The Elbert County tribune., 1899-02-09
rHlLosopHv OF rAlMlsrRY.
LsEie Wasted on Those who consuis
Fortnne-reiier-

fortune-Iefier<-
Last week a poor. egotistical crea-
ture who had been employed as bar
maid drowned herself. chiefly as would
seem from her letters, on account Of
the sinister predictions which she
read In her palm. combined with her
planets" No doubt this girl was
"eak-minded. II not actually insane.
put there is good deal in her case
worth thinking about. says London
truth. Some years ago. when con-
Quoted some researches into PALMS.
try. with the assistance of a lady who
claimed to be an expert in that craft.
put the question to her: What II
you see Indications In a palm that the
owner OF the hand will die or Incur
some awful misfortune at an early
dateE The lady answered that in such
case she always dissembled, and
she led me TO understand that II was
matter of professional etiquette
among really conscientious palmists
not to make known the truth when II
was oil such naure that to impart II
might be dangerous. This Is all very
we'll, but no one can prevent people
VINO dabble in palmistry or astrology
or other occult means OF reading tho
future from discovering their own fate
Tor themselves. Those who discover
ny such means that the outlook for
them Is very black may not all com
NIT suicide. like the unfortunate bar
maid, but such knowledge is bound 10
. nave an Injurious effect on all but
persons OF the toughest moral fiber:
and persons OF the toughest moral
nner, l may remark, are not In the
habit OF dabbling in the occult sci
ences- As rule. fortune telling in Its
various shapes ia chiefly denounced as
s"indle and means OF obtaining
money under false pretenses. but |
question whether the moral mischief
which may result from efforts to as
certain what the future has in store
Tor us may not be far worse than any
trifiing financial loss. Nothing ia more
certain than that II Is TO the advan-
tage OF mankind. on the whole. not to
know the future In saying this do
not lose sight OF the fact that II
would be profitable thing to many to
know. for instance, who is going to
win the next years Derby. or the price
at which any particular stock will
stand at the end OF the next account.
This knowledge. however. can only be
profitable SO long as It is in the ex-
elusive possession OF one or two in
dividuals. II Il were made accessible
to ALL the knowledge OF the future
would cease to have any more value
than the knowledge OF the past. On
the other hand, the knowledge OF COM
Ing misfortune-if II is so preordainod
that 1t can be predlcted-can only have
demoralizing effect, and on the whole
life has generally us much of the un-
pleasant as Of the pleasant In store
for the majority OF human kind. How
many youths OF 20 are there who, II
they could ascertain everything that Is
going to happen to them during the
next nifty years, would think the game
worth the candle? doubt II there are
many. On the other hand, living in
Ignorance of what is coming, taking
the good with the bad as each day
brings 1t. and necessarily hoping for
better things from the inexhaustlble
possibilities of the future. we manage
for the most part to combat our mis-
fortunes as they turn up and cling to
life as long as 1t is left In us. The
proverb says that as long az there is
life there is hope. and the converse is
equally true that as long as there is
hope there is life. Destroy the one and
1t is ten to one that you destroy the
other. My impression is that so far
as the chances OF individual life go, no
one has ever known the future or ever
can know 1t. But whether 1t be knowl-
edge or not. the person who desires to
know II is fool.