, 1877-06-18
MODERN CREDULITY.
Some Fresh r,tnstrattons ofIta Absur.iltIc'

Those who are lat'orine, either as lndividua1e.
or iu s.pial institutions, to raise tho level and
Improve the tune Of life among the nass Of
e sFe
rurant crcjullty. still exist an,angst It's TO 3
1amentabls degree. Even comfortable farmers
with their wives aud children small shop
Keepers N country n,sns ,s1.. and, and working
be found among VIC dnpcs Of fortunc'tcllers
and witcl,Gndcrs; albeit servant girls arc the
most numerous victims. Whether, through the
agency Of school boards or board schools, edit
show; hut nothing less thnn mental improve
mcnt, whether given by schools, bv healthy IT.
eraturc, Or by other agencies, wll cure the evil.
urr, il viii suffice 70 ciye fsw Iottings 20 r.
cent III ditto as within Tho last ten years, mostly
derived from authentic police reports; ...
AZ Madeley u StAi!or'lshltes ia 1877. man
q child troubled with severe cough. The father
had delayed sending for doctor until hc had
tested the cillcay Of remedy which be declared
had never failed. This remedy, Or charm, con.
sisted In cutting = few hairs from tho pnrt Of
the patients bead whcrG It Joins tic neck,
placing them between two thln slices OF bread.
nntl.bnttcr, and giving them t. dog to cat.
Resisting his ncfgh1Wr's cxpostu'atton a. such
m absurtllty, the father Uf tho child admins
tered thIa dtcetablo sandwich to a dog; II Tho
animal had sickcned.. a dnetor for slo child
would have been sent for; but MS Rover did not
seem 10 caro- much about It, tho invalid was left
t0 recover Without medical aid.
AZ strstford-on.Avon: IN TIC snne year,
were visited BY bringsa Of very exceptional CHAR
Acter-somctfnes d human creature carrying
his head under his arm; sometimes headtcss
Icing that descended the chimney: sometimes
inmates about, and maln havoc With tho furn[.
turc. Neither rflicute t,or serious talk could
s!,ake tiIc.n IN this belief; they declared them
Gclres to be tcwltchcl, aud That rcllcl could
son supposed to be the witch. Unfortunately
for her, tho foolish people s'lRrcctcu woman
named Jano Ward who livud door or two on.
The father pounccd upon her one day l!cll her
!lrmly, and eat i!cr taso with knife. The fam
oi breaking thc spell; thuy Oil slept well, that
for some tlmo previously. 5ano Wnra, u
course, did not approve oi sl,el m cxtraor-
binary proceeding, and tho Magistrates commit
Ing. II tho memory Of Shakespeare Inns rnflncd
Ills birthplace, tlfs refinement certainly lial not
reached the famlly In question.
Aont t9 same psrS she a nw haa 10 mto
had met with dupo Of almost lncsedlble SILL
ness. A lnboring man ut Woodbury., whose wife
had m attack OF paralysis, believed tl'at sl,u
was "!ll.wlsl''a BY some % one, apparently,
Eyer Having heard Of n woman at plymouth
possessing magic power he went and sought
l.er out rs a means Of asccrtatntng who WIS the
lil.wtshcr. Tho wise woman was equal to
tho occasion. She told llin, TINT l,la wiic would
tain herbs in tho Churrf-yurtl for twcnty-ono
niatta. Moreover, certain powders were 10 hc
burnt In the irc, ono In the morning atid one In
the cYcnlng, and the ninetyfsrst psalm was to bc
read during the burning; "skln'' was to bo worn
round tho neck, put on for tho first time on q
Sunday. A piece Of parchment wns given 10
him under tho uaue Ut q "el,arm," henrIng
cat,aisttc a!gns Of i'croglYphics. with few sen.
tcticcs: "Whosocycr bcareth thts sign, all splr-
itt will tto HIN lloMnge;" "Ilifs sign against
wttcllcraft,, ,ptltFid fnfcctfonst and sudden
Icath;n "Whoso bcarcth this stgn need fear no
foe;" "Th!s !s a.,siHn agatilst wItehcratt.
aud suicide, and evil demons" TIC foolish
lnan lent q willing car to all this; and, rs lIo
Ind sayc,l little money, l.o bcca1no . welcome
dupc to tue wise won,at't who t'ccccl him u tho
extent q narc tten H. Az s wIfs became
moro paralyze,l, his eyes were opened lttlc;
lls tula hi grievances to Magistrate. md I'm.
lntrr al fa.t1