Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-05-19
pren1OnitiOns
Folly of Mankind
T TITLE superstitions chain the

We talk a deal about living in a
Tree country, but free country does
1ot much good so long as We are en-
shaved spirits. Examine yourself, as
you read this article, and see if you
are not all bound round with withes
and cords of foolish fears; and il so
be that you are, then make your Dec
saration of Independence here and
now, and inaugurate your own little
Fourth of July.
No matter how small the matter,
q superstition about anything is in
furious; and almost every one is gull
ty more or less. The next time you
are in a company challenge them all,
and see if each one has not some lit
tie pet timidly. Each person. l dare
say, will begin by declaring that he
mas 10 superstitions, and will end by
saying that, while of course he knows
there is nothing in it, he doesn't real
ly care to sit down with twelve other
people at dinner, or to look at the
new moon over his left shoulder.
Now, go through your mind and
heart and pull up all these little
WcSuS. 1AOy oCOAA 6AAA0AAS WI SASJ
contaminate your intellect end faint
your free affections. Get rid of your
superstitions, whatever they may be;
whether you are afraid to pick up
pin that lies with its point toward
you, or to do any important business
On Friday, or to spin salt without
throwing pinch over your shoulder]
or carry a spade through the house
for fear some one will be digging
your grave, or to open an umbrella
Indoors, or to return to your home
for something you have forgotten or
10 plant potatoes In tho time of the
full moon, or any other idiocy.
All these are "survivals;" that is,
they are little remnants Of inherited
weaknesses. They are little spots OF
decay upon the apple Of your soul.
Cut them out. There's enough, good
ness knows, in nature and her laws,
In truth and her invar1able retribu-
lions, to be afraid Of, without in
dulging in fears Of things that have
no substance nor reason.
Set it down on your tablets, that
whatever has no ground in common
sense, no clear linking OF cause or eff
feet, is not worthy Of the considera-
ton of any thinking being.
Nothing needs the application of
reason like fear. All fear is not
harmful One ought to be afraid to
eat poison, or to catch cold, or to
stand on the railroad track in front
of an advancing locomotive. Life is
preserved by such normal and intel
ligent cowardice. The child's life,
for instance, is made safe by his fear
to touch a redhot stove.
So all the great laws Of nature
have their rear guards Of terror. Ev-
cry law of the body, of breathing, and
nutrition and exercise; OF the mind,
such as the results Of study or of
Idleness; and Of the soul, such as the
consequence of love or of hate, of
purity or of uncleanness; every one
of these laws carries with it cor
ollary Of pain and loss, and rational
people ought to fear them.
But superstition is plain fear with
out any cause, and Is utterly demon
alizing. If man is afraid to over
eat it makes him healthy; If he Is
afraid of ghosts 1t makes him fool.
If he is afraid to lie or do mean
act it produces growth and makes
him more manly; If he is afraid to be
happy or to leave the house in the
morning starting off with his left foot
instead of his right it stunts his man
hood and makes him childish.
And now let us get at branch OF
tbs subject that is more dangerous
than any of the trivial matters of
which we have spoken. Let us con-
slider premonitions.
OF all the fool, silly, unintelligent,
childish, wicked, sickly, perilous, and
abominable mushrooms and toad
stools that grow in the garden OF the
human mind premonitions are the
worst
If there be a devil, premonitions
must come from him, for they are SO
purely vicious. They never did any
good, Their only fruit is uneasiness
and unhappiness and senseless tor
ment
know whereof I speak. Tor I in
herited from my mother predisposi-
ton to this habit. In my early years
I have spent many miserable hour
in an agony of apprehension that
something was going to happen. !"
And for the comfort of any who may
be similarly afflicted I can add that
after carefully testing my apprehen-
sions in number of instances and
proving to myself that they could not
possibly mean anything I succeeded
absolutely in DISCRIMINATING the en-
| nj, ro0 f I think
1 can say now without undue boast
ing that I am mot afraid of moth
ing" There are things that scare
me, but have found out that there
Is nothing at all to nothing.
Psychic research and the like may
do some good nothing, suppose, is
impossible], but a lot of 1t certainly
does do some harm. We have all read
those strange instances where wife
is depressed at 3 p. m. on Saturday
and afterwards finds out that at that
same hour her husband broke his
leg; or how friend has horrible
dream on July 7 and later discovers
that his friend had an ear bitten OFF
in Wolfville, Ariz., on the same date.
Now, If you will sponge all this
dream business and premOn1t1On dlS-
ease off from your mental slate and
determine to indulge in no fear that
has no sense to it. you will be both
happier and wiser.
The utter uselessness of Fremont
lions is shown in this: That even If
true they are Of no help, they do not
fortify us to meet calamity, but weak
en- us and render us feeble to resist
misfortune. And If trouble Is COM
ing, the best way to meet 1t is with
stout heart and brain unfogged by
the nonsense of dread.
Even death, most dreadful of all
nothings, is robbed Of it's terrors II
we have not been looking for it; or II,
Not By Spirits Alone.
A red nose is by no means sign
of drunkenness, and is as common
among teetotalers as tipplers. Indi-