The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-05-25
Special Correspondence of SUNDAY HERALD.

Special CORRESPONDENCE of SUNDAY HERALD.
NEW YORK, May %, 1890
The desire is strong with the average woman
of to-day to have her fortune told. One may be
a grandmother, still the interest in the fortune
teller never wakes or wanes. The divinity
which doth hedge king" is as nothing as COM
pared with that which surrounds the woman
who can look into the future. l was of u
party last week who went to have their for
tunes told. l was promised handsome hus-
band, coming from over the sea, with great
wealth, and that would be the mother of thir-
teen sons, each of whom would be genius IN
his way. The in-his-way" struck me as being
very funny, for out of the thirteen in prospect 1
thought one might have genius for picking
pockets, and another for making patent medi-
cnes, while the genius of the last of the lot
might show itself in writing up prize fights for
the newspapers.
WOMEN DIP INTO THE FUTURE.
The fortune-teller herself was u joy forever.
Grievous as it sounds, must confess that she
more than merely inclined to embonpoint."
She was fat. Distinctly so. She had on a low
necked frock of black velvet, and around her
neck a gold chain on which was suspended a
mysterious pendant that looked like baby
mummy. Around the bottom of her frock was
worked, in gilt thread, crescents and stars, and
occasionally a skull and crossbones. To add to
the cheerfulness of the situation the room was
ing up our backbones, two curtains swung aside
and we the child of destiny, for so she called
herself seated in large armchair on dais,
with pack of cards in one hand and wand in
lovely, theatrical tones, Approach, fair maiden"
AS two of us were married and two widows we
one OF the widows who felt her courage gradu-
ally sinking to her French heels, did go forward.
A FoRTUNE-TELLER MISSES FIRE.
She didn't get much for her quickness, as she
was told she would marry dark man who
would be cruel to her; that she would have
one child, daughter, who would marry a
crowned head; the brutal husband would die
q frightful death, making the sweet wife a
widow before she was twenty-five! AS she was
twenty-nine on her last birthday and has been
widow for six years, this didn't seem to fit in
with her life. But the fortune-teller said, in a
beautiful Bowery stage tone, Alas it's true"
aHd the widow retreated. The next dip into the
future told young married woman, the mother
OF the lovelest twins that ever cried for wooy
dog. that she woud Id. meyer marry but she would
1t was alse added that she would leave all of her
fortune warranted to be very great, to help in
dlgent old maids
SOME NEWS FOR EDWIN BOOTH.
Being possessed of abnormal curiosity, an
nounced myself as willing to pay dollar more
10 have picture of the father of those thirteen
boys At first she said it would be difficult to
produce this, and wanted two dollars, but he
was only worth a dollar to me and declined to
colored girl in low-necked frock made OF blue
serge, and made in what might be called
Greek design, was told to bring in Il certain
box. 1t came, and from it was extracted pic
ture which was handed to me. The father of
sure he viii be charmed 70 Know tSis and n arl
less that woman told a tarradiddle, | am forced
to believe that the fates direct that this shall
happen. asked her If she knew who the pic
ture was and she said yes but she could not tell
anything except that he would come across the
sea and greet me when | least expected it, |
theatre when he is playing Hamlet, for it might
P59Xe 69 y very IN gon m SIM M In fact think
the truth may have been told don't think it
fair to drag him into such a complication to
oollgc that dreadful old woman. But undoubt-
edly am tated to get him. | dropped.a quarter
IN the slot down at Coney Island year ago to
obtain a picture of my future husband, and Mr..
Beoth was then to the fore, so l do not dare TO
say what may happen.
TELLING A KINGS FORTUNE
In curious old book the other day l found
story about Louis XIV having his fortune told
The man to whom he went with Madame de
Mantenon was a priest, who had no idea of the
people who were before him. He burned per-
fumes, offered prayers, and with loud invOcations
adjured the powers of he'll TO answer him. A
wild sound pervaded the whole building and
while visions seemed to be fitting to and fro he
drew the horoscopes. He promised Louis that
ne should succeed in ali his undertakings and
that upon the very day on which he spoke the
words one of his children had been called to the
inheritance OF an immense fortune Then he
gave MIN small package wrapped in a parch-
ment, and said: The day in which you form the
fata resolution of acquainting yourself of the
contents OF this package will be the last of your
prosperity; but If you desire TO carry your good
fortune 10 the highest pitch, be careful upon
every great tCstlVal-that is to say, Easter Whit
Suneay, the Assumption, and Christmas-to
plunge pin into this talisman, so that the point
shall pass directly through il; observe this and
you VIII i've perfectly happy" The king
ACCEPTED THE FATAL PRESENT
anu sWore never TO open the package. Some
nme after ne got news that on that very Octo-
ber ?, 100, the King Of Spain had left Philip of
France his successor and heir, an enormous in
hertance as the astrologer had predicted Talk.
ing after this TO the great Bossuet about magic
and sorcery, the king told him about 1t, and the
punishment imposed upon him by his spiritual
adviser was that nc should show his contempt
Tor the ta!smanic properties of the parchment
package by opening it ut once. The king dldn't
fancy this at all, but as he had begun to grow
very fearful he obeyed the command and opened
the magic parcel. 1t contained nothing but q
DOnsecrated wafer, pierced through with as manX
pms rs there had been saints days since il had
been received. The king was filled with great
.Ong time before he recovered and he heunderWent
many severe penances and fastings before hC
ielI himself relieved from the weight OF his
crime. Bul Jnls was only the commencement OF
lhe trouble. 10 those in the secret of this affaiI
i was known that the monarch lost from that
Alme as many male descendants in q direct line
MS ne had stuck pins III the holy wafer 1t seems
curious 70 think That the religious Maintenon
would allow LouIs to do such a frivolous thing
as 10 attempt 70 look into the future, but il only
goes 10 show that from Eve 10 Marie Bashklrf-
self, with all the noted women between, a desire
10 know what they oughtn't has been the ruling
passion OF their lives.
PAINTING WOMEE IN PAsTELs.
There has been here small exhibition OF