The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-07-25
superstitions of the Human Race.
Chicago Tribune.)


There is a vast amount of supersti-
ton, even among the more intelligent
people, and most of it is traceable to the
infantile phrases of thought which OBJ
tanned in the earlier history of the hui
man race before men had learned to OBJ
serve facts with reference to their origin
or to reason from effects toward their
causes. The superstition about "tbir-
teen" has come down to US from the time
when that number was regarded as con-
tanning superhuity, twelve being
looked upon as a perfect and sacred
number, compounded Of three and four
Probably Friday came to be thought
unlucky because it is the day next pre-
ceding the original or Jewish Sabbath,
which was a day of rest that did not per-
nit the finishing of a work begun Friday
and left uncompleted, though in many
minds it is associated with the crucifix-
ion and with the hanging of criminals.
The belief in ghosts and hobgoblins is
| well-nigh universal. 1t is traced back
by Huxley to the the infancy of human
| thought, and by him considered as the
| foundation of human belief in the super
| natural. And it is grained deep into
bltC luutSiuudl VI tO-Sdy duIlAS SAAld-
! hood AS rule, the belief in the exist
ence of ghosts or shades of the departed
| become part of the mental furniture
| between the ages of and -, or not at
| all. Whether it be the spious" teach
| ing that angels watch over the bed of
babes, OF the demoniac threat that the
| ghost will come for the child if it is not
good the general result is much the
same. The boy grows up with shaded
mentality, in which doubt alternates
with superstitious belief. the latter being
but seldom completely removed as re-
suit of deep study of the laws of the uni
verse. The more impossible mind OF
the female child accepts these things as
entities or verities, from which it is moi
released by the more mature thinking
of adult life. and naturally it indoctrin
ates with the same false and hurtful no
lions the juvenile minds over which the
girl then has control. Thus the belief il
ghosts pervades the people from one
generation to another long after a gen
eral attainment of the knowledge q
proper application of which should max,
such absurd belief impossible. Thu
more weakminded become towards il
the dark or in the vicinity of graveyards
their intelleets are muddled and theii
| Judgements Clolucu, WHll0 tliOil Aifo'
are rendered more or less sad by the
gloom with which the belief in the ex.
istence of ghosts enshrouds them.
\ 1t is the duty of teachers of youth III
\ this ''enlightened age'' to help thei
pupils 10 think correctly in regard t.
natural phenomena. If they do not Civ
positive instructions to that effect the
lead those in their charge away from
the idea that the rolling thunder an,
the flashing lightning are exhibitions o
CRY gods which the ancients supposed
tt, 70 people earth, air and skies. The
should be required to be more direct i
belief in the existence of spooks, thes
being the originals OF the ''gods'' whic
in the infancy of the human race wer
} fancied to be all the time meddling wit
the affairs of poor mortals There ma
be some difference of opinion as to tn
wisdom of informing mere infants tina
spoke to little Red Riding Hood, or tina
land above the clouds. But ther
busting the minds of young childre
about the supposed ghosts that haun
| millions of children, and cause their on
great source of unhapplness after the
have been sufficiently housed, clothe
and fed To eradicate the ghost super
: stition well may be noted as one of th
highest and noblest that can be made b
; those who undertake to mold the iuvt
nile mind and implant in it the seeds G
correct knowledge of the things the
, | will r,,aot will, in oftap 70