The Forrest City times., 1892-05-20
CHARMS AND AMULETs.
FETicHEs WHICH PEOPLE WEAR
 ON WATCH CHARMS.
scarabs and Golden Eyes Prom Ancient Egypt-sesis From Babylon and Fossil Triiobites and Luck
 Pennies.

Some Of the most vaiuaOle ODIcSto oi art nowadays are hung upon watch | guards. There is well known Wash ingtouian whose scarf is usually adorned with sn Egyptian scarab worth $5. 000. Its appraisement is % high not so much on account of its ex- ouisite workmanship as because it was found in the sarcophagus of Rameses the Great and is believed to have been the royal seal The beetle was the emblem of the Creator in the mythol- ogy of the people who lived in ancient Egypt and great numbers of scarabei are discovered with the mnmmies In the tombs.
 In the tombs of the Pharaohs have also been found very curious repre- sentations of the human eye In gold. Some of them are left eyes and oth. CTS right. They are beautifully exc- cuted, the brows lids and pupils be- ing carved out of little rectangular pieces of metal It is believed that they were carried about by people for a protection against diseases Of the eye which Tn Northern Africa have always been extremely prevalent The glare of the white sandy plains produces dangerous opthalmia. while every modern traveller Is familiar with the little flies which lay their eggs within the lids the larvn matching therefrom feeding upon the tissues of the organ
 After the Oriental manner the na- tives of Egypt have always been en- tirely neglectful of remedial measures for the treatment of such complaints In the olden days they wore these golden eyes for the purpose of ward ing of the evil influences which were supposed to cause such diseases A person whose right eye was sick would carry the corresponding optic carved in metal and vice versa Probably 1t was the eye of the goddess Isis which was represented. When the good god Osiris was set upon by the Egyptian satan whose name was Typhon and cut to pieces the fragments Of his body being thrown to tLe gnomes. she wept so much that the river Nile was formed by her tears. Subse- auently she managed to collect all the bits and made him as good as new again. Recently it has been quite a fad to hang commercials of these golden eyes upon watch chains.
 It is upon watch guards nowadays that amulets such as these arc mostly worn. They are supposed to possess all sorts of virtues supernatural. If Is aston shing how many people. even in this enlightened ninateenth century.
 have faith in them. Although belief in ghosts and witche, no lcnger pre- sails. yet the dread s' the mysterious unknown in nature .etains more or less influence over evsry human mind Individuals are often heard to say that they have no supenstitions, but in reality there is no cae who does not cherish few secretly. The form in which this weakness is most common ly exhibited is ar unreasoning faith that luck inheres sn certain objects. You pick up copper cent in the street and put it sn your pocket-book | for a luck penny It is an amulet pure and simple
 Thus the httls cylinders Of stone which the Batylonians of old em- pIoyed for seals are often seen dang l ling from wat ;h- chains. For the
 same purpose jewellers mount in gold 1 or silver small fossil trilObites-- | crustaceans found in rocks that were
 formed perhaps 10 900. 900 years ago.
 the ancestors of modern Holsters ant l crabs Gamblers and actors are O all people most given to superstitions
 respecting luck. and it is not surpris,
 ing to find tha; they are greatly ad- dioted to amIiets of various kinds
 carrying them on their watch-guards,
 in scarf-pins 6nd set in rings for thu
 fingers. Miniature boars tusks ant
 the shells 10 much affected by gypsie'
 are both of very ancient Priapi
 origin. What they signify can b.
 easily found out by any one who care
 to inquire
 Horse chestnuts and potatoes car
 riod in the pocket to keep of rheuma
 tism or fot other superstitious pur
 poses arc amulets The virtues sup
 posed to be possessed by amber bead
 arc variously familiar, says the Wash
 ington Star Belief in the super
 natural qualities of amber Is very ol
 indeed. It rose originally from 1t
 peculiar slectric quality. from whicl
 WAS derived the word electricity.
 elactron being the Greek name 10
 amber Miniature arrow heads GU
 out of jasper and carnelian are foun'
 to this day by Arabs in the deser
 sands and strung in necklaces 10
 charmA The Etruscans of old used
 mount similar arrow heads in gold
 and one sees them worn even now 1
 scarf pms. Thus is the stone az brought down to the very preser time.
 |, Peoples fingers cut from the hand of the dead are sometimes carried Il
 amr.ets by the ignorant and supersti
 tielis Dried lizards sewn up [ leather serve the same purpose. Tn Indian hunter will cut the shape of a animal out of stone. have it blessed by the medicine man and believe ths it gives him good fortune in the chas of the beast represented. When h kills one he dips the fetich in tn , blood Perhaps he wraps about beads signifying money. and attache to 1t little arrow heads which repro sent the executive function of slaugi . | ter So as to secure as much hel | froln the unknown as possible h , hangs charms all over his person. Corea three spirits are supposed
 enter the world with every infan guarding the child until it grows ul | L