American mechanic and home journal., 1849-11-16

its and apparitions that were formerly told in the family circle on winter evenings, are no longer heard, but there are many who still be- lieve in the existence of haunted houses, ap- partitions, supernatural sounds, &c. Some, who pretend to disbelieve in the existence of spectres and apparitions, aver that people are sometimes warned by dreams, or some super natural appearance, of death or accidents about to befall them. To such persons dreams are frequently a source of much trouble and anxiety, that might be entirely avoided but for their foolish, superstitious opinions. The bowling ofa dog at night is regarded by some las the torerunner of the death of some per son near by. The ticking of the insect called the death-watch, by the side of the bed of a sick person, is reg ardt d as ;n cen of death, and many such casual circumstances are con- sidered omens of fearful import.
 When the steamer Atlantic was wrecked, the general opinion of the people was that it was a judgment from the Almighty. This They thought to be an illustration of the pow CT of fate the boat, they said, was doomed boat---doomed by the Deity to destruction.--- A voice from the Pulpit declared it to be a judgment sent down from above, and com pared the destruction of that boat to that of Sodom and Gomorrah. In the destruction of the Atlantic there was nothing but what could be accounted for in accordance with the general laws of Nature, and if we see a judgment in that casualty,so % might in the destruction of every vessel The supersti- tious notions imbibed in the days of witch craft have not as yet entirely passed away. It is but few years since, that in the town of Preston, the bodies of the dead were dug up and burned to prevent them from destroy ing the living. We shall give an account of this in some future number. THE CHILD AND THE DEW DROPS. |" Oh father, dear father, why pass they away? The dew-drops that sparkle at dawn of day, That glittered like stars in the light of the moon,
 IOh! why are the dew-drops dissolving so soon .?
 Does the sun in his wrath chase their bright
 ness away,
 As though nothing that's lovely might live for
 day!
 The moonlight has faded, the flowers still re- main,
 But the dew-drops have shrunk in their pe-
 tals again.
 Oh father dear father, why pass they away !! The dew-drops thai sparkled at dawning of
 day"
 " Ny child," said the father, Hook up to the skies,
 Behold that bright rainbow, those beautiful
 dyes;
 There, there are the dew drops in glory reset, Mid the jewels of Heaven they are glittering yet,
 Then are We not taught by each beautiful ray To mourn not earths fair things, though pass
 ing away;
 For though youth of it's beauty and brightness be riven,
 All that withers on earth blooms more sweet
 ly in Heaven.
 Look up," said the father, Hook up to the ! skies,
 Hope sits on the wings of those beautiful
 dyes.'' 1 Alas for the father---how little knew he, That the words he had spoken prophetic
 would be,
 That the beautiful cherub--the star of his day, Was cen then like the dew-drops dissolving l away;
 | Oh, sad was the father, when low in the skies The rainbow again spread it's beautiful dyes And then he remembered the maxims he'd
 given, And thought of his child and the dew-drops | in Heaven. i WHAT IS CHARITY? { 'Tis not to pause, when at the door I shivering mortal stands l To ask the cause that made him poor, i Or why he help demands. 'Tis not to spurn that brothers prayer,