IN HIGHER PEOPLES 107 



^'ghosts" about graveyards is a modern survival 

 of this old savage theory of spirits. 



Savages believe in signs, wonders, and miracles, 

 for they know nothing of the laws of nature as we 

 understand them. Eskimos believe that a child 

 will get well if its mother will refrain from chang- 

 ing her socks while the sickness lasts. And if a 

 man is sick they believe his sickness would cer- 

 tainly be made worse if his brother should eat any 

 portion of the left side of a carabou. But such 

 ideas, foolish and unscientific as they are, are just 

 as well based as the practice of carrying a chest- 

 nut or a rabbit's foot in one's pocket to keep off 

 bad luck, and a hundred and one other things that 

 white people do right here in Chicago all the time. 



Witchcraft is common everywhere among prim- 

 itive men. A tvitcJi is a person who by means of 

 charms or magic words is supposed to be able to 

 invoke the enmity of evil spirits on whomsoever 

 he wishes; that is, is a person who '^ stands in" 

 with the evil spirits. And the power supposed 

 to be exercised by witches is called witchcraft. 

 Even within historic times witch-hunting has been 

 an honorable business. Witchcraft was one of 

 the worst superstitions that ever afflicted the 

 human mind. And it was not until compara- 

 tively recent times that it was finally shaken 

 off. The writings of Shakspere indicate that 

 it was universally believed in in his day. The 

 people of Salem, Massachusetts, considered it 

 undeniable for a time; and witches were legally 



