The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-03
Nm1MBefs and
Charms.


European Edition N. Y Herald.
a belief in amulets, charms, fetiches
and talismans has existed from time i'm
memorial. In the days of antiquity the
1 Orientals adopted them with the great
| est ardor under the most diversified
| forms, and had the most absolute faith In
| their efficacy.
In the present day fetichism Is some
what general infatuation. and the charms
and mascots worn by many fashionable
women are daily becoming more widely
| spread and more numerous. A visit to
the shops shows the amount of hope bas-
ed upon these miniature trinkets, whose
object is to put aside peri1s and dangers
or to bring health and happiness accord
ing to the dictum Of the seller. who is
generally profuse in fine promises If they
| Will facilitate the sale of his wares. 1t Is
! so easy to profit by human weakness, and
! our faith is awakened by the unheard
! Of profusion of charms daily invented.
| 1t must be impossible. with such a host
| of talismans, not to find the secret Of
happiness; and. urged by the desire noc
/ to lose a chance, one wears them by the
| dozen, by the gross
| We have had the legitimate curiosity
| to ascertain the views of Nine. de Thebes,
| the famous palmist, as to all the virtues
ascribed to our faverits fancies of the
moment. She obligingly complied with
| our wish. asserting-what we are some
! what inclined to believe-that all these
fetiches have the special and sole merit
| of bringing business to those who deal
In them. AS to those who buy them,
this is what she says:
A PALMIST'S VATICINATIONs.
These small charms do not bring happi-
ness. generally speaking The influence
Of the planets plays TO part In these
amulets, and. in order that they may be
favorable, they may be chosen in form
and substance In conformity with the
astral influence of the wearer; also, the
talisman must be consecrated according
to certain rites. such only a few priv
1leged persons who possess the secret Of
the mysterious science practice.
According to the belief of the most
faithful disciple Of Desbarrolles, a mas
cot must never be surrounded with en-
amel, the surface Of which is refrac-
tory to the influence of the stars; also,
small bells must be vigorously taboCed, as
their tinkling has the unlucky faculty Of
eVoking evil spirits.
Lovers should, at any price, avoid eX-
changing their hair or making presents
of any small trinkets in the form Of g.
heart which infallibly bring misfortune.
One exception, however, is made in favor
of mothers. who may with impunity w5ar
rings set with their chifdren's hair en-
closed in medallions, and even their milk
teeth. like small pearls, may be set in
rings. The horseshoe. notably. loses its
virtues when worn by any one It's power
is only exercised in the house. The an
clients placed it under their beds as 9,
protection against lightning.
The shoe is equally prescribed. and one
wonders what popular prejudice can have
paid to such a vulgar object the honor of
happiness which it principally eDj 1ys
In England. We have still more reason
to blush at The cult of the pig which is
the incarnation of the most shameful pas
siOns-flth. gluttony, ccwardice, malice
and ugliness! There cannot be a chal-
lenge to the plainest common sense. to
the most modest aesthetic sense. And.
how can one believe in the marvellous
power Of invoking benefits with such a
repugnant intermediary? The same OBJ
Servation is made in the case of reptiles
and of serDants. so traitorous and per-
fdious. who caused the fall of humanity.
One sole exception Is made in regard
pretty lizard. familiar and so sympa-
thetic to man.
The famous rope by which a man has
hanged himself" has a virtue subject to
the astral influence of the unhappy
wretch who has used it. II the inf1u-
ence is solar. the ili-omened cord will
be propitious to the rashest enterprises
on the part Of the man who possesses
1t.
The four leaved shamrock loses it's
charm if one gathers it ones self. 1t
can neither be given away nor sold. Last,
the almond Is absolutely prescribed. To
bring to close the fatal series, accord
ing to the statement of our most COM
petent adviser. the modest heather pink
or white, delightfully."- pretty. the fresh
smile Of the forest Is strictly excluded
from the ballroom. or it would bring
misfortune. The fateful thirteenth day
OF the month has bad reputation, US
urped and exaggerated since the treach-
cry of the thirteenth Apostle: while, ac-
cording to Pythagoras, an occult and
fatal influence is to be attributed to the
number sixteen.
THE WHITE ELEPHANT
But the object of all the predictions
of Nine. de Thebes, that for which she
has the most affection. and which she
recommends to every one as infallible
in bringing good luck, is the white ele-
phant In Sevres or Chinese porcelain,
in crystal, Jasper or sardonyx, multiply
the image of the pachyderm around you.
The exact contrary of the odious hog,
the elephant represents perfection and
possesses every virtue. In him are to be
found wisdom. love of independence,
kindness chastity, gratitude, sobriety, in
telligence. spite, which enables him to
recognize evil, and strength. In every
thing he is worthy of example, and the
ancients were so sensible of his superior
ity that he was with them an object of
veneration. for they imagined that the
soul of the gods was in his body.
The almost lost race of white elephants
Is, however perpetuated in some coun-
tries, especially in Siam, and we need
not fear modelling them in herds in order
to attain happiness; to place them in
our houses like a familiar and beneficient
genius. or to wear them about our per-
sons, taking care to select only such
as are of spotiess white.
In the same order of ideas is the dog.
the faithful friend of man, who offers
similar advantages, but incomparably in
ferior to those conferred by the elephant.
Green is color that should be forbid
den as far as possible. 1t destroys light.
and makes shadow in nature and is to
be 6istrusted like night and its darkness.
Last. in the twentieth century, which is
the stone age, collapses and crowds.
which will be particularly fatal under
its influence, are to be dreaded.