374 THE MAGIC OP JEWELS AND CHARMS
Cape
Ann, and in the Ural Mountains in Russia. It has recently been
proposed as the stone for the Suffrage party. This amazon-stone could
be cut in little beads of a beautiful pale green and after appropriate
mounting they could be worn suspended by a ribbon from the button-hole.
As the stone is inexpensive it ought to meet with favor among the
hundreds of thousands who are aggressive in their advocacy of this
cause.
Among
the many persons of our day who still have or had a lingering faith in
the efficacy of amulets, may be mentioned the late actress, Mrs. Annie
Yeamans, who left special directions in her will that a little amulet
attached to a gold chain which she constantly wore, should be left on
her body and buried with her. We may call this superstition or
sentiment, as we will, but there seems to be an almost invincible
tendency to associate something of those dear to us and lost to us with
inanimate objects that may have been theirs, and the memories called up
by some simple trinket show that psychologically a certain power really
does exist in such objects. The sentiment they awaken is only in
ourselves, and the impression that awakes it as well, but the presence
of the inanimate object actually conditions the awakening of the
feeling. Thus we can scarcely deny to amulets a certain inherent
quality in this respect.
Often
some strange, quaint, or bizarre design seen in the shop of a dealer in
antiques will make a peculiar and individual appeal to the observer,
and will be chosen by him as his personal amulet, as though fate had
destined the object for his special use. So we are told that Mr.
Augustin Osman, the artist, secured possession of a singular gold
ornament representing a human skull; upon it was figured in opals the
word ' ' Ave. ' ' On the first night after the acquisition of this
object, the artist had a vivid dream, in which the impression was
conveyed to him that he would always enjoy
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