Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-11-27
MINOR SUGGESTIONS.
How They Have Worked Their Way Into n
Fabric Of Society.

How They Have Worked Their Way Into II.
Fabric Of Society.
You don't know how these minor
superstitions have eaten their wav in
to the fabric OF society. Take the
matter of thirteen at table. Every
body PROCESSES to laugh at it. bu,
nobody-until we started the opp si.
tion-dared to oppose it. said mem.
Der OF the Thirteen Club TO a writer
in the Epoch. The idea of thirteen
being an unlucky number is us old a,
the church fathers. 1t sprung from
the traditions OF the Last Supper, Just
rs hangman's day is said to be- ira.
dition OF the crucifxion. Perhans
you think that the strong prac,ica,
sense OF this age has outgrown these
weaknesses? II so. the next time that
you catch party OF intelligent, or
even religious. people at table, make
the experiment Cry out that there
are thirteen at table. and remind them
that one will die within the year.
Then see to what expedients thew
will resort to make the number twelve
or fourteen. But they will protest that
it is only a joke.
have given some attention to pop-
ular superstitions. and let me tell Won
that argument is powerless against
them. They have a grip upon the
imagination that nothing but ridicule
will lessen. Let me give you a few
instances.
There is an old and widespread no.
| ton that the mirrors must be removed
from q room in which corpse is
lying. found the custom in Ireland.
among the peasantry OF France, and
among the New Englanders OF Ohio
and Minnesota In these latter places
they cover the mirror up with cloths
instead OF removing it. Now make
the experiment yourself, and the next
time you are called upon to sit up with
a corpse, notice how uncomfortable a
mirror will make you feel. OF course
it is matter OF the imagination, but
you can't reason against it. All the
! ingrained terrors of six thousand years
|
the floor and catch glimpse OF your
self in the 81 1873. You start; was there
not spectral something behind you?
S, you cover it up.
1t makes you smile when you think
that the gift OF pocket knife is sup
posed to cut friendship in two. and yet
when you wish to give knife to your
son or some dear friend, you go through
the farce OF selling it to him. l have
seen the wisest and best OF men do this.
Rather than load my little nephew
with unknown evils, 1 have done it
myself.
When you want idiotic superstitious
you have to take actors and singers
people who might be supposed TO know
better. l know actors who would
rather sleep on the roof OF IL hotel than
in room No. IL. or any particular mum.
Der which could be- construed as uu-
lucky. There are certain actors who
are called Jonahs. because their pres
ence is supposed to always bring i'll
luck. Cross-eyed men or women are
particularly feared in q company, and
an actor vino is marked with small
pox can scarcely get an engagement
Actors always carry charms and anu
lets around with them; they have their
lucky days and their unlucky days,
and are slaves to superstition.
The form OF superstition which We
find likely to baffls even ridicule is
the idea that certain houses are un-
lucky. In my own experience l have
known several houses which really
seem to bring misfortune upon their
tenants. 1t is hard to ridicule this sort
of thing; Of course it Is all internal
nonsense. hut people insist that there
are facts to be faced.
The Tr0a Schools