Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-01-26
LESSON IN PALMISTRY.

LESSON IN PALMISTRY.
It was one summer by the sea, years
and years ago-almost an age ago-so 1t
seems now. Just how many years ago
need not be said. Years are never what
they seem to be after they are gone.
They are either shorter or longer than
they were, and these years of mine were
like all the rest. She was IA and 1 was Is.
She was pretty, graceful and slender.
Her hair was dark and came down low
over her forehead. Her eyes were brown,
and when she laughed they laughed, when
she was sad so were they, and when she
wanted them to obey could speak, as they
did speak to me once that summer by the
sea. Bat [ am anticipating my story.
Her cheeks were rich with color, and so
were her lips. She was pretty. was Phil
lis, and / was boy of Is, as awkward, as
laundering and as i'm questionable as boys
of 16 are apt to be.
It was Phillis who gave me my first
lesson III palmistry. She was romantic
at that age, as most girls are, and loved
poetry and caramels, was devoted to nov
els and romance ard had an affection for
mysteries which came from deep down in
her heart. Phillis had heart-when she
was Ia. loved sim ply her. To her only
was | devoted, and upon her alone all the
youthful affection of a growing boy was
generously lavished. She didn't love me
then; there was no mystery, no romance,
no poetry about me, but there were cara
mels, and | was the only boy in Ports
mouth that she knew that summer by the
sea. Accordingly under these circum
stances | was made to feel that life was a
very pleasant thing and l a very passable
creature for my age.
In the attic of the old house where we
lived, my aunt's-we were kinsfolk, far
removed, Phillis and There was an
Anticipated book on magic with a dingy
cover, cracked open at the back and
redolent of must, which gave to it's con-
tents q certain flavor of veracity, as
though its yellow pages had been pored
over by many an astral scholar in ages
gone by. And would they have studied it
SO deeply had it not told the truth? It
contained figures of hands roughly drawn,
with labyrinths of lines upon the palms,
crossing and recrossing each other like
the creases in a crum pied piece of paper
These mysterious lines were defined in
the text and their significance for veal
and for woe were pointed out at length.
In this book Phillis fairly reveled, and
to unravel its mystery ana master it's
definitions she devoted herself with ardent
zest, until finally she knew enough of it's
lore to give me my first lesson in palm
istry. The same to which l have alluded
before. 1t was one afternoon in June.
We had wandered far away from the
house and sat down on rustic bench on
the lawn overlooking the sea.
"Chub," said she G was called Club
when / was 16-because I looked as little
like a club as a trout looks like a lphin
AS some men nowadays are called great
"shall | read from destiny in your
hand"-
Something you learned in that old
book?" was my unrOmantic reply.
eyes," she said, "aAd it's simply won
derful what it tells. Do YOU Know" she
closer to my side and speaking almost in
a whisper. "Do you know
"What?" / asked, interested but not en-
thused-that is, not just then.
''Why it has told me all my life; every
thing that | did almost, and it shows m
the most beautiful future you can think
of. Isn't that nice? OF course it must
be true"
may have looked skeptical, but wise
" kept silent.
"Well, it is true, know it, for"-this
trium phantly-"if it tells the truth about
the past why shouldn't it tell the truth
about the future?"
Having so answered argument at my
disposal at the moment, l made no reply.
IF you don't care to have your fortune
told, though" she continued with q
:. l.
as she arose with quiet dignity and pre-
pared to go.
''Don't go, Phillis," / exclaimed peni-
tently, You can tell my fortune if you
want to. You cen tell it a hundred times
1 don't care. Indeed 1 DON'T. I'd rather
enjoy it. Come, now, don't be angry,
Phillis. How do you begin? Which hand?
Right or left? See, here are my hands,
both of them
''If you Will promise to be real good
Phillis spoke slowly and with emphasis.
"I'u promise anything" 1 interrupted.
"And if you will not scoff at the art"
she continued like true victor, without
noticing my comprehensive but i'll timed
assent to her terms of conquest. "If you
will be quiet and res pectful and remem-
Der all tell you, will roao your hands,
otherwise"-
My promise this time was so earnest
and contrite that the palmist relented at
once, and after gras ping the tips of my
outstretcheG hand in one of hers and
pointing with a dainty finger tip to the
largest of the lines which crossed the
palm, she began drawing aside the cur
tain which hid from unlearned eyes my
future and my past.
"What a big hand you have, Chub,"
she observed by way OF preface, land
how hard it is.''
My hand did look large when clasped
By her pretty fngers-larger than it ever
looked before and as l gazed upon it, it
seemed to grow even larger still and my
face redeemed with shame.
''That doesn't make any difference,
though" she continued, 81 can read it all
the better for that. The lines are bigger,
GU know"
didn't know, but 1 felt grateful all
the same.
''This long line" went on the sybil
thoughtfully and seriously, sis your line
of life. See how long it is? You will
live to be very old. wouldn't be sur
prised if you lived to be so, 4S at least. I
am snre of that
Forty eight does seem very Methu-