The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-07-26

world poured over her own condition
and finally wound up by wondering
what she was in the world for; ques-
ton that no human being has ever
solved.
We come forth without design, and go
hence without direction. We wake up
out of the vast eternity of the past, and
rub our surprised eyes in bewiiderment;
look at the strange affairs about us;
shudder a few times with fright; cry a
little because something had hurt us;
we feel tired because we have strug-
giles; hold our aching heads little
while; put a little cold water on our
| fevered temples and go to sleep, to give
| place to some other spirit, to wrap a lit
| tie earth about it, and wake up and go
| to sleep.
The poor. lonely woman could
not rest. Sometimes meditation will not
let the nerves be quiet She thought
| how much better nature treated birds
! than her Birds are clothed, humanity
| is naked. Birds have wings; humanity.
| but a vague promise from a vague
realm that ii may sometime possess
| pinions. What we call the lower crea-
| lures, all find a natural place on the
| bosom of their mother. Nothing seems
| to be prepared and fitted for man.
Briars tear the skin and stones bruise
| his feet. the sun hurts his eyes and
| burns his flesh. In the winter he shiv
ers and in the summer he pants. It
taxes all of his energy to prevent his
| destruction by the warning elements.
| Other creatures are clothed a table is
prepared for them and a couch spread
] for their slumbers.
While carrying on such meditation,
| buZzing, whizzing sound in the leaves,
| near her feet, reminded her that another
| enemy was approaching. She vacated
| her place to give room for a rattle-snake.
| Finding another suitable place, she,
| tired from a days journey and a sleep
| less night, like some half-withered leaf
4 in the vast forest of nature, lies down
on the other withered leaves. no more,
| no less to the world than any one of
| them that composed her bed, and in her
| dreams, perhaps, not less happy, posi-
| bly, even more so, than she would have
| been had her lowly head been decl<ed
| with a crown, and in all human prOba-
bility much more kind, much more hon
| orable much more virtuous than many
| of those who have worn a crown. As
she slumbered in the darkness Of the
| night, beneath the forest leaves, she
| was indeed, much like a queen. They
| sleep in the blackness of intrigue with
poisonous serpents often in their beds.
| When morning came she was awaken
| ed by some half naked, barbarous chill
| dren pulling at her red hair and calling
| gently:
witch, witch, do you tell fortunes -
Rubbing her eyes, she quickly awoke
at the "do you tell fortunes?" Did she
| tell fortunes? Everything tells fortunes,
or if you like. fortunes tell everything.
She had before her the true produc-
| ton of the soil People like plants and
| trees, partake of the soil and their sur
| roundings as they do Of the natures that
brought them forth. It is always case
| of natural selection. This was wild.
| billy, poor country, but little to sustain
life in what we would call a better way.
| The people there look like the hills, and
| 60nnad them
A few PAGES away. stood the mothers
| Of these Mountain Arabs, with but lit
tie more clothing than their scantily-
clad progeny. They had presumed from
the appearance of the woman, that she
was a fortune teller, and as people cor
respond with the land upon which they
| were raised. so their opinions and be-
liefs will ever be measured by their in
telligence or the want Of it. Being wild
| and ignorant they, of course were SUI
perstitious and fatalistlc, believed good
Gods fetched good things and bad devils
sent bad things, and if by some shrewd-
ness the intentions of these deitieS could
be defined the evils could be avoided.
After all, there is universal harmony.
The physical and mental condition of
the animal is not less so than the ply
steal and mental condition OF men. In
the tropics we find the elephant without
hair, suited to his surroundings. The
came's foot Is adapted to press the
l..
any design In this. but an adaptation in
their condition. In the polar region the
hair and the soft, under hair Of the
reindeer is capab BILE Of sheltering from
the most powerful blast Neither could
survive in the climate Of the other. So
with mankind. Nature molds and
adapts the spirit and flesh alike to the
moral intellectual climate where the
creatures lot is cast.
Though the woman had never told
FTr-F h. To- I'd he
means by which to get her breakfast.
Yes" said she. 81 can tell fortunes
and I will If you will give me some
breakfast
This news was very acceptable 10 the
| slatternly looking females, who, with
pipe in mouth, stood awaiting the reply.
The woman being a stranger to them,
of course was mysterious, and their rude
| Imagination soon made her out some
sorceress or possibly ar angel in dis
| guise.
Yes. she could tell fortunes, either with
cards, coffee grounds or by palmistry
AS the mountaineer's cabin generally
| had a deck of cards, but not always cof-
fee, the former were chosen. She was
| to tell the fortune Of the younger woman
| while the other one fried some home
| prepared bacon and baked "corn-pone
down by the fire. Sitting on one side OF
| the table, the fortune-teller placed the
subject on the opposite side. Shutting
the old deck of cards, commanded in a
| solemn voice that the young woman
should cut them in three different piles
Obeying without a word, the fortune
teller removed three cards from each
| pile, laying them in separate piles, and
each pile having one card from the
original larger pile. Then turning them
over one at a time, placing them in a
| row. again mixing them so no two would
be together that were previously so
| Looking at them moment, putting
| her index finger over her lips, whistled
i'm a low tone, shaking her head, indi-
eating something serious, pointing to the
Jack of clubs" saying:
You have an enemy who is cunnins
and untruthful. He has black hair anC
dark eyes. He seems more than agree
| able to you but beware, take care
Picking up the queen of hearts," she
said
Here is a fair complexioned woman
whom he loves most, and whom he viii
marry. She has a rich uncle of the
same complexion" as she pointed to the
king of diamonds ''who will leave hel
considerable money; but" pointing t
the ace of Spades "a death will come
to their family; the woman will die
leaving him a widower for by thi:
time you will be married" She con
| continued to say. You are going on
| long journey, and will cross a large
stream of water"
, Continuing and watching the girl:
: | oOuntenance, the woman had no trouble
in getting the history Of the family
, and dealing it back TO them to thei
| | unbounded surprise. Telling her espe
. | cially that when she fell out with he