Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1855-11-30

sltlon. An instances snort tine Hgo, canie
under my observation, at which Twas reall5
astonished A whole community was
thrown into an nproar by the appearance Of
set of these wandering and trifing beings.
Men, old and young; women, girls and even
children were all gathered around the FL
| thy tent to hear the marvellous stories Of
these ilnposters. Men of whom better
things would be expected, and others Of re-
pu:ed Intelligence, were anxious p know at
leastSllat they could sasi-fpoor way, in
deed, of gratifying excited curiosity. All
this, too, was effected without any great eff
fort on the part of the gipsies themselves.
There would not he so much room FOR sup
posing that Ignorance is so prevalent, if
they were to excite the passions by means of
oratory, and thus prove at least 10 some
way the validity of their professions; but
this they do not pretend to do. They trav-
81 from place 10 place, AND it would actual-
y seem that their presence, as il by magic,
is sufficient to arouse whole community,
and draw around them great companies in
ord,r to be made the ignorant. dupes of
their unnerciful deception.
Thus il is evident that not only in our
cities, but also in the country, our citizens
are ignorant of their own nature, and the
nature of the influences by which they arc
surrounded.
Thus far have confined myself more
particularly to the system of hnmbuggery
which is practised By foreigners on the cit
sens of this prosperous country, might
say much more with respect tostLe many
pcrnicious, degrading, and shameful practi-
ces, carried on in the cities, which in most
cases unite the two classes to which pre-
viously alluded, and thus fnrma disgust
ing fountain from whence How the waters of
vice, misery and destruction. But | for-
bear from such sad and cherries task.
| now come to notice number of super
stitious notions, which are prevalent TO
greater or less exte,lt fhrpughout the whole
..-.,,,tr. In The cites. whereas have al
ready remarked. intelllgchce szght 10 be
more general, there is no want of proof on
this point, especially among the lower clas-
ses: and indeed, sometimes lnnt with in The
higher aud more fashionable circles. Many
such srperstitious notious as were preva-
lent many years ago among the inhabitants
of the Highlands of Scotland, are TO be
met With even in this country, amid the 2lo-
rous light Of the nineteenth century. Be
ginning with class which are confined to
accidental circumstances connected with
the eartd, and the social relitions,I shall
afterwards notice a few which arise from the
ideal world, or, in other wceds, the crea-
tions of fancy.
The iEncs fatui. those harmless lights
which appear about marshes and luw, damp
ground, are regarded as evil spirits, which
are sent to allure travellers or persons who
are ont at night, into dangerous by-patlls,
aud often iuto destruction Then again,
the screeching of an owl at the window,
the croaking of raven over the house,
dog h6wling during the night, the falling of
salt from the table, these, along with many
others, are oinnious of danger and death.
But without dwelling any longer en- this
point, I como to notice briefly the class al.
ready alluded TO- This consists in spec
tres, hobgoblins, fairies, satyrs, witches,
wizards, &c. This clasq comprises the ex
efcising Of those rowers generally dehomi
mated 'sconjdrlng," and observation teaches
every one that there is scarcely any com
lmunity in which number OF these individ-
uals are not found Where is Tho man
who car prove thecontraryF If such, then,
be the case, does not the maxim laid down.
/ IN the Beginning of this paper, remain m
clouded obscurityl What more ignorant
nations than ali these 1rcnld have been
taught by the priests of aneient Egypt, or
tile ,nag Of Persia, or the Chaldeans of
proud Babylon, Or the Brah,nins of India,
o'r9 the Druids Of Gauli Certainly, there
are none They believed in all those sl-
pefstitious ideas, and from them have all
the nations of modern times received these
foolish impressions.
But have already ,dsels much ioagcf 90
this proposition than intsndedi its truth is.
plain % every candid and rejecting mind.
There is no room for doubt, and it only re-
mains for the phiianthropic to array theni-
selves in opposition to such prevailing Gus
toms; and with the corporation Of the
press this evil can be Ia course Of time des-
troyed. hIet Free lovers, Astrsldg@ $,
Fortune Tellers, Gipsiss, Gonjurers, and the
whole host of Parasites, all of whom are
drinking the very life-blood of society,
marring the peace and happiness of the cit
izens, corrupting aud degrading the youth;
in a word, let all immoral and uEgodly