New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-14
orT-oE-THE- WAY Aspects OF LIFE.
I-DoEsrICKs HAS HIS FORTUNE TOLD.

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b,ve ,e.ovea W; "a your leave and for their especial
s.le.t.t;on ~ ipSe letter now and thea e sps-
cial contribution 10 your hosP,able columns;he 6rst
of which here offered for your consideration snd the
pubhcs. should il prove acceptable. others shall
foiow-snd So without furih, v prelude, let nee pro-
e'ed to describe visi, l,tely made By NE TO
certain ioI,uue-te.ling den up-toxn.
Since the memorable day of that vi ii my destiny Is
no longer mystery. kpov /; al. know what
Kind OF s woman an to marry, how m Any children
we're 10 have, how many will die Of meas Ss, aud how
any sill be choked with the Group and c IN cLcu-
late 10 quart how much castor oil shall have 20 lay
in for ia ally consumption. I've h,l my fortu ., told
by witch. The witches Of modern time do n OF fire.
quent graves snd gbbets at midnight, to collect the
uarrowUf innocent babes and grease that's sweatso
" from the muroervrs Sbbet, ss choice Ingredients
for their incsntsonsthey hold no nocturnal orgies
with dancing skeletons and ccrpses, brought by the
black art back to temporary ife-ihey nowadays
take pains to conceal their trse, but advertise il
in the daily pspcrs. Their believers not now the
great men and wise women Of the earth but chamber
II aids and servant girls who want love-powders 10
win some noble swain some veriant ccuutrymsn
anxious TO the pifered eelskin which con-
tanned bis treasured pennies. They easily satisfy
these gulble customers by promising the first end
day and carry of their brides in fcW-horse coaches;
ard the latter by extemporaneous description OF
the thief and wish that be NAV suffer pains in bis
bead heart, liver and all other important parts of
his body, until the property is restored. Wtchcrstt
is rife in our midst, snd do no. hang or burn tho
hags ard beldames who practice H. or stick them full
OF needles or duck them in the horse-ponds as in the
good old days OF Salen-more the pity.
In tbs day Of railroads and three.cent stages,
they have no occasion to perform their journeys upon
broousticks; and in our City, where cream ID only
trsditioDary, they cannot bexitrh their neghbors'
churniugs or throw their dire enchantments over the
ncipsnt cheeseso the protective horseshoe is OF no
avail.
They have robbed the trade Of all s mystery and
romance; we hear no more of mighty magian, with
hoary beard and flowing robe, with magic wand and
attendant spirits; more " weird sisters, with talon
fingers and sunken eyes; not even romantic wander
ing gipsies-but ugly women with unwashed hands,
WHO cant SPELL The calling has degenerated, AMI
the necroman,c trade has passed into the hands Of
unworthy successors who would steal their living If
cheating wasn't easier. And the trade thrivcs and
the swirdlpg praciicers thereof Asunt 10 slks while
honest virtue slaves off destituon by making
hickory shirts at eight cents apiece.
For at this time of triumphant and successful ham
bug-when ndiscriuinate pufery is freely used to
boost into notice all kinds of SHAM deception and de-
ceit, which ihereupon grow fat and thrive when
yermin exterminaters, luciier matches, and patent
backng employ such high.hown language in com
m.pdation of their merits, that Inventions of real
merit and Importance must resort to the basest bonn
bast to keep pace with the fooery of their neghbors-
when solid merit which rould succeed must vie in
euphustic phrase with brainless emptiness which
] -, imam S.Oleu
wit. diluted humor and feeble fiction are spawned in
scores from weak Drained fops and aspiring women,
Inflated by unsparing puffeiy into transient noto-
rie'y and palmed upon the public as works OF stcr-
ling merit-when even these Doestick Letters are
purchased and perused, it may easily DO imagined
that no pudent humbug if properly managed, viii
turn the stomach of the enlig htened Yankee Nation.
Having read tho advertisement Of a Grand st. for
tune teller. who advertised herself the Seventh
daughter of a seventh daughter lnea d. scend-
ent from some one Of the Egyptian masicians VIE
could AZ ill the irogsI straghtwsy resolved to PW
her visit. Went up town, found the house, ruoy
the bell ard was shown into a shabby room by
suffering girl who informed me by instruments that
her mistress would see me presently. Examined the
furniture rickety table, ditto chairs, bare floor with
knot holes In it, uncuous mirror, two hair trunks,
clothes. basket and hat box. Enter mistress
minus youth, beauty, hair pins aud clean stockings.
She wore no flowing robe figured with cebalistic
signs she bore no sable wand of magic but she
clad in a calico dress, and had brass csndestck in
her hano-she drew no mystic circle che performed
no nscrutabe incantations, she spoke In no I'M
known topgue-but she put the candestick on the
rickey table, sat down in a botlomed chair, and
asked me what my name was, and what wanted.
Told her wanted to find out who was going to
/ A Lx- ,t.1I IuaLv ,Laxt
the lottery, which should draw prize big enough to
support the amily-also wanted description of the
mar who stole my jack knife aud kno Wedge Of tho
place where could ind tho same. Now she began
TO wo,k-she did not consult the stars-she did not
/ cut my homeopathic did not even ask me where l
was born, or what my father did for aising-she eK-
hlbiied no strange paraphernaia Of sorcery and con-
juratior-Do obscure language, suggestive Of diyins-
ton or enchentment fell from her prophetic lips She
only asked me if had any moes on my person, AID
what dreamed about last night-ihen plungng her
hand through slit in the side Of her des she h'he1
out from some unknown depth pack OF cards.
Greasy we're they, and wsil worn-tbe kniye OF
spades had his legs torn Of, the queen OF diamonds
/ had her face scratched with a tbimbe, two OF the
aces were stuck Together with beeswax, and the
| hing Of clubs had evidently been used 10 skim HES
! out Of the uolasses. After much shuffiiDg OF the
royal and plebisn members Of the pack, shc
cot them fixed to Der fatsfsction and proceeded 10
draw the rero DiLe cards, which che disposed in three
eymuetical pllos; then looked them Oyer-b, her
lI-.tamped her foot then told inc that my knife had
been sioleL by squ ut eyed Idsbman, who bad dis
posed of il 70 biz uncle 4. dozen cotton nght-caps,
sixty cigars and bhy cents really money snd that If