The L'Anse sentinel., 1924-02-29
WITH THE
HIGH SCHOoI.
CLASSICS
By MARGARET BoYpl

6SsSscSSsssScsSS>SssSsSsssSesscs.....
70 isas. Western Newspaper Uulss,
"cured by wearing a spider
round ones neck In a nutshslI,
Evanoeline.
Among the most Interesting Of u.
stitions are those concerning dI,.r
and Its cure. Wearing someshI'
around ones neck to ward of dI,,,
or to cure disease Is one OF the \,
common superstitious practices. sN1
almost as much in vogue now as il
In Eyangeline's day. City school te,1
ers can tell a tale Of woe about the
tie red flannel bags filed with auf1
tida or with garlic cloves that h
ment children wear to protect NJ
from sore throat, diphtheria, whoc
cough. and the like. Strings Of y
tears are still sold to mothers who
lieve that baby that wears a strt
Of these tears will cut Its teeth D.
lessly. Rabbits' feet secured ~.
proper conditions. when worn d
string around the neck will protet 4
wearer from 4 variety OF ailmenn
well as bring him good luck.
There is scarcely a community 4
does not boast OF at least one pen
who can blow fire out Of burn
prevent blistering. The blowing u
be accompanied by the repetition
q charm that cannot be communIcsl
by one woman to another or one z
TO another. but must always be tau
by one. Of the opposite sex. The ned
Dor who blew the fire out u all n
burns In the neighborhood when u
q child is now a stately OLD dowss1
who Is 4 pillar In the church and
msinstay Of the local cultural mox|
ments: but she still blows fire out
her neighbors' burns.
There II scarcely n community (
auy size that does not have In Il
least one old woman who can me-
ure" child and SO cure IL OF the -us
or" an ailment that doctors dignity \
the name Of marasmus.
There are likewise few community
that lack at least one ''pow.wow" I'd
tor who will cure any sort Of allna
from collie to cancer by recitng char
and incantations. We usually pnt
ourselves upon having outgrown wft
craft in medicine. but ! have never y
found a high school student who q
not know either the name Of Sh1
pow-wow doctor or some one who 4
know the name Of one. They neyGk
lleved in them personally; but theJ Z
ways had an aunt or a cousin 9l
neighbor who did believe In them,
"And that other child, not on \
hearth-he would not forge, Il;
would see that II was we'll prov ded 4
That was q fathers duty."-sias Nd
ner.
Just now we have with us many u
say II Is not the fathers duty 10
that his children are well provided q
but that II Is the states duty. IN
would have the state take over the q
Of the children. rs was done in anda
Greece, and leave the parents unhil
pered. TO 60 about their work or pz
Us they wish.
One thing these people overlcck
the fact that the same Greek sd
which took the children from ths
parents and reared them. carefully
lected the ones that were to live. ID
cate and ailing babies were left out
some deserted spot where they wod
speedily die Of exposure. Only
strong and healthy were allowed
live.
Unless some such artificial means
selection is employed. then the %
means we have Of securing the suviu
OF the fit Is to hold each father resp
sible for the support Of his own ch
dren. The idea is that II each fam
must support his own children, ths
the strongest. -sblest, most intelllss'
fathers will be the ones who can pr
vide for the most children. and 50 "
have the greatest number of childrs
reach adult life.
Just now we are living In a per'
when neither natural selection nor
tificlal selection Ii allowed to opers'
We have In every community organs
tions that spend much money and ne
energy In trying to keep alive eve
baby born In that communlty-whetn'
crippled. diseased or feeble-minoe
We now gauge our civilization by our
fant death rste-the lower the rate y
more civilized We consider ourselves..
as IL II were more humane thing
nurse suffering weakling TO adult ~
where he must take his crippled pI.'
In lifc's battle. rather than to LET p'
die during his infancy.
When natural selection Is not
lowed to operate by making every '
ther responsible for the support OF
children. and when the state has
sort Of artificial selection such as ~ =.
employed in ancient Greece, the qusn
Of the population Il bound to be 20 .
ered--so say the biologists. They