls, it is a sign of a visitor. Bathurst, N. B. 747. If you drop a dish-rag, some one is coming hungry. Alabama. 748. If the dish-cloth on falling to the floor spreads out, the visitor will be a lady; if it falls in a heap, it will be a gentleman. Cape Breton and Central Maine. 749. If you drop the tea-towel, it is a sign of company. Pennsylvania. 750. If you go in at one door and out at another, it is a sign of company. New York and Ohio. 751. Going out through one door of the house and in through another means a visit from agreeable company. 752. If you go in at one door and out of another of the house of a friend, a stranger will enter the house soon. Central New Hampshire. 753. If you go in at the back (or front) door of a house, and out at the front (or back) without sitting down, you will bring company. Guilford, Conn. 754. If you forget anything on your departure from a visit, you will go there again. Eastern Massachusetts. 755. If the fork is dropped at the table, a man will call. Pennsylvania. 756. If you drop a fork, and it sticks in the floor and remains in a standing position, it is a sign that a gentleman will call; but if a knife, a lady will call. General in the United States. 757. Should you drop a knife or scissors so that they stick into the floor and stand up, it is a sign of company. New York. 758. The dropping of any sharp-pointed instrument which sticks up in the floor, such as a knife, a pair of scissors, etc., foretells company coming from the direction in which the article leans. Massachusetts. 759. If the scissors drops there will be visitors; if the small blade sticks in the floor it will be children; if the large, adults. Nashua, N. H. 760. A needle dropping on the floor and sticking up means visitors. St. John, N. B. 761. If a knife be dropped at table, a woman will call. Pennsylvania. 762. If you drop a knife at table, a lady will come during the evening; if a fork, a gentleman is coming. Talladega, Ala. 763. If you drop a knife, your visitor will be a woman; if a fork, it will be a man; if a spoon, it will be a fool. Pennsylvania. 764. If you drop a knife, it is a sign a lady is coming to see you. If a fork, the visitor will be a man; if a spoon, your cousin. New York. 765. Two knives beside a plate mean a lady stranger; two forks, a man. Peabody, Mass. 766. To put two spoons in your teacup is a sign of a stranger. Maine and Massachusetts. 767. Two forks or spoons crossed on a plate signify that a stranger is coming. 768. If you wash the sugar-bowl, you will have company. Eastern Massachusetts. 769. To have too many plates on the table means guests. 770. If an extra plate be accidentally placed upon the table, some visitor will come hungry. Northern Ohio. 771. If you are offered an article of food at the table, which you already have on your plate, but forgetting that you have it, take some more, it is a sign that a stranger is coming to your house before you eat another meal. Quebec. 772. If stems of tea-grounds are found in the cup, it denotes that visitors are coming. If you wish them to come, bite the heads off and throw them under the table. Deerfield, Mass. 773. If the stems of tea-grounds come on top of the cup, visitors are coming. Bite one, and if it is hard, it will be a man; if soft, a woman. New Hampshire. 774. If successful in the attempt to take stems from your tea, a friend is going to visit you. Alabama. 775. If a tea-stem is on top of the cup, put it in your shoe, and you will have company. Massachusetts. 776. If a tea-stem floats in the tea, it is a sign you will have a visitor. If it is hard, it is a man; if it is soft, it is a woman. If it is long, the visitor will be tall; if short, the visitor will be short. New York. 777. To learn about visitors from tea-grounds: Lift the leaf out and press it against the left hand, naming the days of the week. Upon whichever day the leaf chances to cling and rest, company may be expected. To complete the spell, pat the leaf down your neck and wish. Plymouth, Mass. 778. If your eye quivers, a stranger is coming. Labrador. 779. If a stray hair blows persistently across the eyes, it’s the sign that a stranger is coming. Massachusetts. 780. The shin-bone itching means guests. 781. The nose itching signifies visitors. General in the United States. 782. The nose itching foretells company. If on the right side, it means a man; if on the left, a woman. Central New York. 783. If your nose itches, you will see an old friend whom you have not seen for some time. New York and Pennsylvania. 784. If your nose itches, it means you’ll <div class="poem"> <div class="stanza"> See a stranger, Kiss a fool, Or be in danger. Peabody, Mass. </div> </div> 785. To sneeze at the table indicates a stranger. Peabody, Mass. 786. To sneeze before breakfast is a sign you will have a caller before night. Eastern Massachusetts. <div class="poem"> <div class="stanza"> 787. Sneeze before you eat, See a stranger before you sleep. Cape Breton. </div> </div> 788. As many times as you sneeze before breakfast, so many calls will you have before tea (or bed-time). 789. If you sneeze on Saturday, you will have company on Sunday. Massachusetts. 790. Water spilled on the doorstep means a stranger. Ohio. 791. To slop water near a door is a sign of a stranger. Peabody, Mass. 792. A sudden shower of sparks from the fire betokens a visitor. Cape Breton. 793. When you see the soot burning in the back of the chimney, it is a sign of your being visited by a stranger. Alabama. 794. If you <ins class="correction" title="crack">crock</ins> your knuckles, company will come. Massachusetts. <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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