Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-07-13


sings and declared the equality OF
men, they distinguished their period /
rom those preceding it, in which /
'ocial. spiritual and economic condi- /
ions wefe accepted as part Of an /
plan, by calling il the age OF I
reason. The age of faith, in when
had displayed a weak credu- /
lily. q childish belief. wa they sup
posed. left behind. The race. they
argued, was growing up and in the
process outgrowing old superstitions,
its belief in banshees and spirits,
fays and amulets; it's shrinking from
dark omens; its dependence on SYM
bols, amulets and charms to protect
it from the uncanny; its unreasoning
dread of the unknown; IS pitiful sub
servience to medicine men, witch
soothsay,srs, oracl es, auguries,
lamentations and pagan ceremonies
which dead ages had evolved to pro
tect men from the unseen evil IN
fuences to which they were subject IN
their journey between the cradle ana
the grave. And even beyond. for
Hamlet's father was not the only resi-
less spirit, nor his the only voice
which called from,the void either ~,
appeal or warning.
An age which carried to a logical
conclusion its belief in the fraternity
of man, even when TO achieve it meant
a bloody reign of terror, would surely
have no room for worn out beliefs, and
the century which followed, with its
wonderful scientific discoveries throw
ing light on many places hitherto
shrouded in darkness; the age of the
telegraph, the telephone, the railroad,
the airship; the age of Edison and
Marconi, ought as surely TO have
crowded out with its multifarious
achievements every old bugaboo which
might have slipped past the question
ing of the eighteenth century.
And yet, reasonable as this assump-
ton may be, the facts do not justify
it The railroad and the telegraph
have not banished all the myths.
Human credulity is not extinct For
tune tellers, ciairvoyants, palmists,
crystal gazers. still thrive upon it.
Spiritualism. table rapping, miraculous
cures. still attest to its existence,
Superstition. gray with countless ages,
still reaches out from the misty past
to touch with terror the trembling
hearts of men and women. Belief IN
things known not to be true are still
factors in human behavior. A desire
to open the gates of the distant future
still Influences the everyday life OF
many. Men still have faith in lucky
numbers, in omens and portents. in
signs and warnings.
At a meeting of physicians and sur
geons held recently in Washington DR.
F. B. Dressler. professor of psyche.
logv in the University of Alabama,
stated that As per cent of the people
whom he had questioned concerning
5000 varieties of superstitious beliefs
inherited from the past believed in
some of them.
The surprising thing is that the
psychologist should have expressed
surprise or that the physician should
have needed to be told that many men
and women believe in signs The
tenacity of superstition must be recog-
nized by every one, for even If a man
be entirely free from such weakness
himself, he certainly numbers in his
family or circle of friends more than
one who while rejecting most of the
old signs will accept and hold to one
at least. 1t may ne the thirteen-at-
table hoodoo, the fear of the opal. the
dislike OF Friday. peacock's feathers
bowling dogs, hooting owls, the be
liefsin the efficacy of the horseshoe Tor
good luck, the curative power of a
horse chestnut or potato, or some
old wheather sign, it matters not
which, that exerts power strong
enough to produce at least passing
phrase showing that it survives in the
thoughts of man and influences his
feeling, if not his actions.
One woman cries out if her ear
burns that some one is speaking of
her. Another who drops her scissors
or dish cloth is confident that she will
soon nave a visitor. A third is I'M
happy if her first glimpse of the moon
is through glass. One wears an opal
ring because October is her birth
month Her friend, who is child of
May. could not be induced 20 wear the
brilliant, changing gem lest it bring
misfortune In the country on more
than one barn may be found fastened
the iron horseshoe supposed to bring
luck A reminder of this hoary super
stition is often seen in the floral
horseshoes sent as congratulatory
tokens, aud in the gold or silver scarf
pins worn by both men and WON N.
The four-leaved clover and the wish
bone, connected with old beliefs as TO
luck and wishing, survive in jeweled
enlblems expressive of good fortune.
Children in their play use combina-
tons of words and syllables which are
relies of the oId-time belief in the
efficacy of certain magical words, in
vocation. They cross their hearts to
die as proof positive as to the truth
of their words. recalling the time
when their ancestors swore by the
cross
Times have not greatly change
since Whittier said There is scarce
~ a smnerstition of the past three