The Persistence of Superstition
Prevalent Superstitions.—It is said many times that we are beyond the age of superstitions, and that Regnant Reason rules the world; and yet in a recent daily there is almost a whole page telling us of prominent theatrical people who are governed by superstitions—people before whom the world is bowing. For instance here is one actress who has worn one skirt in 1,000 performances, and believes she would make a failure unless she still wears it. There is another who has in her dressing-room a little Hindu idol. It has never left her, she declares, and it never will. "I dread the consequences should I lose it." Another believes that bad luck would come to her should she hear any11one whistle. Another wears a little bit of grease paint in a solid silver box to frighten off the hoodoos. Another keeps with her a little faded artificial flower, which having left one time behind her, all sorts of bad luck came to the company. A trusted employee was sent back to the last town, found that crumpled flower in the room of a third-rate actress who was having wonderful success, and brought it to its owner. Luck changed, and the third-rate company went to ruin. Another, a big, strong man, feels that everything will be a failure unless he hums the chorus of the first song before he begins anything else. Another one declares she never could ride behind a white horse, if she had to walk ten miles. Most of them, it is said, have a superstition against peacocks. Another feels that he would not have success at all if he did not have a little piece of amber on which was an Arabic inscription. And so it goes on and on; it is a name, it is a word, it is which shoe is put on first, it is a pocket-piece, it is a pigeon-blood ruby, it is swinging a rapier around in the air, etc., etc., till one sickens at the silly superstitions which possess men and women, basing their whole faith on things inanimate generally; yet these very ones would call it superstitious to trust in the living God.