The age-herald., 1898-03-10
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The Superstition Instinct
 BeIonQs to All hasions

In writing of the superstitions which seem to pertain to all grades of humanity, London exchange says:
 For good or i'll, superstition has clung to the thoughts and imaginations of mes- from a period of remote antiquity. It would be difficult to exhaust all the different forms which this obstinate delusion has assumed among various nations, both of the east and of the west. Every one knows that it is highly expedfent, if not dangerous to sit down thirteen at table, and there are d large number of intelligent men and women who under no circumstances would consent to be included in this precise number of guests. There are streets in Paris, as well as elsewhere in France, where houses are numbered 12 bis and 112 bis, while in many American hotels no room has 13 painted on the door, The Parisian who makes his living by dining in other peoples houses goes familiarly by the name of the Quatorziem, because it is his chief function to add a welcome fourteenth to the un- lucky number. The Italians never use 1t in making up their lotteries, and in one of their games the thirteenth card bears the figure of death Similarly, in Turkey the number 13 is very nearly expunged from the vocabulary of the people. Nor is there any lack of explanations of this al- most universal idea. At least two are furnished for our choice.
 In the old Morse mythology, when the
 
 Loki came in as an uninvited guest. The eonsequence was that soon as Baldur ar rived he made the number of guests thir- teen, and fate decreed that he should die. Christians refer to another and more sol emn incident. There were thirteen who partook of the Last Supper, and Judas, who left the table first, went and hanged himself. It in consequence of this that the number was accursed, together apparently with all combinations of figures into which if enters. Sooner later IL was, of course, inevitable that so wide spread and so fascinating a superstition should be challenged. Some thir Aen years ago-the very interval of time is odd coincidence-a club was started in New York for hte express purpose of waging war against the associations connected with the luckless numeral. The members were always to consist of some multiple of thirteen. They dined together on the 18th of every month, thirteen at table and their dues were 13 cents a month. It will be remembered that only short time ago similar institution was established in Eng land and farcical entertainment was provided, at which knives were crossed, salt was spilled, death's heads and cross bones ornamented the walls and the wait CTS were chosen because they squinted and possessed evil eyes. The American club habitually published reports to prove that, individually and collectively, they are as healthy prosperous and long-lived as other members of the community; nor, solar as we are aware, did any serious calamity fall upon their daring imitators in London.
 It is idle to imagine that an fnveterate superstition can be gotten rid of by such theatrical bravado as this. The case stands with it as it does with similar idea about the folly of undertaking any serious enter prise on Friday. There are whole classes of mankind to whom these notions form a kind of unwritten creed. Every one knows that a sailor does not like his ship to be commissioned on Friday. Indeed, one of the explanations given of the disaster which befell the Thrasher torpedo boat was 'sTs.at it had pFduckly commenceu fts cruse @s,n the penutimate day of the week. Soi- diers though not quite so superS titious as sailors are by no means free from similar prejudices; and gamblers, who live the life of the nerves believe in luck with obstinate tenacity. The theatrical profession, again, has it's fixed beliefs. No stage manager in his senses would make his company trepeat the final tag of a play until the actual performance, and the presence or black cat is supposed to insure success. Before many of the most prosperous pieces produced at the little house in Tottenham street it was noticed as Lady Bancroft tells us in her interesting memoirs, that cat or kitten of sable hue used invariably to make its appearance on the stage. what is the use of opposing the cold deductions of reason to charming fancies or this de- scription? They form part of the romance and poetry or lIe, anu IL wouiu pe [" uuii world which had no primitive unreasoned instincts and imaginative theories to save us all from being submerged under the sombre tide of logical syllogism and rule of-three sums.-
 Threatened superstitfons, like other things which are menaced with extinction, are apt to live long, Indeed, 1t has been often mo- ticed that after periods of ratfonalism there come in the history of the world stages produced, no doubt in accordance with the law of reaction, when superstitious observ- ances recover something more than their old influence over the human mind-when thev have power to transform domestic lie