The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-05
FOOLISH ''MINDv READERS.
Ridiculous People and Their Way
of Securing Notoriety,


of Securing Notoriety.
woman who plainly fancies that she
knows more than her neighbors, has been
telling the interviewer what she knows
about thumbs. She asserts that she can
analyze character by that tell-tale digit
| and proceeds 10 judge its owner by its
shape and general department. For in
stance: When she goes to collect money
for her philanthropic work she never asks
a contribution from a subject who holds
her thumb close against her foreinger,
because she knows-not just imagines.
mind you. but knows-that she is selfish
| and unwilling to part with a donation"
That is very sweeping charge to make
against a woman merely because her
thumbs do not behave according to the
''charaeter" readers ideas of propriety.
Also she never places any reliance
upon the word of a woman whose thumb
closes inside of her palm as she speaks.
or who makes fist by letting the fingers
cover the thumb. She is deceptive, insin-
cere. and often cowardly IN man this
retirement of the thumb expresses weak
ness"
After good bit more of just such re-
markable discoveries this feminine Column
bus declares that she owes great deal of
for reading thumbs.
There may. or there may not be. some
thing in palmistry. phrenology, and other
sciences that at least are entitled to re-
spect, because of their antiquity-but when
men and women. of no perceptible ability,
undertake to set themselves up TO divine
character according to self-created theo
ries, it looks dangerously like breaking the
law of him who said. Judge not lest We
be Judged" To say nothing of the ridic-
ulous show they make of themselves.
A Washington character" reader-ama-
teur, of course-aecused another woman
the other day of being unable to look her
in the face. By way of change. the other
fixed her with her usually mild blue eyes
and remarked: why should l subject my
self unnecessarily TO disagreeable sights?"
What right had the first woman to need
Iessly insult the second? What business
was 1t of hers. anyhow?
1t is true that the accused has habit
of lowering her;eyes when talking. unless
she happens to he interested in the person
TO whom she speaks. Ii is a habit born
of living much alone and of bTooding some
times more than is good for her of the
troubles of the past Those who know her
including the wise character reader
know that she is helpful to all who come
into her life; that she is intellectual and
q u.
And yet, just because she happens to have
a habit of lowering her eyes oftener than
the average woman she had to be sub
jected to the insolence Of character"
reader of the type who believe that a man
or woman must OF necessity be an IN
masked criminal If he or she cannot look
you in the eye
Another learned mind reader claimed re-
cently-in print-that she could read char
L..
suits were truly imposing and she probably
will go to her grave misjudging good peo-
pie and as likely as not admiring bad ones.
according to the outward shape and con-
duct of their threats. According to her
doctrine there is no heaven in store for
woman with a scrawny throat. The reason
is perfectly simple. The scrawniness
comes from stock OF bad qualities, in
GLIDING -venomous Jealousy and an |
''acrid temperament" that ought to make |
the owner hope for the sake OF her well |
fare that the theory of humiliation after |
death is true. According to this wise per- |
son the Turkish lady who spends her life |
sprawled on divans eating fattening pellets |
is the apotheosis of all that is noble and |
good in woman-for has she not a plump |
throat that shows no sign of the wear and |
tear of life's battle? Sometimes a wonlan's |
neck gets stringy and thin from lack of
ScHSi Jus AoOu- sometimes, again, IOT De-
ing forced to brave all sorts of weather in
her fight for life. And suppose you have
to swallow trouble year after year-what
happens then?
A lady who has brilliant ideas of her own
concerning soul posing struck a snag
the other day. She asked a well-known
physician in Massachusetts Avenue if he
lid not believe a certain young woman's
'ather STOPPING walk was not the result of
spirit groyeling-a strong attraction. in
act, to the ''earth-earthly things of
ife''
AS the girl in question is making a brave
effort to support her mother though dying
of consumption, it is hardly necessary to
append the Doctors answer5it wouldn't
look genteel enough for the woman's page. |