The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-08-03
SKEPTICAL LENITY.
POPULAR FAOS THAT ARE OFTEN
TIMES MATTERS OF FAITH.
4 Cure for Eheumatism-Avoid the
Rabies--The Friday Superstition-The
Monday Financial Idea 90 The Moons
Influence I-pon Ones Fortune.

I y 'uFc iof thcuHia'i-h NN"ihihE '"'
Rabies--The Friday superstition-The
Monday Financial Idea 90 The Moons
influence Upon Ones Fortune.
There is a very great tendency among
people Of the present day TO bee skcpiical.
Many things which formerly were matters
of such profound belief as to have almost
been toncts of religious faith are now
treated with contempt. 1t really seems To
be fashionable nowadays 10 treat lightly
all old-time supcrsitions. and this being a
popular fad, it prevents many persons
from acknowledging their peculiar beliefs
for fear OF being laughed at. This is all
wrong. and persons who are disposed Ia
grow hilarious over the peculiar matters Of
mith which have como down tO us through
the ages may find On msclyo- some time in
the unpleasant prcdi samcut Of the little
children who Knocked the bald-headed
Elisha.
II may Doe noticed that those people who
are tainted with modern Skcptlcsm have
no reason u give for their non-beief. IT
one is told taat carrying horse-chestnut
ii lNf lNfkti ~ u SURE cure lNi lNrUiURAl~hs
he viii not combat the assertion with rel-
son. lie will simply say: Nonsense, alb
surd.' or something equally unsatisfactory,
instead OF giving any lucid reason why 1t
Is not so. while. ut the same time, there are
scores of people who always carry horse
che,tnuts in their pockets a. preventive
OF this disease. which ought 10 be satislac-
tory evidence to a reasoning being.
Ii has been a common expression that
1.-THE hair Of the dog is GOOD tor the bite.
and this adage has become 80 well rooted I'm
popular belief that IL would take something
more than the exclamation of simple
minded person 10 affect II. and yet there are
many traditions about dogs and especially
mad dogs. which meet with little consdera-
ton NOWADAYS. II is gratifying. therefore,
to note facts recently brought out in IA Maine
court which 20 to prove that there are folk
VINO hold fast 10 the beliefs of their fathers,
and cling 10 some good Old-time ideas in
spite Of shcptics or scientists or other I'M
settler, OF our faiths. Testimony given IN
the Maine court showed that there were
many persons adhering to the opinion that
mutton from q sheep bitten by a dog is only
DO 10 be- eaten after the dog has been killed.
some people. il bitten 10y a doc, insist
upon having tine dog killed-not rs pro-
lection tO other people. but because they be-
htNe 10 tO be- protection To themselves;
that. even il the dOg il rabd when he does
tine biting, his death will serve ~ charm,
or something of that kind. to insure the
safety OF the person bitten; whereas If the
dog Z, permitted 90 live because be Il not
rabid AZ the time. and ho aiterward has by
drOphObia. the person bitten Will have II. y
,kcptical individual. commenting upon the
above fact. said that there might bc some
truth I'm the theory. for the reason that If
man was bitten by dog. he was very il
able to he mad. whether the dog was not;
BONO 90, there is cason io suspect that some
thing frivolous was intendedt0 De- conveyed
Dy thc remark. such testimony can hardly
he deemed worthy of consideration.
Many people viii not start ON journey
on bc.in AN enterprise. on 30 many other
thing, upon Friday. Especially are seaiar-
Ing men adverse to this day OF al omen, be-
lieling that il they commences voyage upon
that dty 10 insure. -hipwrcck. statistics
show that On average of five di5asters-two
steamers and three sailing Ye5sel.-Occur-
r,d every day in the year. and no doubt,
were the facts at hand % demonstrate ID,
-hangman's d0" could De proved rcsp0n-
sible for "a large proportion OF them. There
q, au instance On record of "a labor rci0rmcr
who would not work Oh Friday, but then, ~
be would NOT work on any other day, this
could hardly hc considered conclusive evil
dcnce that Friday toll Was non-romunera-
tive 0r unlucAy.
I'm Western Pennsylvania. among the de-
-ccndants of the old scotch tOyCnanters,
there j, "a settled conviction that if a mer-
Chant DAY, out money ON Monday morning
beior. taking any in. IL will be an unluchi
week f1r him. and that he Will be pay ing
ont AN lhc week. 10 De sure. IL all the pcO-
plc believed that way and adhered as tena-
c.oush 90 10 as some do, il would be rather
% drawback tO trade on Monday, but a.
there are always enough Of those lnaivid-
uals embraced by the proycrb about "thc
foot and his money Who are needless ol me
most solemn .niumction- and the most
necessary precautions for thriit, the wheels
OF trade are sgt going and the difficulty Is
-srmuuutci.
II va, generally believed not long ago
THAT louhiug at tAc new moon over the right
shoulder insured "eood lack" for the cur
rent month t0 the person 30 seeing the orb.
Some asserted tnit 10 thc observer held IN
l.. hand "a pinc, 0i money at the moment
Bee thus SAW tine moon, be- would not be- out
of money during the month. IL probably II
u.gine To- skcutIcl-m that persons do not
NOW follow this simple custom regularly,
snd tlat hence there are 80 many persons
anon u, who are impccuniDu, nowadays.
iuere are many beliefs supcr,tiilons, II
YOU will which can Dee shown not only to
,c firmly liked in ihc minds OF vast numbers
of people. bu, % bee "a, well grounded a. any
heretofore mentioned. There Is. for IN
stance. "A case well authenticated where
man was advised to wear his shirt wrong
side out ~ % preventive OF malaria. lie
was one of those modern ,keptIcs who VIII
u1t take advice when there IS amy tinge oi
-uper~iition connected with the ,ug-e--
ZION. and his only answer was a scOrniul
hugh. The very next day Dc was tossed
over a fpnecby mad bull and instantly
LIllcd. Whom thc>. instances are brought
iO mind. people may bee inclined 10 treat
them with icNity tor the moment, but they
Will think more seriously of them later.
4 certain doctor Vas travelling on the
ears with an old farmer IN Maryland lately,
and the latter spoke about "a son who had
lis. The doctor said that he was "A speci-
uli-t on fits, and that his method of pro-
crdure always brought about cure. lie
explained that DE would take the boy out
into the woods. and then. splitting gum
saplug, would draw the boy several times
through the crotch thus made, and he
added, lyon can see for Yourself that such
treatment ought To cure fits
"Well, now, IL do look reasonable re-
piled the farmer. This shows that all faith
mas not died out. These sacred beliefs,
which scollcrs are so much inclined 10
make sport Of "dO look reasonable To a
great many and the growing tendency 10
treat such matters in a trivial way should
be- iroNned down by the SOBER, thinking
people OF every community Harry j..
>hellmau, in the New York star.