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Show Throwing Chalk for Luck. In throwing a piece of chalk after his men for luck as they poured into the enemy's trenches, the Irish colonel was but reviving a superstition which dates hack to the ancient days of Thrace, where the custom originated of marking lucky days with a white stone and unlucky with a black one. In its early youth Home adopted the custom, and although chalk, not beijg indigenous, was chiefly known, as its name, creta. implies, as an Import from Crete, It was generally used for trie marking of lucky days. According Accord-ing to Horace, the marking was done witli chalk for K""'J and coal for bad luck. |