Such cases do not disturb the average
arrangement; we have Changs and Engs at one pole, and Cains and Abels at
the other. One child is born with six fingers on each hand, and another
falls short by one or more fingers of his due allowance; but the glover
puts his faith in the great law of averages, and makes his gloves with
five fingers apiece, trusting nature for their counterparts.
Thinking people are not going to be scared out of explaining or at least
trying to explain things by the shrieks of persons whose beliefs are
disturbed thereby. Comets were portents to Increase Mather, President of
Harvard College; "preachers of Divine wrath, heralds and messengers of
evil tidings to the world." It is not so very long since Professor
Winthrop was teaching at the same institution. I can remember two of his
boys very well, old boys, it is true, they were, and one of them wore a
three-cornered cocked hat; but the father of these boys, whom, as I say,
I can remember, had to defend himself against the minister of the Old
South Church for the impiety of trying to account for earthquakes on
natural principles. And his ancestor, Governor Winthrop, would probably
have shaken his head over his descendant's dangerous audacity, if one may
judge by the solemn way in which he mentions poor Mrs. Hutchinson's
unpleasant experience, which so grievously disappointed her maternal
expectations.
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