The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-16
STRANGE SUPERSTITION.
Dew ] W. wooDRIaG RECEIVES
CONFIDENTIAL CALLER

-, were Unfortunate Enough Not
narance a Small Sum to a Needy
Rrotner-A Visitor Arrives IN ilrne
for an Explanation
WON, the Ee,o York World.
Ray John W. Woodrlgg, pas'o, Vi
church. and one of the gentiest OF
iAi Is ,aiking meditatively in his gar
inen' man came up to the fence and
said: Nf- woodriog
~ no stranger to me. Many and
many a time, when the WICK Oh 'ne '1nulo
of hone had grown long anu 'ne pia1o
threatened to go out your serin0n' n''o
avon move me deeply by saying So" the
reverend gentleman answered, casting
look of close inquiry upon the man. "noin
he found to be solemn of countenance ana
exceedingly plain of dress "Do you i've
near hereF
mo- the visitor answered, "my habita-
tion humble and scarcely worth glance OF
the traveller that passes the door. is situated
many miles from here, but your sermons
come to me on the great thought-carrying
waves of the press Are you too deeply en-
,,aoed In contemplation to spare me a few
moments in your hbraryW
~0h by no means,n the minister re-
snonded. walk into the house, please"
They went into the library and the visitor,
after seating himself, looked earnestly at
the preacher and said: 81 did not know that
I was in your immediate neighborhood
until your house was pointed out to me, and
then my desire to see and talk with you
overcoming my Judgment, perhaps, urged
me to stop.
minister replied, moving in an embarrassed
manner, for although accustomed to the
compliments of the sisters and brothers of
the church the praise of this solemn man
made him feel uneasy.
al thank you profoundly" said the Wis
itor. bowling. ''For many days | have
thought that should like to talk Co you on
q subject that has become very serious TO
me. and you can scarcely imagine the thrill
| felt when your house was pointed OUT
II am ready, my dear sir, to talk to you
on any subject the minister answered. 'It
is with regard to religion, of course"
''Weli, hardly. Tue truth isl am al
most ashamed to acknowledge i'll fear
that l have become superstitious. l have
fought, have really struggled against it, but
still | cannot drive away a horrible belief
that seems hourly to fasten itself stronger
and stronger upon me. Before | proceed
further. let me tell you my name l am
CALVIN N. Boyers. l am exceedingly poor,
but all my friends know me to be honest.
Sometimes l have money, and, then, some
times find myself in extreme need. My
superstition began in this way: About
four months ago | went to a man named
Anderson and asked him to lend me $25.
He refused. What happened? The next day
he dropped dead.
There is nothing remarkable In that
the preacher remarked.
20, no; but wait. The very next day |
went to a man named Cal Simmons, and
asked him to accommodate me with S25.
He declared that he did not have the
amount. He was a very strong man, but
the next day he dropped dead"
"HumphP grunted the minister.
Then began to grow superstitious," the
visitor continued, ''and, although l needed
money, waited for several weeks before
asking any one else. Finally need drove
me to it, and went to B. s. Featherston,
our county judge, and asked him for
twenty-five. He said that he could let me
have it, and know that his intentions were
good, but upon looking into his safe he
found that he had not the amount.
thanked him, of course, but the very next
day, just as he had admitted old Stephen
Doyle's will to probate, he fell off the bench
dead"
'You don't say sop exclaimed the minis
ter.
''Yes. sir. It is q fact. When I went
home l heard of it and shut myself up, and
for more than two days I did not eat bite.
Finally l came out. and remem boring a
moneyed man, a friend of mine that lived
not far away, went to him, and telling
him of my experience with the other men
and reminding him of what had befalIen
them, l asked him to lend me $25. He not
only refused, but actually laughed at me.
Inc next morning, while he was out in the
pasture looking at his fine horses, he was
stricken with apoplexy and died almost in
stantly.n
Good graciousn exclaimed the minister.
you startle men
An, you are beginning to see that I
have cause to be superstitious.
no ", no" said the preacher, thoughtfully,
~, no, for we are in this enlightened day
warned against superstition. Coincidents
are sometimes perplexiug, but we should
never permit them to drive us into the dark
corners Of superstition"
u know that, Mr.. Woodrigg, and have
fought against IL, but still cannot help
yleldlng to strength SO immeasurably
greater than my own. Let me give you
another instance. About two weeks after
the last man died | went to preacher, a
GEAR friend of mine, and begged for spirit
uoA SOullOEt.
You should have done that long before.n
Key, Mr.. Woodrigg broke in.
II know that, the visitor assented: ssbut
somehow l did not have the strength to
acknowledge my weakness Well, | talked
with him long and earnestly, and after
awhile he convinced me that [ was foolish.
NY spirits rose, and / laughed for the
nrst time in many weeks. But suddenly
the thought flashed across nv mind that I
had to raise 1875 or my land would
oe sold for taxes. l explained the
dlstress was in and asked him to let me
nave the money. L should do so with
pleasure he said, but the truth is | am in
absolute and immediate need of every cent
nave L went away, knowing that he had
spoken the truth, but" The visitor took
out red handkerchief and wiped his ewes
How did love that manr' he continued
after painful silence "He was more
tnan brother to met he was indeed a
but did anything happen to him" the
minister eagerly asked.
The visitor arose and, standing with his
oack to the preacher, looked far away over
the landscape. He wiped his eyes again and.
N IN, voice husky with emotion, answered:
he fell dead the next day. OF NV dear
Mr. Woodrigg," he exclaimed, suddenly
Wheeling ahc,,& apd