The Washington times., 1901-11-10
FOOLISH MIND READERS.
Ridiculous People and Their Way of
Securing Notoriety.

securing Noforiety.
A woman who plainly fahcies that sh,
is wiser than her neighbors. has beer
telling the interviewer what she knows
about thumbs. She asserts that she car
analyze character by that tell-tale digi
end proceeds to judge its owner by its
shape and general department. Fer in
stance: When she goes to collect money
for her philanthropic work she never asks
contribution from a subject who holds
her thumb close against her forefinger.
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 woman merely because her
thumbs do not behave according to the
character" readers ideas of proprfety
Also she never places any reliance
upon the word of a woman whose thumb
closes inside OF her palm as she speaks
or VINO makes fist by letting the fingers
cover the thumb She IS deceptive, insin-
cere. and often cOwardly. In a man this
ness
After a good bit more of just such re-
markable discoveries this feminine Co
lumbus declares that she owes a great
deal of her success in her special work to
her Gift for reading thumbs.
mere may, or there may not, be some
things in palmistry, phrenology and 9TH
er sciences, that at least are entitled to
respect, because of their antiquity-but
when men and women. of no perceptible
ability, undertake to set themselves up to
divine character according TO self-creat-
ed theories. it looks dangerously like
Judge not lest ye be judged" To say
nothing OF the ridiculous show they
make of themselves
A Washington character" reader
aHsasV.
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 myself unnecessarily to disa-
greeable sights?''
What right has the first woman to
needlessly insult the second2 What bus
mess was 1t of hers. anyhow?
1t is true that the accused has a habit
of lowering her eyes when talking, unless
she happens to be interested in the person
to whom she speaks. 1t is a habit born
of living much alone and of brooding
sometimes 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
warm-hearted and generous to fault.
and yet just because she happens to have
a habit of lowering her eyes oftener than
the average woman she had to be subject
ed to the insolence of u character" reader
man must of necessity be an unmasked
criminal If he or she cannot look you in
the eye
Another learned mined reader claimed
recently-in print-that she could read
character by the throat. Her methods
and results were truly imposing, and she
probably will go to her grave misjudging
good people, and as likely as not admiring
bad ones. according to the outward shape
and conduct of their thrOats. According
to her doctrine, there IS no heaven in
store for a woman with scrawy throat
The reason is perfectly simple The
scrawniness comes from a stock of bad
qualities. including a venomous jeal-
ouSy' and an "acrid temperament" that
ought to make the owner hope. for the
sake of her welfare, that the theory Of
humiliation after death is true. Accord
ing to this wise person, 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
lifes battle? Sometimes a womans neck
gets stringy and thin from lack of gener-
Gus food Sometimes. again for be-
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?
own concerning soul posing struck a
snag the other day. She asked a we'll
known physician on Massachusetts Ave
nue. If he did not believe a certain young
woman's rather STOPPING walk was not
the result of spirit groveling-a strong
attraction, in fact, to the 'earth-earthly
things of life"
AS the girl in question Is making
brave effort to support her mother, though
dying of consumption, 1t is hardly ncces-
sary to append the doctors answer-it
wouldn't look genteel enough for the
womans page.