The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-12
A MATTER OF BIRTHDAYS.
Resemblance which an Amateur Psycholo-
gist Ascrfbes to Psychic Waves.


sOn Oct. %, shall be A." said the anna
teur psychologist from Poughkeepsie, as
he signed the note which was intended to
take up an earlier note. Il mention it in
no boastful spirit, my advent and con-
tinuanoe being facts for which can claim
no special credit; but In the course OF the
n years I have accumulated three chill
dren and singularly enough, two Of their
playmates have a sort of proprietary in
terest in that birthday OF mine.
Hall a dozen houses from me. on the
opposite side OF the street. lives little girl
who was born Oct. %, 1890. and who on my
birthday will celebrate her fourteenth.
Directly opposite my house, on the next
street, lives a larger girl who was born Oct
%, 1888, and who therefore will be sweet
sixteen on the day when l become-Ah, to be
sure, and thank you-sweetened a.
Now this coincidence is Of itself rather
remarkable Here within a stones throw
Of each other are three unrelated persons
whose birthdays fall on the same day. A
chances against such duplication are as
many as a thousand to one. But the more
remarkable thing is that we three seem to
have many characteristics In common.
True, the younger girl is at the age when
to the casual or unfriendly eye child Of
either sex is mostly legs. She has hardly
got her bearings yet. ! gamble with my
self, when l come home at night, as to
whether l shall see her doing embroidery
at the window or standing on her head on
the fence post.
Nor has the older girl quite decided
whether to 60 on the stage or merely to
take charge OF her own family. She is not
even clear as to whether it is strictly lady
like to mind ones mother; but she Is suf-
ficiently mature so that tendencies which
in the fourteen year-old are percepibe
are in the other conspicuous.
And Enthusiastically both Of these girls
resemble me. Friends Of mine, who are
strangers to my family, have met the girls
in my neighborhood, greeted them as my
the contrary Az matter OF fact, the birth
day-sharers look more like me than my
own children do.
an temperament, too, we three are akin.
NV two daughters and my son are quiet
and practical, like their mother The girls
who were born on my birthday are i'm
aginative, hgh-strung, easily exalted or
depressed, and much given to chasing
rainbows Very likely the treadmill Of
life will restrain and sober them, but in the
mean time, say for ten years, 1t will be an
sven chance, day byiday, whether Laura
her mother-in-law, or vice versa.
Now why should these girls take after
me in appearance and disposition? begin
to answer that question by admitting,
as every one must, that a strong personality,
or even noteworthy event, has persisting
influence.
aThen," went on the amateur psycholo-
gist, lowering his voice mysteriously, II
add the assumption that that influence Is
projected with greatly increased strength
on the anniversaries Of the occurrence which
set the psychic waves in motion-and there
you are! 1t follows that every year on
Oct 20 the motive forces of the universe
address themselves to the congenial task
OF reproducing me.
But what OF the fact that John c. CAL
houn and William Sulzer were both born on
March IS, you ask? ! triumphantly reply
that Calhoun died before Sulzer arrived
And again you suggest that the Suez Canal
was opened and Thomas Taggart was born
on Nov. II, and the canal has never been
damned. But that, sir, Ia a bubble and
alien to the scientific spirit. Ny theory Is
amply justified by the fact that 1t explains
the two little girls who were born on my
birthday.
Il admit that the operation OF psychic
law may be conditioned as to space and
time. An Esquimau baby born Oct. 23
near the Arctic Circle will probably never
share my soul exaltations; he will be
satisfied with blubber, Again. should !
die soon, before their formative period
passes, the two little girls Of whom have
neutrality-suspicious. by me-. as
Sulzer was unnfiuenoed by Calhoun, Even
/, the disooverer, hesitate to dogmstize on
al, rh Dointa