The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-03-01
McGREGOR, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, MARCH. l. 1866 s~.7


Modern Superstitions.
There is, in almost every human bein,
q disposition to refer the inexplicable
the supernatural. In other words, if an,
thing occur which the observer cannot ez
plain by reference to known agencies, it is
IN nine cases Of ten, believed to be the RI
suit OF processes operated by some superic
power. The Guebre worshiping fire; tn
barbarous negro attempting to avert b
gvoss incantations the malign influences q
his Fstisch; the Indian who hears the voic
Of the Great Spirit in the storm,-ar
members of the same class that, in tn
midst Of civilization, are constantly engag
ed in referring trivial events 10 a superns
tural agency. Modern society has its Par
sees as much as ancient; the difference be
tween them is not Of kind but degree
There is the same superstition in boil
cases, the same proneness to mistake tn
mysterious for the operation of some un
\ nnun hioher mower and then tho sam
disposition to PROSTATE themselves will
the end OF securing the good will of thi.
potent influence.
Reference is not had in this connection
to the religious beliefs of mankind; but t
the workings of thoughtless and ignoran
superstition whose effects pervade most o
the lesser details Of life. These effects ar,
more generally observable in what may b.
called condolences or fulfillments. Thus, 6
person dreams that certain thing has oc
curred-that neighbor is dead, letter
received, or a house is on Are. Within 8
day or week the precise thing occurs
the neighbor dies, the letter comes, or the
house is burned. 1t Immediately is sug
gested to the dreamer that some power able
to penetrate the future has inspired the
dream, and ever after the person is frm
believer in the prescient character o
dreams.
Or again, soldier on the eve Of a battle
had presentiment that he would be killed in
the approaching conflict. He communicates
the impression to his friends; he goes into
battle and is killed, and the survivors recall
his preseniiment with awe. 1t is communal
Gated in letters to his friends, and thence.
forth it is believed that some mysterious
power communicated in advance to the
person his approaching fate.
Again, . dog howls under . sick mans
window, and the person dies. Instantly
the ignorant mind establishes connection
between the two events, and concludes that
some supernatural influence communicated
the fate Of the individual to the animal, and
thenceforth these minds accept implicitly
the howl Of dog as q warning Of ap
preaching death. In the same way could
illustrations be multiplied indefinitely; bu,
the above are sufficient, and are types o
nearly all the superstitions extant on mod
ern society. s'--
10 reasoning mind there is no difficult
ty in giving rational explanation to all
these phenomena. Thus, a person in the
course Of average life will dream good
many thousand different things. Now il
there be anything strange in this matter, il
is that so many things take place in actual
life, and there are SO many dreams, and yet
so few Of the latter ever have their counter.
part in the former. If person should un
rFil III a itss iiss - asrs 4
happen, and were to continue this thing fol
years, and yet only two or three things
ever should actually occur as he foretold
them we should place but little reliance on
his prophetic powers. Once or twice in a
life time our dreams come true; instead
Of thinking these rare occurrences as very
astonishing, we should rather be surprised
that among so many dreams there not more
that meet fulfllment. .-.. ,.- ..
Very few men who know positively that
they are about to 60 into battle fail to have
a presentiment that they will be killed
One man who has this presentiment is kill
ed, and rs who also have it escape. The
case OF the one is regarded as supernatural
That one man should have a presentiment
Of approaching death, and be killed, is re.
garded as very wonderful; is it not good
deal more wonderful that seventy Ave men
should have presentiment of death, and
yet not be killed! PIT.
And so of all the superstiiions of life. -
There are billions of things like this occur
ring every day; there are, at the same time,
billions of hopes, fears, and impressions
that certain things will occur. The won.
der is, then, that in this multiplicity Of the
actual and anticipated, there is not more
coincidence than there usually is. With
so very much happening, it is not at all
astonishing that our dreams, our present.
ment, warnings. impressions, ct cetera, dc
actually fill an occasional exact fulfillment
-0Aieago Times. 10 alos s@as a--.