The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-11
In the Mysteri0us Seven NebuIous Superstition and Solid Science Meet and Alingie--If Figures
 fin, All Reiigi0ns
INtGEMtWEi

Away back in the dim and shadowy past, when man. long-armed and crooked-legged,s swas the weakest ant mai that trod the earth. before ever he had learned the use. Of weapons to defend his titles to the cave. when he skuiked in terror through the prim- eval forest and slept sitting, elbows on his knuckled knees and long. claw-ltke hands clasped over his head as a pro lection from wind and rains he begun to have giant conception of num- ber. says a writer in The St. Louis Globe-Democrat. He had no use for nor conception of any number but the concrete. In his really strenuous life numbers were a superfiuity till he had something to number and to. count. z He. perhaps, first counted the toes on his splay feet or the fingers on his misshapen hands, but what were the concrete things that the seven stood for that he should regard 1t with an awe that but little diminished has cone down to us7
 In his immature mind this numbsr was associated with material things. his whole being stirred with awe In contemplating them. But what were they?
 Nebulous superstition and solid science meet and mingie in the magic seven. The seven visible ages or earth's creation may be tinged with preconceived ideas from the account in Genesis, the seven ages of man may be an arbitrary division deferrfng to superstition: but the fact that nations and races that have never heard or or reject the Mosaic account regulate their daily lives in weekly cycles or seven days shows that this number a a in the life of man. A
 With a cry the babe proclaims its advent. but not until seven times sew en days can 1t shed tears; nor does the smile of intelligence appear until sev' en weeks have passed. One half the births die before they reach the age of T. and the Good Book fixes the span of fife at ten times seven years.
 Even the atavistic influence in the human family run In cycles Of seven. One in seven of the births has eyes or a color different from the parental. and bears the optical hue Of remote ancestor.
 influence of the magic number. In both Protestant England and Catholic France per cent of the births are illegitimate.
 In the artificial epochs that the nec- essities of society have established Tn the life of man. the number seven holds A conspicuous place. Infants are held to be incapable of knowledge of good and evil" or Of contriouting to their own support till years or age. and the male does not come Into the full dignity of manhood till three times seven.
 A citizen cannot become President unti1 he is five times seven years Of age: in most States seven years. open. adverse and peaceable possession gives tile to real esteate: a homestead er'' is allowed seven wears to prove m" and twice seven months to com. mute a cash entry.
 The morals and the affections of the human family seem dominated by the insidious, .insistent seven. A tendency to crime is greatest at four times sey- en. when the greatest stature Is reached. then declines until it ceases at nine times seven In the race or inc strongest circumstantial evidence the accused was acquitte din Q French court for the reason that his life had been biameless until that age. It was held that a man would not fall aftev nine times seven years of exemplary life.
 The average physical strength of woman is seven -elevenths that of a man and her tendency to crimes by violence. compared to that of man. is in the same ratio. When driven to the awful extremity of self-destruction one-seventh as many women as men commit suicide by violent means. womAn's chances in the matrimonial lottery are greatest at three times seven years, then decreases until Rev- en times seven. when they practically cease.
 The great American lakes are sub ject to a tidal ebb and How at inter- vals of seven years; the cause of which has so far defed solution. but the years of highest and lowest water are