Evening star., 1895-08-07
SUPERSTITION NOT DEAD.
Its Effects Still Manifest Even Among
Educated People.

It's Effects Still Manifest Even Among
Educated People.
From the London Spectator.
A French or Italian peasant will do moth
ing which is opposed to certain apopthegms
registered in his mind as dogmas, and an
Asiatic peasant is hound hand and foot by
a whole system of beliefs in omens which
cramp his energies. Mr.. Zangwill declares
that his fellow tribesmen are still bound In
these withes. There Is not an Asiattc in
the world who would dare to go dead
against the warnings OF his horoscope; and
very few Europeans Of the continent who
will stride forward resoluteiy on an under
taking the beginning Of which has been
marked by stumble or a failure.
We all know the annoyances to which the
belief In the superstition about thirteen
subjects the English dinner givers, while
impossible, to let a house with the number
thirteen on the door. Even the iron logic
Of French functionaries gives way before
that belief. and proprietors Of rows are per-
mitted to register the thirteenth house as
LIB. We have never ourselves met that
particular superstition in England. and
have been little amazed by an assurance
that 1t still fingers among the uncultiyated,
that 1t affects the rent of the ''unlucky''
number in the poorer quarters, and that
the number increases the eagerness of ser
wants to be sure of the character of en-
ployers before they are engaged
Nothing In the world so deteriorates cour-
age as superstition. European sailors will
net move If this side of their nature is once
aroused. and Asiatlcs, even Chinese, seem
to grow demented with fear An Arab will
face anything except the idea Of an appari-
ttcc, and all who have known the Zulus
declare that these exceptionally brave war
riors. who care nothing about death, will
scream with terror and run like hares II
they fancy themselves 'bewitched.' 1t is
cowardice pure and simple which makes
our own poor SO calloHs to the suffering of
witches. and the kind Of disease which once
broke out in Massachusetts. and led to such
frfghtfal cfuelties against all who were de-
nounced by Cotton Mather and his asso-
eiates, was nothing but an epidemic of fear.
|. We hardly comprehend why this side of
the matter is SO habitually unnoticed, or
why gamekeeper who would face tiger
or five poachers with a light heart Is not
ashamed of himself when he retreats to his
cottage because he has seen a magpie on
hls left. One would expect him, even IL he
believed his own queer theory Of causation.
to Damn the magpte and go on; but super
st'tlon long INDUCED kills out within its
range all ordinary manliness. We will not
venture to say that Prussian regiment
would run from spook 4 1t Thought if
saw one. for fear of being accused Of be-
ittllng the German army, but that it would
cip,tne we are very sure.
To see genuine Christians fretting be-
cause they are sitting down thirteen at
dinner is to see an absurdity which in
the bold which logic has even over the
best minds. They would be ashamed to
admit that they thought there was some
thing Independent of the will OF God which
had to be taken into account, yet unless
they believe that God imposed that whinn-
sical rule that is what they must really
mean. They had much better refuse to
dine at a public dinner where there are
fifty guests, because of that nufnber, II We
accept the registrar generals averages
one is almost certain to die within the year,
Yet decent alderman, who will dine hap
PLY at the Ftshmongers with fifty oonvives.
will admit that his dinner was spoiled be-
cause at a private entertainment he count
ed only twelve other guests.