Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-06-08
The History of New York Fortune
Teller,

Among these magiciaus in New York there
il pretty little woman who goes into frances
and calls herself clairvoya ant, although she
admits quite frankly that she does not know
what she is. Years ago, when little child,
she recollected claspiDg her arm around a
swing and looking dreamiIy into space until
IT See med 10 her az il her soul was discovered
from her body and she had visions. They
were not OF her own future, but of the future
OF others, and when she awakened from this
dream or trance only the latter mart of the
closing chapter waa remembered. Her father
wac stern old Puritan, and at a loss 10 know
how TO exercise this devil, for whippiugs and
Punishmenls were OF no avail. She seized
every opportunity TO lest this power. Az she
grew older, however, and went to school, the
girls rather shamed her out of what they
called .ench nensouse." Ateigb.een, having
heart like other womeu she fell IN love-
married, aud became the mother Of two chill
dren. With busy hands and hsppy life the
old pernicious tendency toward dreams and
visions was well-nigh forgotten. No trance
warned her Of the approach of that
unrelenting visitor, death. He came
just as TO the most ordinary
| MORALS, unexpected and unannounced. One
morning while she stood on the porch OF her
little house, with her baby growing in her
arms, four men approached with horrible
burden, the inanimate form OF her husband,
| maDgled by machinery. Then came sickness
poverty, debt and despair. Her children
were looking at her with hungry eyes. She
grew wild and unlike hsrself-and was beset
| anew by visions and dreams. She saw Wis.,
| ions OF the future happiness of her friends
and neighborF, until finally she told credu-
leus woman one cay her fortune. Then an
other came and another, and presently the
| desolAte widow became known as q clairvoy-
4 ant NIT Al
| ture. She went TO sleep with rigid muscles
| and staring eyes, and saw peoples lives I'M
| rolled before her as an immense panorama.
She told her visitors how friend, protesting
TO love them, really were inn acable enemies
| She told OF coming sickness, OF good fortune
| for those who invested money in such and
such manner. And all this was given forth
| with such burning and rapid intensity that
| she never Jailed TO conVioC-.-It-is NOT TOO
| much to say that whole lives have been
ordered and altered upon this woman's
words. Friends have been separated and
brought together; wives and husbands have
been rendered happy or miserable; money
| made or lost; residences changed; businss Sc
put aside; Journeys taken from Que part OF
| the country TO another. The woman herself,
meantime, has made money, educated her
children, set up her son in lucrative business
and owns her Fl st little happy home for the
| summers rest and recreation. But while she
has been busy averting the misfortunee OF
others, has she kept her own sky free from
clouds? All, mol The light of her life has
gone out. Her beautiful, accomplished,
cherished daughter is dead. Neither trance,
nor vision, nor spelI, nor dresm warned her;
and yet it was no illness, but an accident
which, could it have been foreseen, might
easily have been prevented. The girl went
10 ride, the horse took fright and she died oil
internal injuries. If spirits come TO her
mother snd tell her of the destiny Of Others
are they not cruel devils which hover around
and leave her powerless TO protect her own
Bul il is inothiDg, nothing at all, except
thst she is highly strung, overweight, dis
eased woman, who needs treatment by
competent specialist in her own diseases. Sh.
calls the people who come 10 her, sppropri
ately enough, "her patients" One man hai
been to see her once week for eleven years
She limits herself to three frances 3 dsy, anc
she charges IS for esch trance. Then sh,
tells foriuues by cards, and, in one way anC
another, makes, strange ss il may seem, from
SIS 10 $50 regularly day. Even her owl
! sorrowful experiences, which she relates quit,
unreservedly snd pathelicslly, DO not dele
the people who consult her from returniu,
again and again. Reason j. not the stron!
point with those who find i, possible 10 be
/ | liz liuip