Show OLD SCOTCH superstitions alio eliat clans round tho ceremony of ibus on tho birth of a child to bogin at tho beginning it was imperative that both tho mother and babo should be gained that is a fir candio was carried thrice round tho bod aud a bible with a bannock or somo bread and cheese was placed the pillow and a kind of blessing muttered to propitiator tho good people sometimes a fir candle was bet on the bed to keep them off if the newborn showed any symptom af it was supposed to bo a changeling and to test tho truth at thie supposition the child was placed suddenly before a peat fire when it really a changeling it made its escape bytho iann archim acy throwing back words of scorn as it disappeared there was much eagerness to get the babo baptized lest it should be stolen by tho fairies if it died it wandered in woods and solitary places lamenting its melancholy fate and was often to bo seen such children were called barans ta rans allan jamsay in his gentle shepherd describing mause alie witch says of her at hoara oer the he and houks mcane out of their graves it was considered a BUTO sign of ill fortune to mention abo name of an wean and even at baptism the name was usually written on a slip of paper which was handed to alie officiating minister that ho might bo tho first to pronounce it great care was taken that the baptismal water should not enter the infants eyes not because such a mishap might result in wailing loud and long but because the suf ferere future life wherever ho went and whatever ho did would constantly bo vexed by alie presence of wraiths and specters it the babo kept quiet during the cere mony the gossips mourned over it destined to a short life and perhaps not merry one hence to extort a cry the apman who received it from the father would handle it roughly or even pinch it if a male child and a female child were baptized together it was held toi be most important that tho former should have precedence and why in the statistical account of scotland the minister of an Or candian parish explains within the last seven years he had been twice interrupted in administering baptism to a female child before a male child who was baptized immediately after when the service was over he was gravely told ho had done very wrong for if the female child was first baptized she would on coming to the years of discretion most certainly havo a strong beard and the boy would have none all the year |