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Show RUBY IS JULY BIRTHSTONE j Gem Has Been Associated Through the Centuries With Some Remarkably Quaint Superstitions. The ruby is the blrthstone of July. It was associated In ancient times with many queer superstitions. How these old fancies originated or how they j could have been palmed off on the pub- j lie it is dilllcult to imagine. The fact ! that the common people had implicit I faith in them proves how very much more credulous the world once was than it is today. For instance, the ancients believed that if a ruby were worn about the neck it conferred the .power of seeing in the dark. One wonders what monumental mon-umental faker started this absurb conceit con-ceit and for what purpose. It was generally gen-erally believed, however, possibly lie-cause lie-cause rubies were costly and the common com-mon people could not test the matter for themselves. The ruby also was supposed to be a talisman against evil spirits, the plague and poison. By the deepening of its color It forewarned Its wearer against impending misfortune. If tied upon the forehead in a linen cloth it was believed to be a specific for disease dis-ease of the eye. Brooklyn Eagle. |