Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-07-15
THE ADVENT oP TWINS.
HOR THEIR COMING IS REGARDED IN
 DIEEIEREHT COUNTRIES.

Woman Who Hears Txvins-Tho Con-
 ditscns Under Which tine Youngsters
 are Permitted ,o Live = Re5oicsng
 When tae Probation is Over
 Few things arc more mysterious than the undefinable sympathy which often exists between two beings who came into the world together, says writer in the London Standard. There can be no doubt that this sympathy is real, and not the effect of the imagination, as some have supposed. So far as Is known it does not always develop itself, and when 1t is present its cause is not by any means understood. A very real affection generally exists between twins, and often seoms to show itself in the earliest days of infancy. It is no uncommon thing for twin who has lost his or her counterpart to pine away, dropping gradually into the clutches of tho de- stroyer, who, in taking away the other, has deprived life of all its joy. But though intense fondness is no doubt to great extent the cause of such sad oc- currences, the sympathy which twins have for one another shows itself here.
 With many savage races twins arc hur- ried out of the world immediately they have entered it; others allow them to live, but only under certain conditions. In western Africa, little below the equator, between 10 degrees and 12 de- grees east longitude, live a large tribe called the Ishogo. They have many peculiar customs, but none more so than their treatment of twins and of the mother who is so unfortunate as to bear them. An idea seems to exist with them that no woman ought to produce more than single child at a time, and they seek to rectify the error by giving their deities every chance of killing one of the children before they have arrived at the age at which they are considered able to take care of themselves. This Is held to be at about years old; once that age has been passed, 1t is thought by these people that proper balance between life and. death has again been struck, and they do not deem any further precautions necessary. Immediately tho birth of twins takes place, the hut in which the event happened is marked in some man. her which will render 1t readily distin- guishable from all others in the village.
 Those who have read accounts of Af- rican travel will probably remember the unanimous testimony which explorers of the dark continent bear to the extra ordinary loquacity of Its natives. Afri- cans talk as they breathe-unceasingly, and yet the unfortunate mother of twins Is lOTDltllSu to cSCual3c d S1uS1c WOTu with any but the immediate members of her family. She may go into the forest l for firewood, and perform the household work necessary for the existence of her. 1 self and her children, but it must be all | done ill strict silence, unless she finds l herself near one of her close relatives. The consequence of this peculiar custom is that the Ishogo woman dreads the ad- vent of twins more than anything, ex- ! I1oip ohi1Slnoc h. ing irritates q newly-marrted woman more than to tell her that she is sure to 1 become the mother of two children at a 1 birth.
 When the six years of probation have 1 dragged out their weary length grand ceremony is held to celebrate the release of the three captives, and their admis- sion to the society of their fellows. At daybreak all the village Is aroused by @ proclamation made in the principal street 1 and the mother and a friend take up their stand on either side of the door of the hut. having previously whitened their 1 legs and faces. The rest of the inhabit- ants of the place congregate round about and at given signal tho white-legged women march away from the hut, fol- 1 lowed by the twins, the mother clasping her hands and caperlng about, tho friend 1 beating lusty tattoo upon drum and singing a song appropriate to the occa- | sion.
 1 After this procession has gone the round of the village there is a general 1 dance. Then evory one sits down to a 1 great feast, and eating, drinking and l dancing are carried on for the rest of the day and all through the night. As soon as the next day dawns all restrictions upon the mother and her offspring are held to be removed. This ceremony Is ! known as s'Mpaza," word which signi- l iies both the twins, and tho rite hy vir- tue of which they and their mother are admitted to the ompanionship of their l kind
 Cases In which one of pair of twins has felt disturbing influence at work within him when evil was befalling his
 other self are numerous. As with all matters of the kind, the instances re-
 lated arc apt to border upon the land of fiction, but there are many which are
 perfectly well authenticated. Though
 twins arc usually alike in form and flea.
 ture, this is not invariably the case. The writer knows twin brothers who can scarcely be said to bear even family
 likeness to one another, and whose com plexions go to the very extremes of darkness and fairness. But though un-
 like bodily, they resemble one another mentally to such an extent that they passed from the bottom to the top o1 one of our great public schools side by
 side.
 | Cellular Clothing.