The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1899-04-22
PHILOSOPHY OF PALMlsTRY.
Logic Wasted on Those Who Consuls
Fortune-Tollere.

Logic Wasted on Those Who Consuis
Fortune-Tolicrs.
Last week a poor, egotistical crea-
ture who had been employed as bar
maid drowned herself, chiefy,as would
seem from her letters, on account OF
the sinister predictions which she
read In her palm, combined Win hef
planets" No doubt this girl was
weak-minded, II not actually insane
but there is a good deal in her case
worth thinking about, says London
Truth. Some years ago, when l con-
Quoted some researches into paints
try, with the assistance Of a lady who
claimed 10 be an expert in that craft,
I put the question to her: What II
yeu see indications in palm that the
owner Of the hand will die or incur
some awful misfortune at an early
date?" The lady answered that IN such
O case she always dissembled. and
she led me to understand that 1t was
q matter Of professional etiquette
among really conscientious palmlsts
not to make known the truth when 1t
was Of such naure that to inpart 1t
might be dangerous. This is all very
we'll, but no one can prevent people
who dabhle in palmistry or astrolegy
or other occult means of reading the
future from discovering their own rate
for themselves. Those who discover
by such means that the outlook Tor
them is very black may not all COM
NIT suicide, like the unfortunate bar
maid, but such knowledge Is bound to
have an injurious effect on all but
persons Of the toughest moral fiber;
and persons Of the toughest moral
fiber, I may remark, are not IN the
habit Of dabbling in the occult SCI
ences. Az rule, fortune telling In It's
various shapes is chiefly denounced as
swindle and means Of obtaining
money under false pretensss, but /
question whether the moral mischief
which may result from efforts to as
certain what the future has in store
for us may not be far worse than any
trihins financial loss. Nothing Is more
certain than that 1t Is to the advan-
tage Of mankind, on the whole, not to
. know the future. In saying this DO
Q not lose sight of the fact that 1t
| would bs a profitable thing to many to
t 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.
d This knowledge, however, can only be
,. profitable so long as it Is in the ex-
: elusive possession Of one or two in
j. dividuals. II 1t were made accessible
0 to all, the knowledge of the future
" would cease to have any more value
y than the knowledge Of the past. Or
o the other hand, the knowledge Of com.
ing misfortune-if it. is so preerdained
that 1t can be predicted-can only have
:. q demoralizlng effect, and on the whole
~ life has generally as much Of the I'M
pleasant as Of the pleasant in store
~ for the majority of human kind. How
- many youths Of 20 are there who, 1
70 they could ascertain everything that il
- going to happen to them during tn
n next fifty years, would think the gam
80 worth the candle? I doubt If there ar
- many. On the other hand, living Ii
W ignorance of what is coming. takin
=. the good with the bad as each d.
q. brings it, and necessarily hoping 70
q. better things from the inexhaustibl
possibilities Of the future, we manag
Tor the most part to combat our mis-
fortunes as they turn up and cling t
y, life as long as it is left in us. sTh
e. proverb says that as long as there
in life there is hope, and the converse
mt equally true that as long as there
lie hope there is life. Destroy the one an
air Il Is ten to one that you destroy tn
is. Dther. My impression Is that 80 is
lis ls the chances of individual life go, 4
Ity sne has ever known the future or eve
no ,an know it. But whether it be know
it'll sdgs or not, the person who desires
OF, know 1t Ia fool.