The age-herald., 1898-06-05
BAB'S BABBLHVGS.
The Famous Writer Describes Her Experi- ence With Persons Who Profess to
 Peep Into the Future.

ever crleQ TOT d WOOlly QOS, anu SuC heard that she would never marry, but would lead life devoted to charity and leave a large fortune to be utilized by ladies who had seen better days. l got the full worth of my money. In grew some way the "child of destiny' told me that handsome husband was coming over the sea to me, that his wealth would be great and that would be the joyful mother of 13 sons, each genius in his way.
 That 'in his way" struck me as very funny, for out of the 13 in prospect one might have a genius for picking pockets, another for embedding and another for making patent medicines, while the ability of the last of the lot might show itself in writing up prizefights for the newspapers. I have an abnormal curl osity so I offered $1 more to be given photograph of the father of those boys. At first the "child of destiny" demurred and wanted S2, but said he was only worth $1 to me, and I declined to give more So she rang a bell, and the "moke" entered. After much whisper ing she was told to bring a certain box, from which was extracted dreadful picture of Richard Mansfield.
 l lOOheu dl IL ClOSely dilu lIiCn at llCi and told her I would give her $1 more if she would give me his name. She said that she didn't know that and wouldn't rob me, but that he was com
 ing across the sea and would come when I least expected him. I hope he won't appear when he is got up as Richard, for 1t might make me nervous, and want to be at my best at that time. To |. f,..,4 4l,F F,,1 Ion al n "a my fate. dropped 10 cents in the slot down at Coney Island one year ago to get picture of my future husband, and MT. Mansfield was then to the fore, so am forced to think What does this mean?" although MT Mansfield has a wife, and bigamy is not yet recogn Zed as quite the thing in this country.
 Then we went to another fortune tell CT, stern looking lady with half her nose gone. She charged higher prices than the first. but then, as she told you, with a look on her face that meant de- I termination, T am forced to use fresh egg with each one" I would have liked her better if she had had more nose. She broke an egg in a glass, then looked in it and told me: You will have a sor- rowful life. You will never be rich. (By
 
 marry, you will be a childess and un- happy wife" She wanted me to buy a package of some kind of beautifier at $5 per package and said if I used it as directed my entire life would be chang ed. don't know about my life but I was sure about my face. I would be a greasy, horrid looking thing, with sug- gestion to the world at large that I counted soap and water of no value and thought much of her old cosmetic.
 But it was funny. Our little party went to five women, and not one of them could tell who was married and who was not, while they wandered so far from the truth in regard to other things that these various children of destiny" made it clear that, while they might have intercourse with the spirits, they | did not even have a little leaven of | common sense. I know a woman who | goes to fortune teller every week. She says it makes her feel easier. I may mention that she is a kind soul who runs boarding house, and if dose of fortune telling is any pleasure to her I think she should be allowed to have it.
 By the way, in a curious old book that I tumbled over I read story of Louis XIV having his fortune told. He went with Mime. de Maintenon to this man, who was absolutely ignorant of who the people were who stood before him, but he burned perfumes and offered prayers, and then in some awe inspiring invoca- tion he adjured the powers of hell to an- swer him. A frightful sound filled the whole building, and the king and his wife, for she was his wife then, were almost fainting with fright. The sooth- saver told the king that he would suc- ceed in all his undertakings and that upon this very day one of his children had been called to the Inheritance of a great fortune. Then he gave him a tiny package wrapped in parchment and said: "The day in which you form the fatal resolution of acquainting your self with the contents of this package will be the last one of your prosperity. If you desire to carry your good fortune to the highest pitch, be careful upon every great festival-that is to say, Easter, Whitsunday, the Assumption and Christmas-to plunge pin into this talisman so that the point shall pass directly through it."
 The king accepted the fatal present and swore never to open the package. Soon after he got news that on that very Ocl. z, INV, tLe hlIlS Ol Dpdln IldQ died and left his successor and heir, Philip of France, just such an enormous inheritance as the astrologer had pre- dicted. After awhile, talking to the great Bossuet about magic and sorcery, the king told him the story of the package, ard his confessor insisted that he should show his contempt for the talismanic properties of the package by opening it at once. The king did not fancy doing this, but he had got a bit scared. He obeyed the command and opened the magic parcel. In it was a consecrated wafer that had in it as many pins as there had been saints days since it had been received. The king was filled with great remorse and underwent severe penances and long days of fasting before he felt relieved of the crime he had committed. But this was only the beginning of the trou- ble. To those in the secret of this af-