The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1879-05-22
Popular Fancies.


may be revived before long.
Popular Fancies.
Human nature is fond of mysteries.
1t will accept what Is improbable be-
cause il Is inexplicable. There Is no
reason, for instance. why the equi-
noxes should be periods and rain and
changing weather, and systematic
observation proves that they are not,
any more than the weeks imm -diate-
ly on either side OF them. But popu-
lar faith asserts that they are, and
has made popular proverbs and
practices. that we may reckon up
by DOZENS" in attestttion. A COS
mical influence Is accepted because
it can't be discerned. The human
love OF mystery insists on some p,-
euliar effect OF the notable phenom-
enon Of equal days and nights, and
one storm would be enough to start
the superstition, and one every five
years afterwards, would be enough
to keep 1t alive 10 spite OF four years
OF contradiction.
The same passion for tho inexplic-
able gives credit to the influences OF
the moon, which no science can dis
cover. In one stage OF the moon
seed will rot or grow runts, that will
sprout early and grow finely at an
other, says popular credulity. But.
allowing equal conditions of soil, seed
and temperature. and the influence
Of the moon is not conspicuous. II
1t were. we should have a wonderful
ly ragged lot of crops in this land OF
irregular planting, where one farmer
puts in his corn two weeks ahead OF
another, his potatoes three weeks be-
fore the first. The moon would
spoil one or the other, Inevitably, but
1t never does. Still the farmers shut
their eyes and believe in the moon
because there Is nothing to make
them believe aad mystery is allurine
to credulity. Many old women 10
the country believe that a new moon
ION its back" fortells dry weather
because the hollow Of the crescent is
a bowl ito hold the rain" Contrari.
wise they believe that a new moon
ION end means wet weather, "because
the water Will run out" They'll al.
NIT the absurdity OF the explanation
but insist on the soundness OF the
sign. A snake killed and left belly
upwards will make lain, is another
fancy which is all mystery and nc
sense, no. even the nebulous sense o.
the moon worshirpers.
1t comes from some Indian "medi
cine" Incarnation probably. Thi
readiness 10 believe In ocult inau
ences. or the influences OF natura
conditions and changes that are pow
erless so far as science can discover
may east y produce mischievous e!
fects, and has done 80 more thar
once, The ineradicable folly whicl
interprets the prophecies with
strained literalness that sets tn,
earth on fire every fifteen or twent.
| Al 4
has more than once or twice ruine'
hundreds of enthusiastic fools II
business and property. Not Ion;
ago some hasty alarmist, to make
sensation, or reckless humorist L
start a big joke, announced that tn
four major planets would all max
their perihelion passage In 1879 an
all be on the same side of the sun a
same time, a coincidence that hadn'
happened before In two thousan
years, and then a most calamitou
peslilence swept the earth. A con
junction Of three of the some hun
dreds OF years ago, made or accom-
panied or indicated the great plagu
OF the days OF the "Decameron.' In
ductively the conclusion iollowe
that we should have a horiflc seaso
OF death and dire distress this yea
or next. Now that is the very Sol
OF thing for fools to believe aud VOL
ry over. 1t is mystery. There
no reason in it, and so it Is credited
Science, however. proves that ther
will he at least four years betwee
the perihelion passage OF the first {
these planets and the last one. and
iL were SO. their conjunction can hav
no effect on the condition OF thl
planet, so far as human intelligenc
can see or nationally anticipate. Bu
the world will believe In mysteries {
the end OF time, and then there wi
probably be none to believe. India
ndpoliS NeWs.
The Congregational Church {
Iona, Mich, has been without a pas