Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-04-15
THE LOVE OF TWINS.
HOW DOUBLE DOSES OF HUMAN
ITY ARE RECEIVED.
uross Superstition of the Savsges.

i
Few things are more mysteriouA
than the undefnable sympathy which
often exists between two beings who
came into the world together. There
can be no doubt that this sympathy is
real and not the effect of the imagina-
ton, as some have supposed. So far
as is known it does not always develop
itself, and when it is present its cause
is not by any means understood. A
real affection generally exists between
twins, and often it seems to show
itself in the earliest DAYS of infancy.
1t is no uncommon thing for a twin
who has lost his or her counterpart to
pine away, dropping gradually into
the clutches of the destroyer, who, in
taking away the other, has deprived
life of all its Joy. But though intense
fondness is no doubt to a great extent
the cause of such sad occurrences, the
sympathy which twins have for one
another shows itself here.
With many savage races twins are
hurried out of the world Immediately
they have entered it; others allow them
to live, but only under certain condi-
tions. In Western Africa a little be-
low the equator, between ten and
twelve degrees East longitude, live a
large tribe called the Ishogo. They
have maay peculiar customs, but none
more so than their treatment of twins
and of the mother who is so unfortu-
nate as to bear them.
An idea seems to exist with them that
nowomBn ought to produce more than
single child at 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 about years old. Once
that age has been passed it is thought
by these people that proper balance
between life and death has again been
struck, and they do not deem any fur
tier precaution necessary. Immedi-
ately the birth of twins takes place the
hut in which the event happened is
marked in some manner which will
render it readily distinguishable from
all others in the village.
Those who have read accounts OF
African travel will probably remem-
ber the unanimous testimony which
explorers of the Dark Continent bear
to the extraordinary loquacity of the
natives. Africans talk as they breathe
-unceasingly-and yet the unfortu-
nate mother of twins is forbidden to
exchange a single word with any but
the immediate members of her family.
She may go into the forest for fire
wood and perform the household work
necessary for the existence of herself
and her children, but it must be all
done in strict silence, unless she finds
herself near one of her close relatives.
The consequence of this peculiar Gus
tom is that the IshOgo women dread
the advent of twins more than any
thing, except, perhaps, being childless;
and nothing irritates newly-married
woman more than to tell her that
she is sure to become the mother of two
children at birth.
When the six years of probation
have dragged out their weary length,
grand ceremony is held to celebrate
the release of the three captives, and
their admission to the society of their
fellows. At daybyeak all the village
is aroused by a proclamation made in
the principal street, and the mother
and friend take up their stand on
either side of the door of the hut, hav-
ing previously whitened their legs and
faces. The rest of the inhabitants of
the place congregate round about, and
at a given signal the white legged
women march away from the hut, fol-
lowed by the twins, the mother clasp
ing he ands and capering about, the
friend beating a lusty tattoo upon a
drum and singing an appropriate song.
After this procession has gone the
rounds of the village there is a general
dance. Then everyone sits down to a
great feast, and eating, drinking and
dancing are carried on for the rest of
day and all through the night. As
soon as the next day dawns, all re-
:, strictions upon the mother and her off
spring are held to be removed. This
, ceremony is known as '"M'paza," :"
: a word which signifies both the twins
and the rite by virtue of which they
and their mother are admitted to tho
companionship of their kind.
Cases in which one pair of twins
has felt a disturbing influence at work
with him when evil was Detailing his
other self are numerous. As with all
matters of the kind, the instances
related are apt to border upon the land
of fiction, but there are many which
/ are perfectly well authenticated.
Though twins are usually alike in form
sld feature, this is not invariably the
case. The writer knows twins broth
, ers who can scarcely be said to bear
: even family likeness to one another,
and whose compilations are the very
extremes of darkness and fairness.