From Days Gone By Jan. 6, 1916

January 6, 1916.

    The spring term of Warthen College had a very auspicious opening. One new teacher has been added to faculty since last term and quite a few new faces have been seen in the student body. This bids fair to be one of the most prosperous the school has ever had.

    The Bank of Wrightsville and Exchange Bank will hold their annual stock-holders meeting next week. It is expected that a good dividend will be declared as they have had a prosperous year, and are among the strongest in this section of the state.

    Mrs. J. M. Huff, wife of the editor of the Headlight, died Tuesday at noon, after being ill only a few days with pneumonia. She had been in failing health for more than a year. She was greatly loved and respected by the people of all classes in this section.

    Mrs. Rosa Kennedy, daughter of the late Captain John L. Martin, was married on December 30th to Mr. Furman Barker of Allendale, South Carolina.

    W. G. Burns and Mrs. Dolly Kent, both of Wrightsville were married yesterday at the home of Judge Z. T. Prescott with Mr. Prescott officiating. Mrs. Burns is a daughter of the late Mr. J. D. Martin of Johnson County. The groom is one of Wrightsville's finest merchants.

    William Jackson of Donovan has two good milk cows with calves for sale, and J. H. Palmer has high-class registered Duroc-Jersey hogs, all sizes. He also has a young pointer dog, well-trained natural retriever. Satisfaction guaranteed.

    All down the ages girls have been eager to find out their future destiny, whether they will be old maids, or as they are now called, bachelor girls, or wives and mothers. Christmas as well as all the other festivals, has been allotted its customs and superstitions through which the secret of the future may be learned.

    To find the answer to the important question, wife or old maid, a girl had to go alone on Christmas eve and knock on the henhouse door. If a cock answered her knock by crowing, she would be married, but if no cock crowed in answer, then she would be an old maid. This undertaking would require a good deal of courage in the old days of superstition, as on Christmas eve evil spirits were supposed to have increased power and ghosts were supposed to prowl around.

    If a girl wished to know the name of her future husband she took four onions and named each one after a boy friend. She then placed one in each corner of a room and the one that sprouted before January 6th bore the name of the man she would marry.

    In some districts this was carried out rather differently. Several onions were selected and named and placed close together, and the one that sprouted first gave the name that was to be hers. We can imagine how carefully the warmest place would be chosen for some special onion.