The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-10

Mil lnctuate with grea1 impartiallty. Inc
Dickens cards may count but one. Wnlie
Iupper will be named sixteen. carlyle
viii only count two, while Artemus Ward
viii be sixty. King Henry VIII, who set
no small store By himself, may be no. l. ~
the llngly game. while Ed ware ll. Will pc
allow ed a higher numeral than ne was a.
lotted in life. -w
..--. Mystery.
Now we come to a game which interests
old and Young. Meme are SO apathetlc out
they relish a peep behind the dark curtIln.
The apple pairing in the fire, the roasted
chestnut, and the raisin, the fire back ana
the stars have been i~nterrogated since time
began. The pack Of cares, the tea cup, the
dream book, the board With mystic num-,
bers, the Bible and key have been consulted
from time i~nmenorial. y he makers o5
games have given in their statistics and
they declare there are no games 50 popular
as those which fcretcll the future.
Now this tampering With greWsome things
which may lead to bad dreams is not re-
commended. but 50 long az IT Is Done 1oI
fun and an evenings amusement 1t IS net
ut all dsngerou-. The riches which are
hidden III a Iack Of fortune telling cards
are very comfortable while they last. They
are endless. they are not taxed. thaY nave
few really trying responsibilities attached,
they bring no beggars. Ihey buy az we
want, they are gained without headache or
backacne, they are inherited without STAN
and lost without regret. Of what otnef
fortune can we say SO much?
Who is not glad to find q four-leaved
clover, to ses the moon over his hight shouio
der, to have q black cat come to the house!
She is sure TO fix good fortunel
The French have, however, tabulArlzed
70 tune telling for us. Their pechllaf
ability in arranging ceremonlals anu tete5,
and their undoubted genius for tactics anG
strategy show that they might be able to
fo.esea events practically. Their ingenuity
in all technical contrivances is al addl-
tional testimony in the right direction. and
we are not surprised that they have here,
as is their wont. given Us the practical help
which we need in fortune telling.
Mile. L.enormand, the sorceress who fore
told Napoleons greatness and to many OF
the great people OF France their downfall
and misfottuues, has lett US thirty-six
cards IN which we can read the DEGREES OF
fate.
Lenormapd was q clever sybil. She knew
how to mix things and throw III the inevl-
table bad and the possible good SO at least
to a1nuse those who conRulted her.
In this game, which can be bought at any
book store, the Cavalier" for instance. is
a messenger of good fortune, the clover
leaf Il harbinger of good news, but if sur
rounded by clouds it indicates great pain,
but if No. 2 lies near No. 2b or % the pain
VIII te of short duration, and SO on.
Thus Mile. Ienormand tells f%ortunes
still, although she has gone to the land of
certainty and has herself found out if her
vmbOls ana emblens and her combine
tions really did draw aside the curtain Of
the future with invisible strings. Amateur
SYPHILIS playing this game Can be sure that
they add to the art Of entertaining.
Ihe cup of tea and the mysterious wan
| 6nrippl pf the pr0unHG arounH tho rur nta
used from the old crone In an English
farm house to the Spanish gypsy who uses
the chocolate grounds.
That most Interesting of tragic SYPHILIS,
"Norma of the Fittul Head, . used molten
lead.
Cards from the earliest antiquity have
been uaed to tell fortunes. Fortuna,
courted by all nations. was in Greek Zyche,
or the goddess OF chance. She differ cd
from destiny Or Fate in SO far as that she
worked without law, giving or taking at hel
own good pleasure. Her symbols were
c. thoss of nutabllity-a ball, q wheel, a pail
. = of wings, q rudder. The Romans affirmed
! that when she entered their city she threw
r off her wings and sloas, determined to liyt
Il with them forever. She seems TO have
q thought better of 1t. however. She was The
sister of the Parcf4, Or Fates, those thre.
who spin the thread Of life. measure it, anc
= cut it off. The power TO tell fortunes b,
- the hanu IS easily learned from Des-
Da ollas book, ~ a very po.ular accom-
- plishnient, ana never fails to amuse thu
!. company AID interest the individual.
. 1t must not be made, however. of toe
. much Importance. 1t never amnses peopl,
. to be warned that they may expect NJ
!, early and violent deAth.n
!, Then comes "MerAiisR.' or Blind Mem,
- Morris, which can be played ON a board q
GA the ground, but which now inds ltstlI
j, reduced TO a parior game. This takes twe
players. American laGatetlc, which cHn bt
played alone or with an antagonist: Chr
- nesa puzzles, which are infinite Y amusing
and hll the gLeat family of the SPHINX
: known as puzzles. are of infinite service tx
the retired. the invalid, the weary poop,
- Tor whom the active business life il at 4,
. end.
We may degcribe one of these games q
an example. 1t IS called The Bind Alb
bot and his Monks" Ii is played wit
d counters. Arrange eight external eslls of
n square go That there may be always nine il
zach row, though the whole number mn
- vary from eighteen to thlrtv-slx. A con
vent, III which there were nine cells, wn
"a occupied by a blind abbot and twenty-fou
MONKS the abbot lodging III the cente
coll ana the monks III the side cella
tAiee IN each, giving Il row OF nino DC,
sons on each Esida Of tho Lulidiuu. III
.e abbot. suspactlng the fidelity IF his brett
ron olten went out at night and counte
Ia them. When he found nine in each TO-
IN the old nan counted his beads, said q
10 avs" ana went to bed contented. III
es monks taking advantage Of his fail,p
slRht, contrlved to deceive him, SO tn,
a. tour could go out nightly. yet have nine j
= n row..
Ill Tue next morning, emboldcned by sue
rE