ering the
Antarctic just waking from his winter's sleep.

"I believe, sir," said Alice, "that the ancients watched the flight of
birds and predicated their predictions or prophecies upon them."

"Yes, the untutored of every age and country observe more closely the
operations of nature than the educated. It is their only means of
learning. They see certain movements in the beasts and the birds before
certain atmospheric changes, and their superstitions influence a
belief, that sentient and invisible beings cause this by communicating
the changes going on. The more sagacious and observant, and I may add
the less scrupulous, lay hold upon this knowledge, to practice for
their own pleasure or profit upon the credulity of the masses. There
are very many superstitions, miss, which are endowed with a character
so holy, that he who would expose them is hunted down as a wretch,
unworthy of life. The older and the more ridiculous these, the more
holy, and the more sacredly cherished."

"Are you not afraid thus to speak--is there nothing too holy to be
profanely assaulted?"

"Nothing which contravenes man's reason. Truth courts
investigation--the more disrobed, the more beautiful. Science reveals,
that there is no mystery in truth. Its simplicity is often disfigured
with unnatural and ridiculous superstitions, and these sometimes are so
prominent as to conceal it. They certainly, with many, bring it into
disrepute. The more intellectual pluck these off and cast them away.
They see and know the truth. Yonder birds obey an instinct: the chill
to their more sensitive natures warns them that the winter, or the
tempest, or the rain-storm is upon them; they obey this instinct and
fly from it. Yet it in due time follows these--the more observant know
it, and predict it. Those, with the ancients, were sooth-sayers or
prophets; with us, they are the same with the ignorant negroes; with
the whites, not quite so ignorant, they are--but, miss, I will not say.
I must exercise a little prudence to avoid the wrath of the
ignorant--they are multitudinous and very powerful."

"Kind sir, tell me, have you no superstitions? Has nothing ever
occurred to you, your reason could not account for? Have no
predictions, to be revealed in the coming future, come to you as
foretold?"

"Do not press me on that point, if you please, I might astonish and
offend you."

"I am not in the least afraid of your offending me, sir. I could not
look in your fac