West-Jersey pioneer., 1872-05-03
POPULAR SUPERSTITION.

What Paul said to the Athenians of old,
might with great propricty be said to null
titudes at the present day; 'sIn all things
ye are all too superstitious. Human ma
ture seems constantly to shrink from be-
lief of, and a dependence upon the provi-
dence Of that One Being, without whose
notice not even a sparrow falleth; and if
men do not now worship false Gods, they
are constantly ascribing divine powers and
mysterious influences to the most trivial
things. II ''The night of superstition has
passed away its twilight still fingers
among US ; and even in this enlightened
age and country, there are thousands whose
minds are darkened and enslaved by .signs
and lying wonders" How many are there
who are more afraid of the influence of the
Moon, than they are of the power of Him
who made it In some neighborhoods the
commonest transactions of life cannot be
attended to without consulting the Alman-
&C to see whether the signs are favorable.
A piece of ground cannot be titled, a hog
cannot be slaughtered or picked, a well dug,
a cabbage planted, or baby weaned, un-
less the moon is in what is supposed to be
favorable condition.
What multitudes are there, even among
pious people who are frightened out of their
propriety by sick mans dream, the rattling
of a window frame, or the hooting of an
owl. In the estimation of such, the crow
ing of chicken before the door tells that
visitors are coming, the itching of the nose
is sign Of strange kiss, and the ticking
of the little bag commonly called the death
watch, is ths sure forerunner ofdeath in the
family. The destruction of swallows
nest will make the cows give bloody milk
the whistling of sailor will raise the wind;
the killing of one of Mother Carey's chick
ems is always followed by storms and ship
wrecks the cracking of a piece of furni-
ture is summons to the grave and i'll
luck is sure to attend any enterprise COM
menced on Friday. These, and thousand
other similar notions are established, in
some peoples estimation, by combinations
strong as proof of Holy Writ" They can
mention dozens of cases in which their IA
vorite signs have been fulfilled, and they
seem to think there is something impious
in doubling these g old wives fables"
And it is not only the ignorant and de-
graded who are subject to these superstiti-
ons. Many intelligent and pious people
have their favorite signs, and while reject
ing some of the notions to which we have
alluded, cling to others with religious de-
votion. And even those whose Judgment
condemns and rejects all such things, are
more or less influenced by them. They
form large proportion of our early educa- |
tion. Signs and lying wonders are among
the first lessons that we were taught
Mothers quiet their children and lull them
to sleep with fables about old men, ghosts
and goblins and this superstition,
Is history
Handed from ages down: nurses tale
Which children open eyed and mouth devour,
And thus garrelous ignorance relates,
We learn ii and believe it."
The human mind is thus poisoned at its |
very fountain and men become imbued in
their infancy with silly notions and fears, of |
which it is exceedingly difficult in after life |
to divest themselves. May the time soon |
come when Religion and Science shall shed |
their mingled light into the humblest habi- !
tations Of men and put to flight all tie
shadows of the night of superstition.