The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16
s
superstiIisns. Magic and Fantasies Asse-
ciated with tho Moen.


superstiu~ns. Mario ana Fantasies Asse-
ciated with the Mosa
The moon Ia shining full upon my fkce
as I lie In bed; IL IL rather strange TO awaken
| 10 her direct stare. She Ia . pagan priestess
and IL Turing me out to worship occult
powers. Centuries Of Christianity have not
converted her.
There is q common superstition against
sleeping in the moonlight; you must not
sven drink water, DO it from CUP or river
or fountain, on which the moonlight is
falling. The sun II wholesome, life giving,
purifying, an enemy OF mystery and OF
evil spirits; the moon IL weird and uncanny,
. weaver OF magic spells, tho ~atronees OF
all that is obscure and ghostly.
She sways the tides Of the sea and the
minds Of men. Many persons II they
found the moon shining on them at night
would arise and draw the curtain.
But / will laugh at such absurd fantasies
and cast away the dreams Of moonridden
men. She Is the shepherdess Of the skies,
leading forth the stars and the noecy cloud
lets to their broad azure pastures. She b
the exiIed wife of the sun, and the stars
are their children.
She is the friend Of tho harvcsters, ~
her light falls in a calm mellow food across
the cornfields in which they are Aboring.
1t is beautiful TO see her bathing the shocks
Of grain; there can DO nothing unkindly or
m~alevolent in such q stream OF light, though
there may be something mystic.
She seee sons things that the sun can
never see; he il blinded with excess Of light.
Compared with his, her light Is a water
/ compared with wine. II can wash the tree
tops in silver. but II cannot penetrate their
outrageous depths; IL a illumine the
shadows, as the sun car.
But il can do something that the sun never
does: IL can render the baldest and barest
scene poetical and can trAnsi0ure tho
unsightIy into loveliness n symmetry.
Il has the glory Of the half light; the depth
and suggestiveness Of partial obeCurity.
Sunlight Is at its best in its rising or its
sitting; but the moonlight 10 at Its best In
its noontide, though the moon herself may
appear most alluring whom she is q mere
heeting present.
Heine tells us how, when he was . boy,
tho moon called him from his bed into the
garden, where a lovely statue Of q Greek
goddess was lying among the grass n
bushes. He tells US how tho thought OF
that statue brought him TO the spot-how
he stopped and pressed his lips ~psssionstsly
on those Of the goddess; and the kiss thrilled
his memory ever after, the first impaseioned
kiss Of youth.
1t was the moon that wrought the magic.
The sun would rave stared rudely at the
overthrow image and laughed at the
dead faith that It symbolized, but the moon
loved it and sympathized with it.
For the moons whole life is q reflection
and a memory; she is the nurse Of recol-
loctions, the friend Of forlorn hopes, the
r-emembrancer OF dead faiths and bygone
fancies. She can reach corners Of the
mind that the sun does not enter.
Sometimes these corners are dank and
noisome, haunts OF remorse or Of mad
ness. That Ia not her fault; she would purify
them il she could. II is not her fault that
we deem her the mother. Of madness and
style foolish dreams as moonshine.
She can smile peacefully and lovingly
on the slumber OF . child and bring moth
ing but images Of fairyiand to soothe its
slumbers; she can gaze fondly on the meet
inRs OF youth and maiden, where there IL
nothing but innocent love and faith. Il Ii
not her fault IL the vicious and the I'M
wholesome and the criminal thrust them
selves under her notice. She would far
rather watch the calm sleeping Of the babe,
the nest Of the bird on the treetop or in
the cottage caves; she loves also TO glide
above the graves where tired mortals lie
In slumber.
'Shs will y also through the ivied
windows Of tho village church, but she
cannot carry tho stain Of colored case
ments with her-her light passes through
them TO fall white and misty. In this she
differs from tho sun, which can be trans
figured while IL transngurss. The moon
IL colorIess beyond her own vague gold
and she does not carry color.
But sometimes the atmosphere OF an
autumn night can transform her white
ness to the rednsss Of blood and the passing
clouds al play many tricks with her APP
pearance. IL IL she that enables them to
turn their silver Innings to tho night; but
they can veil her or mack her entirely.
Folk say that the moon will eat The
clouds; but the victory Is not always hers,
1t 10 ine in tempest to watch them racing
past her, for . moment leaving q csselpent
through which she can gaze and then
giving Us only neeting glimpses Of beI
light through . chaotic wreckage Of sky
drift. A mass Of blackness will blot out
every glimmer; then Q break in tho Clouds
will come once more, showing the moon in
q deep blue lake Of peaceiulness and per
mAnent calm. The trouble OF the heavens
is only skin deep, the welter OF broken
clouds, the massing OF titanic blackness; Z
few miles above Is Tho restful and unchang
ing realm OF eternal peace.
MEKN STAMPS ss:% ~ A! EsS: & SI,, q