Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-03-24
The Fortune e-Tellers of New York
CITY.

Olty.
The following Spic- sketches are
from the work of Junius Henrie
| Browne, entitled "The Great Metro
polls" Just issued:
Perhaps at the entrance of these
abodes of the mystagogues, stands
an uncOmbed, unwashed boy,-as
unweird and unmysterious as can be
imagined-with misspelled circulars
inviting the public, especially you,
to learn the secrets of the future
whom you will marry when you
will die; how you will grow rich
and whatever your restless spirit
hungers to know.
You go up the uncarpeted stair
case, and pause before a begrimed
door, behind which tin or painted
sign informs you, the .oracles of the
gods are dispensed. You are order
ed to knock or ring; and you do so,
with no other shrinking than that
which is inspired by bad air, and an
unmistakable hatred on the premises
of soap and water.
You are ushereu in by a colored
wnman, who requests you to.be seat
ed, and says her mistress Will soon
y
upon a hard, wooden chair, whose
back has the lumbago. and whose
legs are infirm, and look around
while you are waiting.
Nothing but bare walls and strip
of rag carpet i'll the little ante-room.
You hear a murmur of voices on the
other side of the thin PARTITION, per-
haps a monOtohous shout, and soon
the sound of a bell, and the sable
FORTRESS appears, and you are invit-
ed to enter the presence OF the priest
ess, who unfolds your destiny for a
dollar in currency, whatever the
fluctuation of gold.
Disappointment greets you as you
enter. You see no paraphernalia of
the occult art. No skulls, nor bones,
nor crucifiXes, nor black hangings
with triangles or circles wrought
| thereon in crimson or white; no re-
torts, nor strange vessels with ann
ber-hued philtres no large, dark
volumes with iron clasps; no owls,
living or stuffed no wand or instru-
ment of magic.
Even the sorceress is artistically a
failure. Neither Ayesha nor * etitah
is she. The tall little figure, the
dark, piercing eye, the deep, solemn
voice, you look and listen for i'll
vain.
The priestess is only gross, iieshy
slattern and she gives out-must L
confess it t?-Such an odor of onions
and gin that you are convinced she
| is more mortal than mystic. Per
haps she is an ASSyrian or an Ara
bian, for she speaks very imperfect
English, and with Il nasal accent
that " as never born of Delphos.
She looks at you with blood-shot
eyes, and says with energy, lone
dollar, sir, for gintlemen ;" takes up
| a greasy pack of cards, and proceeds
| to tell your fortune.
"Here's a black-haired woman and
n light-haired woman. Bcuh of 'em
is in love with you very bad. Both
| of 'em wants to marry you. The
| light-haired woman's jealous like ;
but tother III he yer wife sure"
"I'm already married, madam,
and TO a second wife,
"Then the black hair III be your
| third. Iis, yis, | see. Here's a Iu-
n'ral. Somebody's goin to die.
That must be your wife. lis, she
won't live many months, | see in
these here cards.
1--WE known some men to look
elated over this dismal intelligence,
and depart after giving the fortune
| teller an extra dollar, without wait
ing to hear mOre.l
You're gOin' to travel, and git a
letter from a dark-haired man who
seems drunk !; for he is upside down
in the pack. Some of the men you
have knowed take too much, wunst
in a while, don't they ?n
II did not come here To lmpart
| condolences, madam y
"Oh, well, YOU needn't be snap
pish. It's so, anyhow for the cards
tells it, and they isn't mistak'n new
er. Let me see. Here's trouble for
you-great trouble about money.
You or you're friends is goin' to be
rich, too, though you don't believe
it. Thercll be death, too, in your
family. Iis, here's a coffin and a
hearse.n
as my wife to die twice?''
mo; it will probably he one of
your Children
~ haven't any Children
mot born in wedlock, perhaps,
but a love-chIld YOU mayn't know
nothing about. You know those
kind of things happens
."Confound ii madam, I'm n mem
ber of the church."
"Church members is mortal like
| the rest of us.'
"Well, I've heard enough for my
dollar"
"If you'll pay another, Til tell
you how to get rich.
| Just dip your finger in that ere
tumbler on the shelf, and you'll
The remainder of her sentence is
! lost by the closing of the door, which
you slam behind you, disgusted, as
you descend 40 the unpleasant
| street.
On your way down, you meet two
servant girls, with a kind Of awe
| struck appearance, and at the front
! door, pale seamstresS who is taking
her last dollar-she was two days
earning ito the gross imposter up
| stairs.
| In the Bowery, above Prince street
a more pretentious type of the for
| tune-teller may be seen. Her. sur
! roundings are better, and her charges
| higher.
Consultations five dollars, and
strictly confidential, +" her advertise
ments read "Patronized by the
| most fashionable people in New
| Iori, ~ too. That il something for
| ones future is likely TO be better
when told with that of the prosper
| ous.
MATRIMONIAL BROKERAGE.
Matrimonial brokerage is merely
| matchmaking systematized. The
| brokers do for money what amateurs
do for excitement and from passion
for managing. They have an uncer-