The Springfield herald., 1900-02-02

Witchcraft of the old colonial Rlnu
is without doubt dead in New England,
but few of the people of that secuon
are entirely free from lingering be-
lief in things akin to sorcery, magic
and all manner of occult and uncanny
influences.
There was a recent instance OF this
which attracted public attention IN
village within five hours ride OF Bos-
ton, and only five miles away from 2
fourishing city of 10000 inhabitants.
In the village, which cannot be called
"a backwoods village"-the inhabl-
tants of it read the daily papers-a
man died of consumption, and several
months later his brother became i'll.
After a family consultation, two
other brothers, accompanied by
physician and a Universalist minister,
went to the cemetery, opened the
grave. removed the body of the deao
man, took from it the heart, restored
the corpse to its place, and then, burn
ing the heart to ashes in the family
cook stove, administered part OF the
ashes to the sick man, who promptly
doubt, for they were matters of com
mon knowledge in the place at the
time.
The habit of carrying horse chest
nuts or buckeyes and nutmegs in the
pockets to ward off rheumatism, of try
ing to get the first glimpse of the new
moon over the right shoulder for luck,
oln a,-ts wi
and then wrapping the pebble in a bit
of cloth and throwing it on the road
for a wayfarer to pick up, are not con-
fined to New England; but there is
room for belief that most of them took
their origin there, or, imported from
England, spread from the old colo
nies" to the rest of the United States.
You will find some people who will
swear by each of the superstitions
named.
There is an ancient European Gus
tom of trying to forecast the future
profession of an infant by holding out
to him several objects symbolizing de-
sirable callings. Should the child reach
for and grasp a book it is interpreted
as an augury of scholarly attainments.
A coin foreshadows financial instincts,
and the misguided nursling that seizes
upon a bottle, presented among the
other objects to test his tendencies,
thereby foredooms himself to car
eer of bibulous depravity. Exactly
the same notions have been found in
northern New England. with the ana
logoIs custom of putting into the
hands of a newly born child a Bible to
simulate piety, or gold dollar If ac-
quisitiveness chiefly is desired.
Almost numberless Instances could
be cited to illustrate the common be-
lief in signs and portents of coming
good or evil, survivals of an ancient
faith in demonology. Approaching
death is foretold by cock growing in
the doorstep. by bird flying into the
room or by the breaking of mirror.
Bad luck is expected after raising an
umbrella over the head indoors or
passing another person on narrow
stairs. or failure to kill the first snake
seen In the early spring.
There are some-yes, probably many
otherwise New Englanders who
would not raise or open an umbrella
indoors for half a years salary in
advance. with a promise of second pay
ment of the same half years salary at
the end of the six months. Now, what
is the origin of the umbrella supersti-
ton? Well, here is plausible ex-
PLANTATION. An umbrella hoisted out
doors wards off rain and storms,
doesn't it? Hoisted indoors, where
there is no possibility of suffering
from rain and storm (unless the roof
is leaky), isn't it supposed to invite
that same rain and storm in meta
phorical sense-in other words, to in
vite misfortune?
Remnants of an ancient faith in as
trology are widely prevalent. Not
only do many professors" of that art
still flourish and fatten upon the
credulity of their clients, but many in
telligent people, who care nothing
what planet was in the ascendant at
their birth, are accustomed to consult
| an almanac to learn when the moon
Changes" in order to know whether
or not change in the weather may be
expected.
In some villages the barber cuts
most of the hair of the community
while the moon is young and waxing,
because of the belief that the hair cut
on waning moon is likely to fall out
or turn gray.