The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-10-29
RUSTIC sUPERsTITIoNs.
Absurd DeIusions to Which Rural EnglisI
People FrequentIy Are Victims.

| Absurd DeIusions to Which Rural English
People Frequently Are Victims.
A phase of rustic humor which Is
destined year by year (and happily SOY
to shrink further and yet further into
obscurity is that belonging to rural
superstitions. 1t has not disappeared
yet. Far from it. Dwellers in remote
country districts are aware how fire.
quently in the characters and modes
of thought of their provincial-reared
neighbors the ludicrous hovers on tho
borders of the sublime. A man or q
woman entitled on many grounds to a
place in the roll of natures nobility
bold, ingenious, intelligent, stout OF
arm and strong of willis, neverthe-
less, over and over again proved the
victim of some petty delusiOn or
craven, ignoble terror. There are
wOrkingmen in secluded hamlets who
still cling to their ancestors faith in
astrolOgy and in the "vOices of the
stars, - as translated to mundane COM
prehension through the medium of the
prophetic alma1acs. And this not
vaguely, tentatively, but with robust
credulity which car shape and govern
their everyday actions, their buying
anu SOlAlilEg bIlClA bOH AAiE anu AGdDlNka
their contracts, whether social, COM
mercial or matrimonial We quote .
bona-fide example:
A skilled country mechanic, man
of distinct pretensions to ability. lost
his situation after fifteen years of ap-
proved service. He sought another,
but at first unsuccessfully. Trade was
depressed and the outlook somber. An
opening offered in somewhat novel
quarter. The inquiry was made if he
could commence work the Monday
succeeding his engagement. He hest.
tated and iugubriously demurred.
81 will come the Tuesday without
fail, - he said.
''Why not on the previous dayP"
curiously asked the employer.
1T is bad one, sir
"a bad one! How? l don't under
stand.''
''By my almanac, sir. / wouldn't
marry on that day if l we're ever 80
deeply smitten by fCupid's arrow as
they call it in the valentines, and If IL
were a choice between then and never;
and won't start a new job Monday
next for any master in the. country.
Sorry TO disoblige, sir.
Remonstranees and ridicule were
alik in vaine
ssNo, no; maynt be able to explain
it-there's a heap o. things in the
world that we can't tell Just the why
and the wherefore of-but I've proved,
and that's better than explaining il; iE
fact, there's a proof here In this little
bit of business. NY almanac told me /
was to have changes thisyear. looked
all round, but couldn't so much as
guess where they were TO come from.
But you see that after all the almanac
was right, and I've noticed it scores Of
times" "
This same artisan stood sponsor Oh
another occasion for a statement so
curious as to be worthy of reproducing
as a specimen Of the humOr not simply
of rural, but Of techical superstition al
so. He was descanting on various oc-
cult influences of the heavenly bodies
"a favorite topic with a congenial au-
dience.
The moons power is very remark
able, he said, "as is we'll known and
admitted, it rules the tides. And it
likewise makes a wonderful difference
to timber You may hardly credit
this, but it's a matter Of experience
again. Timber felled when the moon
is waxing planes or cuts up nigh as
easy again as the very same sort, and
age, and growth of timber feIled when
the moon is on the wane. It's queer.
but true. - CnSselE sF'aBlilV Magazine.
"A rich New York woman with
humorously tender heart Is 10 establish
''an asylum for injured polo players y