The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1891-12-12
STORIES OF SECOND SIGHT,
BY A. CARGILL. ~.


Perhaps no touch of nature so unites the
entire human family as that inhe rent
sensitiveness to the apprehension of the
supernatural. But, somehow, few of the
civilized nations have suffered more from
the suspicion, to term 1t mildly, of unduly
fostering belief in, or regard for,
things uncanny than the people of Scot
land.
From the days of Macbeth down even to
the present time, one OF their most dis
tlnguishing characteristics has been their
sympathy with such happenings as were
supposed to have supernatural origin.
This sympathy with the outre element of
being has, indeed, long moved the popular
Imagination, as expressed, for example, in
the writings of Scott. Burns, Hoge, Viii.
son, and others; wierd and feysome
faculty that revelled in the doings of
fairies, brownies, ct hoe genus omae.
which peop!ed every woodland and haunted
every glen from Dee to Yarrow, and that
even was as familiar with such like i'm
material essences" as with the palpable
creatures OF hesn and blood
Ii is, however, chiefly with respect to a
very general prevalence in Scotland of the
belief in what is termed the "uncanny
git" or second sight, that this psyche
logical trait in the national character is
applicable.
All classes of the people are more q
less subject to It's influence. Even in
better educated circles, among clear
ed clergymcn, and hardheAded. :,
lawyers, this remarkable enlowL
it may be so caled-is' known
! Ii. Il - IA
exhibit itself With many Of IN,
Ter classes, however, belief in the
sight is a kind of second nature,
rs the media for its remarkable
tations they have somehow a.q
decided monopoly. The fact that al
are more or less under the influences
spcll-when the power operates-isss
justify the opinion that ordinary human
nature, wherever fouad, is sufficiently
orthodox, when brought into contact with
the spirit world, to at least assent to the
dlctum of the poet that
s'we are but spirits, 'scaped little while
From the dominion of the spirit world
And yet, though panoplied II hesh aud blood,
Are its obedient slayes!"
What ever may be its precise meaning
and significance In psychological phrase
ology, the 'uncanny gift is certainly not
confined to any particular age or sex,
though, perhaps most of the really remark
able instances on record of its manifesto.
tions are associated with aged females
"wrinkled SYPHILIS of sourscore, who sit
spying the features of futurity"
Yet many cases may be cited wherf
young people, even lads in their teens,
have been known TO possess ii to an ex
tracrdinary degree.
A few years ago, the writer knew of d
boy of sixteen who was supposed to be
uncannily gifted" for on more than one
occasion he gave evidence of his posses
sion" in very striking and inexplicable
manner.
Seated one evening by the ''ingeneuk
he was IA farmer sun), he quite suddenly
exclaimed. in presence of his mother, sis
ter, and two brothers, "Oh. there's my
father ia n into the pond!"-a little loch
on the farm, ;et so fa- away az to be out
of sight of the inmates OF the house
but" added he presently, hes got oot
again."
Such indeed was the fact, for in short
time after the father was met coming, in
IA pitiful plight, from ais accidental i'm
mersion.
On another occasion he informed his
parents that he had seen" Old Rab Ia
tavorite horse) lying dead In his stable.
Pretending to laugh at the lads SILLY
haivers, " the father presently proceeded to
the stable, ostensibly to 'yoFe to- his
beast, but in reality, as be afterwards de,
clared, to prove or disprove the truth of the
uncanny dream. To his CONSERVATION and
grief, he found Old Rab lying stiff and
stark and in the very position described by
the boy, whose trustworthiness was, Of
course, beyond all suspicion. The lad
himself died few years afterwards from
a peculiar form or epilepsy, but how far, il
at all, that malady had to do with his ex-
traordlnary visions, of which the fore.
going are only examples, was never de
termined.
But this instance is cited merely to show
that young person may have the faculty
or gift of second sight as we'll as an aged
individual-though, of course, it is i'm