Universal Superstition

'The superstitlous is the natural," said Dwi.üiit Willtinson, of New ïork. In a state of absolute nature, man goveraed almosl entirely bj h s suis, anti it is only when culture displaces üiis with anotíier form oí superstition, called reason, that it i sened, wMle no amount of educaron wiil cause ir to disappear entirely, altbough it may cause the Individual i: deny its existence. As knowk'il.ut' ís bounded by a vt-ry narrow mental horizon, the most familiar objects, surh as tlie life we live, the deatb we ctifi, the air we breathe ni 1 the water we drink, being mysterious, and their soiircc, their true nature and their ultímate end being unknowahle, superstltion must begin where knowledge ends, and we teil in fable, diiiiniied by the name of metaphyslcs or philosophy, what we lack In understandlag. A manniaylaugh at the dropping of a dishrag, the BpiUing of salt, the settling of coffee grounds, 'the hoot of the owl, or the cMrping oï the cricket, have no objection 't o wearing a topaz or beginning ,i Journey on Frlday ; he may view the raoon over his left shoulder with the utmosi equanimity ; the numbers seven and fchirteen may bear no more Bignlfioaace than any others to his mimi - l)ut down deep in His heart there ure superstltions. He may try to convince himseli that they are reasons, but it requires an important element iof superstition to niake