Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-10-09
CONCERNING TWINS.
fhe Mysterious Sympathy That
Usually Exists Between Them


Few things are more mysterious than
he undehnable sympathy which often
exists between two beings who came
nto the world together. There can be
40 doubt that this sympathy is real,
and not the effect OF the Imagination.
as some have supposed. So far As is
Lnown IL does not always develop itself,
end when It is present its cause Is not
~ any means understood. A very real
affection generally exists between
wins, and often seems TO show itself
j the earliest days OF infancy 1t Is
90 uncommon thing for . twin who has
ost his or her counterpart to pine
1way, dropping gradually into the
clutches OF the destroyer, who, in tax
ing away the other, has deprived life OF
Ill ITS joy. But though intense fond
ness is no doubt to q great extent the
cause Of such sad occurrences, the
sympathy which twins have for one an
1ther shows itself here. With many
avage races twins are hurried out OF
he world Immediately after they have
uttered IL; others allow them to live,
but only under certain conditions In
Western Africa, a little below the
equator, between ten and twelve de-
grses east longitude, live a large tribe
called the Ishogo. They have many
peculiar customs, but none more so
han their treatment OF twins and OF the
mother who is so unfortunate to bear
chem. An idea seems to exist with
them that no woman ought to produce
lore Than n single child at a time, and
they seek TO rectIfy the error by giving
heir deities every chance of killing one
= the children before they have arrived
Il the age ut which they are considered
y.ble to take care of themselves This
held TO be about six years old; once
chat age has been passed, it is thought
by these people that a proper balance
between life and death has again been
Struck, and they do not deem any
:urther precautions necessary. lmme-
lately the birth OF twins takes place,
ne hut IN which the event happened IS
marked In some manner which will
render it readily distinguishable from
all others IN the village.
Those who have read accounts OF
African travel will probably remember
lie unanimous testimony which ex-
,,iorers of the Dark Continent bear to
he extraordinary loquacity OF its na-
~ives. Africans talk as they breathe
-
Iother Of twins Is forbidden to ex-
mango a single word with any but the
Immediate members of her family. She
may 20 into the forest for lire-woOd and
perform the household work necessary
or the existence OF herself and her
children, but it must be all done In
strict silence, unless she finds herself
lear one Of her close relatives The
JnseQuence Of this peculiar custom is
nat the Ishogo woman breads the ad-
cent OF twins more than any thing, eX-
.spt, perhaps, being childlesS; and
nothing irritates a newly-married wo-
man more than to tell her that she Is
sure TO become the mother OF two
children at a birth When the six
years Of probation have dragged out
heir weary length, a grand ceremony
held To celebrate the release or the
three captiyes, and their admission TO
ths society Of their fellows. At day
break al the village is aroused by a
made in the principal
lireet, and the mother and a friend take
4p their stand on either side OF the
p oor Of the hut, having previously
Ehitened their legs and faces. The
lest of the inhabitants of the place con-
sregate round about, and at a given
signal the white-legged women march
away from the hut, followed by the
twins, the mother clapping her hands
and capering about, the friend beating
4 lusty tattoo upon a drum and singing
4 song appropriate 10 the occasion. Al
.er this procession has gone the round
of the village there is a general dance.
Then every one sits down to a great
feast, and eating, drinking and dane
'Tg are carried on for the rest of the
[ay and all through the night As
Jon as the next day dawns all restric-
LiOus upon the mother and her offspring
re held to be removed. This ceremony
= known as ''M'paza,' n word which
signifies both the twins, and the rite by
1rtue Of which they and their mother
IRE admitted to the companiOnship of
their kind.
Eases in which one of a pair of
twins has felt some disturbing influence
Lt work within him when evil was be-
falling his other self are numerous. As
With all matters Of the kind, the in-
stances are apt TO border upon the land
Z fiction, but there are many which
re perfectly well authenticated.
Though twins are usually alike in form
md feature this is not Invariably the
Ease, The writer knows twin brothers
who can scarcely be said to bear even a
Samily likeness to one another, and
whose compilations go to the very ex-
Iemes of darkness and fairness. But
though unlike bodily, they resemble
me another mentally to such an extent
that they passed from the bottom TO
the top Of one OF our great public
schools side by side.