The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-23

to the cards and say: 1t looks . H you.
were having such and suoh trouble and
then ! SEQ by their faces that I am right,
The rest 10 easy
She mentioned an experience that did
much to turn her against the business.
50 cents ono day to have her fortune
told. and the first thing that came up vas
that some other woman was trying to
make trouble with the clients husband.
Without waiting TO hear anything further,
up she jumped and made for the door,
gathering her shawl about her. I:
Il know that hussy.' she snapped. Il
suspected her before. NIX herl- And
before the fortune teller could call het
back the Infatuated woman was on her
way. as It turned out. to spend six months
on the Island for assault and battery with
intent to kill. Nnl,
Upon being pressed for an expianaioh
Of the mechanical processes she used, this
fortune teller did not seem to attach much
Importance to them. The simplest thing.
she said. for those who wanted I'd try their
hands at It was to tell whether or not d,
person would get a wish. t.0.,I- g
For this only twenty-four cards ana
used. the mines being the lowest. The
operator shuffies the pack FIRST. then the
client outs 1t. Married persons must cut
with the left hand. single persons with the
right. making the wish at the name time
Observe that the clients manner Or,
cutting tells the operator whether 'shs "a
married or single, without the question
being asked. Later. when the real for
tune comes to be told. the client has for
gotten that betrayal. 7A =
The card at the bottom Of the cut ID
noted and the fortune teller shuffes the
pack thoroughly again and the person who
who has made the wish cuts IL into three
packets. face down. These packets are
separately examined to zee In which OF
them the cut card is to be found. $50. q
II the nine Of hearts is In the same packet
the wish will come true. II the ten Of
Of hearts, but not the nine, Is with the out
card. 1t il possible that the wish may be
granted. but IL the nine of spades Ia in
that lotlt IL sure disappointment.
The accompanying or intervening caFda
tell what obstructs or helps the wish.
That Is where the skill OF the fortune
teller comes in. - '-'SE"s
When it is necessary to decide more
weighty things than wishes, moro elabor-
ate methods are employed and the whole
thirty-two cards are used. Here 10 the
method by which 80 many Of the fortunes
of New York's 400 were foretold BY. tho
old German woman on the East Side. II =
After the client cuts the pack the oper-
ator deals of fifteen cards face down.
The remainder Of the pack is then shut,
ded and one card is laid OF for the house.
one for yourself and n for your wish.
The client must make a wish Just before
the third card is laid OF.
Four more cards are then dealt on onthA,
top of each Of these three. making jhYs
cards in each pile, Each pile in, turn ia
then turned up and read by the fortane
teller. her skill being shown by the manner
in which she can spin q story that COZ.
tains leading strings. By tho time aha
gets to the wish she knows pretty well
what you had on your mind when you frst
sat down.
1t would seem as il any person could 70.
through this process for himself without
the expense Of a professional. but ths
same result is never arrived At. The same
Is true Of astrology, as no astroioger Dan
read his own horoscope. Why2 Ppcbars
the cards and the stars and the palm Of the
hand have little or nothing to do with tbs
actual reading.
One curious thing about fortune telltne
with cards Is that II the person asking
a question does not believe in such thingx
and ridicules the idea Of there beine
anything in it there is nothing in it foS
that person. Such persons are wasting
time and money going to fortune tellers
except from curiosity. This same il true
Of spiritualists; II you are not In aym-
patty with them you get nj results.
The proper attitude Of mind is not
one OF blind credulity but a certain OPEN
ness, a willingness to listen to what the
fortune teller has to say, whether you
& not believe it or find It only an echo
Of what is passing in your own thoughts.
Nothing will SO surely prevent you from
getting your moneys worth as to oontra-t
dict or to insist that such and such a thing
could not possibly happen to you. ~
No one can go to a fortune teller OF the
better class without being taken by sur
prise at the way he will hit upon some
Things. ~ may oc uiucuIitc uuV dtn-s
biguous. but he hits it sometimes In
remarkable way, and these hits linser
in the memory long after the failures are
forgotten.
~ A we'll known author thought he would
test one OF these fortune tellen ono by
making a wish about a book he had signed
a contract for a day or two before and
which he knew he would make a good
deal Of money out OF that year. as AL
his books had been successes. He wished,
that he might make at least a hundred
dollars out Of the new book that year;
smiling to himself at the modefatlon
Of the amount, which would make his
wish a certainty. II. =
The fortune teller told him in the usual
ambiguous way that his wish concerned
something that he hoped to make money,
out Of, but that he would be disappointed.
A dark man would be found ntrlst-
worthy or turn out a false friend. and the
affair. whatever 1t was, would not pros
per that year; perhaps not for two Or
three years yet. a
OF course the author laughed at the
absurdity OF 1t at the time. but three weeks I
later his publisher failed. and as his con.N
tract was part Of the assets. the receiver.
tied up the books 30 that itywas two yeasa