Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-13

lV asserted that Such-an Such az ageu
person had magic book, which con-
tanned spells and enabled her to tOresee
some kinds of coming events. The IN
fuence of the moon--so firm an article
of faith among their forefathers--is not
altogether overlooked; and they watch
for the new moon carefully. If the ores
cent slopes it will be wet weather.
But if the horns of the cres-
cent touch, or nearly, vertical line it
it stands uprightz-then il will be tine.
Something, too, must be allowed for the
degree of sharpness or definition of the
crescent, which reveals tie state of the
atmosphere. Aud the cottage astrologer
has whole table of the quarters, aspects
and so on, and lays much stress upon the
day and the hour of the change; indeed,
it is a very complicated business to IN
derstand the moon. The belief in the
power of some persons to 'rule the plan
cts" is profound; 80 profound that neither
ridicule, argument nor authority will
shake it in the minds Of
the hamlet girls, and it abides by
them even when they are placed amid
the Disseminating realities of town life
When Sin service" they buy dreambooks.
planets" means to tell fortunes by the
stars. The Gypsies in passing through
the country choose the by-ways and lanes;
they thus avoid the tolls, have a chance
of poaching, and find waste places to
camp in, though possibly something of
the true nomadic instinct may urge them
TO leave the beaten tracks and wander
over lonely regions. They camp near the
hamlet as they travel to and from the
great sheep-fairs which are held upon the
hills, and perhaps stay few days; and
by them to some extent the belief in as
trology and palmistry is strengthened.
the carriers, who have to spend some
considerable time every day with then
horses in the stable, still retain a large
repertory of legendary ghost-lore. Toey
know the exact spot in the lane where, al
a certain hour OF the night, the white
specter of beadless horse, rushing past
with incredible swiftness and without the
sound of hoof, brushes the very coat OF
the traveller, and Immediately disappears
in the darkness. Another lane is haunted
by white woman, whose specter crosses
it in front of the spectator and then ap~
pears behind him. If he turns his head
and looks en- one side in order to escape
the sight of the apparitiop, it instantly
crosses to that side. Indeed, no matter
to which direction he glances, the flick
ering figure floats before him till, max
ing a run for il, he passes beyond the
limi's of the haunted ground. Near by
the hollow, where the stream crosses tie
lane, is another spirit, of an indefinite kind,
that does not seem to take shape. but
causes those who 60 past at the time when
it has power to feel mortal horror. Il
black dog may be seen in at least two diff,
ferent places. The way farer is suddenly
surprised to find gigantic animal of the
deepest jet trotting by his side, or he
sees dark shadow detaeh itself from the
bushes and take the form OF dog. The
black dog has perhaps more vitality and
survives in more localities than all the an-
partitions that IN the olden times were
sworn to by persons of the highest verac-
ity. They may still be heard of in many
nook and corner. / have known peo-
pie Of the present day who were positive
that there really was "somethiDg'' weird
in the places where the dog was said to
appear. 1t is supposed that horses are
peculiarly liable to take fright and run
away, to shy, or stumble and break their
knees at a certain spot in the road. They
go very well till just at passing 1.-THE fatal
spot. a sudden fear seizes them; sometimes
. they bolt headlong, sometimes thel
stand stock-still and SILVER; or throw
their rider by rapid side movement
In the aay-time-for this supernatural
| effect is felt in broad day SIS we'll as a
night-the horse more frequently falls Oh
stumbles. as if checked by an invisible
force in the midst OF his career. This,
too, is living superstition, and some
persons will recount whole string of
accidents that have happened within 8
few yards, till at last, such Is the force of
iteration, the most incIedulous admit il
to be series of remarkable condolences,
These last two, the black dog and the
dangerous place in the road, are believed
in by people of a much higher grade
than carriers. Altogether, the vitality of
superstition in the country is very much
greater than is commonly suspected, II
is now confined, as it were, to the inner
lite OF the people; no one talks of such
; things openly, or only to their friends
and thus stranger might remark on the
total extinction OF the belief in the super
, natural. But much really remains.
The carriers have a story about horses
which had spent the night in a meadow
being found the next morning in a state
OF exhaustion, as if they had been ridden
turlously during the hours of darkness.
They wers totally unfit for work next day.
Instances are even given where men have
hidden in tree with a gun, and when
the horses began to gsllop fred at some
tnlng lndlstinct sitting on their launches,
which something at once disappeared and
and the excitement ceased But these
things are said to have happened a long
time ago. So, also, there is a memory Of
a man digging stone in quarry and
distinctly hearing the strokes of = pick
beneath him. When he wheeled his
barrow the suhterranean quarrvmsn
wheeled his, and shortly after he had
shot the stones out there came arumbling
from below as if the other had been
emptied. The very gu Try is pointed
out where this extraordinary phenomenon
: took place. 1t is curious how story of
} this kind, something like which is. I
think, told Of the Hartz Mountains,
should have got localized in limestone
quarry so far apart in distaace and char
acter. How we'll remember the ancient
laborer who told me this legend as a bow.
1t Is easy to philosophize on it now and
! speculate upon the genesis of the ta.e,
which may have originated in a cavern
: Gus hollow resounding to the tools; but
Then vvn rool.%r al