The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-12-09

VI the monthly diet OF wOrdy hash
In paid in advance subscriptions,
I've squandered my cash.
But now burst into print,
And advocate militant Electus,
To send thru Congress on the sprint;
A Bill compelling prospectus.
Pendennis has seen q picture of Bob
Fitzsimmons in fighting costume training
his son Bob Fitzsimmons Jr. in the tricks
of the old ring master. Young Bob looks
like chip from the old block and appears
to have his fathers fighting spirit.
In these days of sham ring fights it does
one good to know that at least one fighter is
being trained to fight and not to become
skillful in the art of artful lodging.
We all know that the sport of ring fight
ing has become a commercialized form OF
entertainment. When Bob Fitzsimmons
was in his prime ring fighting was one of
the fine arts. Let us hope that young Bob
will be able to take the place made vacant
by his father retirement. 1t would not
take old Bob very long to clean up the pres
ent crop of prize-ring entertainers, if he
was back in his prime.
Pendennis recently read news story
about witchcraft in Alaska. 1t seems the
natives are believers in witches and have
regular practitioners in the mysteries Of
witchcraft among them. Now that is very
interesting and rather makes the native
an individual of importance. We are all
believers in some form of superstition, and
have our lucky days, "hunches, fear OF
losing our goat" ''stunts" and many
other expressions of a mild delusion in
witchery.
What makes the story of Alaska witch
cry most interesting is that the chief witch
is blind man and is also able to turn him
self into duck, whenever the occasion re-
quires the peculiar abilities of duck to
IdClldCdIC luC WOIAiuSo Va OOhO otuhS III
witchcraft. 1t must need very subtle
power to turn person into duck. Sure
" that blind native who possesses such
power is witch indeed and worthy to rank
with the wizards of old. Here is an OPP
portunity for investigation by the psychol-
ogists.
Whether the proposed new army for ma
tional defense will ever be used for war is
a matter of speculation, but the physical
training the soldiers will endure during
their terms of enlistment will be of great
benefit to them. The soldier best prepar-
ed for the hardships of war is the one who
has been trained to undergo hardships in
times of peace.
Pendennis is great admirer of those
who form good resolutions, but why, oh!
why, must man first get into prison before
he becomes moralistic propagation of wa
ter-wagon adherence.
1t appears that Greece having had the
glory of the ancient heroism of Thermopy-
lac, will be forced to participate in the
modern Armageddon.
There will be no Marathon run by he
roic footman, however, for the diplomats
have introduced steam roller that serves
their purpose.
Somebody has written a real Dickens
story of Charlie Chaplin. 1t is entitled,
Charlie Chaplin's Own Story of His Life,
and is appearing in installments in the st.
Louis Republic. If Charlie Chaplin wrot
the story he has outdone his movie stunts,
for there are bits of real Dickens stuff in
the composition, Therei is Characterization
too, '.Mr. Hawkins is real character
regular Dickens type of Londoner.
1t is an old fashioned idea of mine that
there is much about life and its vagaries
beyond comprehension. There is SO much
unreality about the existence of the fac
ulty of mental perception that at times the
mere drift of ones thoughts become ghost
Nv. There is a something which is vague
and indefnite-a something to which
men have given names as if to definitely
mark an unnatural thing with a tangible tt
tle Thus we find Maurice Maeterlinck
calling the unseen, ''The Unknown Guest.
Aguest that is unknown but which makes
itself known in manifestations of spiritual
activity. Other philosophers have ponder
ed over the evidences of spiritual phantasm
and tried to solve the riddle with negative
ly prepared arguments Maeterlinck a
lone gives the subject sane and reason
able treatment. He does not belittle the
Importance of the spiritual phenomenon
of life by calling it names such as spooks,