Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-11-14
RUSTIC SUPERSTITION.
Wen Who Have Faith I'm Alleged
Signs and wonders,

signs and Wonders.
A phase of rustic humor which is des.
tined year by year land happily SOY to
shrink further and yet fnrther into OBJ.
scurity, is that belonging to rural super.
stitions. 1t has not disappeared yet. Far
from 1t. Dwellers in remote country
districts are aware how very frequently
in the characters and modes of thought
of their provincial.reared neighbors the
ludcrous hovers on the borders OF
the sublime. A man or woman entitled
on many grounds to place in the roll OF
natures nobility-bold, ingenious, in.
tellgent, stout of arm, and strong of
willis nevertheless over and over again
proved the victim of some petty delusion,
! or craven, ignoble terror. There are work
ing men in secluded hamlets who still
cling to their ancestors faith in astrol.
ogy and in the "voices of the stars" as
translated to mundane comprehension
/ through the medium of the prophetic al.
manacs. And this not vaguely, tenta.
lively; but with robust credulity which
can shape and govern their every day
actions, their buying and selling, their
sowing and reaping, their contracts,
whether social, commercial. or matri-
monial. We quote bona fde example.
A skilled country mechanic, man of
distinct preteHsions to ability, lost his
situation after fifteen years of approved
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 on the Monday succeeding his on
gagement. He hesitated and lugubrious-
Iy demurred.
II will come on the Tuesday without
fail, )" he said.
"Why not on the previous day." eau
tiously asked the employer.
''It's bad one, sir"
"a bad one? How? l don't under
stand"
''By the almanac, sir. wouldn't
marry on that day if l were ever so Deep
ly smitten by 'Cupid's arrow, as they
call it on the valentines, and if it were a
choice between then and never; and
won't start at new job IN Monday next
for any master in the country. Sorry to
disoblige, sir"
Remonstrance and ridicule were alike
vain. "No, no; mayn't be able to ex.
plain it-there's heap o things in the
world that we can't tell just the why and
the wherefore of-but I've proved, aud
that's better than explaining it; in fact,
there's a proof here in this little bit of
business. MyDalmanac told me l was to
have changes this year. 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 lots of times"
This same artisan stood sponsor on
another occasion for statement so
curious as to be worthy of reproducing
as specimen of the humor not simply
of rural, but of technical superstition
also. He was discanting on various
occult influences of the heavenly bodies,
favcrite topic with congenial audi
ence.
"The moons power is very remark.
able" he said; "as is well known and
admitted, it rules the tides. And it
likewise makes wonderful difference
to timber. You may hardly credit this,
but its a matter of experience again
Timber felled when the moon is waning
planes and cuts up nigh as easy again as
the very same sort, and age, and growth
of timber felIed when the moon is not on
the wane. It's queer, but true. "-[Cas-
sells Magazine for October.