The Washington herald., 1912-10-10
'THE 81 1cG as 4 81 H q OJ 1as,' ISL 8
VIENsF0 mrs oF EUROPEANS

VlHl l11t3
esv9s n.easprts an % -. 49, ~ ~
peelss asafn1t De fort1pGys1DQ1<pln.I .I11.
- IN futpfss thsy SNm nog - e,lswsA
|to iUse advefsiesn1nts n nsw6pappsss
90 sandwteh boardA q - s1eee peatss.
Painises crystal oesseE - eseoaa-
slghters are 70 b banaea fSom IN pub
hctty. 70 many nnG11shmsn thls ny
sesm . trivial. unlnpertant matter. -
no u,srs interest than ths rsInova1 .ef the
tramp from his osd hannts of ths nisht.
But Il win b rsaa With Gyuve concsrn
By many ladies and esatJsmen IN the
west end Of London. and thsif ordinary
langour over late brsakfast VIII b rude
iy Disturbed. For how VIII they gst o.
with that troublssosne budnessb called
ME they are deprived Of their guides
and prophets? II Il reasonable that they
should have TO srope their way through
the wilderness without little lamp to
light them on to .'luck?'
The unfmaginative British public have
no Idea Of the extent to which modern
society there makes use Of magic a. .
guide TO their business and pleasure. Hav-
ing abandoned all other forms Of re-
ssSsSsss SssN O<ssSvhA8 ksaC N~AIEh1kt0u h8ASss
20 BE- an ''outworn superstition they have
at least the consolation OF the BLACK
Art" as = means OF spiritual excitement
and ~ q practical utility. There II no
lack Of maGicians. They swarm In the
back parlors Of Bond Street and Mayfair
district. In one paper. devoted to their
interests. not long ago. were more than
tune teilers. There are many more who
advertise by circulars. or who obtain
their clients by private recommendatbn.
Some OF them must have been making
fortunes In prophesyins the
''fortunes' of others for they charge
fees as high as those in Harley Street.
and their consulting rooms are ~ throng-
ed a. those of a fashionable doctor.
There Ii one lady. especially. who has
= splendid practice" She practices on
the credulity Of smart women and idle
men. and, above all. upon young girls
who are allowed TOO much pocket money
and too much liberty. Being a woman
Of refined appearance. charming man
ners and an dir Of conviction In her own
prophecies. she receives the most init
u In possession Of many family secrets.
Possibly she Possesses some uncanny pow
er. some hypnotic influence. or some gift
Of mental telepathy. Whatever the cause
Of her attraction. Il 10 certain that she
has put such q spell upon those who
frequent her rooms that many ladies and
gentlemen would not dream Of making
any serious change In their plans with
out consulting this oracle" whose big
black eyes seem to see things beyond
The ordinary range Of vision.
She 10 only one Of many professional
fortune tellers. self -dupes, or half-impost-
ers. or deliberate cheats, who. by cards
and crystals. palmistry or handwriting.
spiritualistic tricks. and all forms OF
medieval magic, foretell the future to
people who are gamblers In life. victims |
,f the most childish superstitions. and
ievotees Of that one mysterious god call |
d luck
In many cases the prophecies Of these |
people are mere vague generalities which |
But there is q more dangerous class |
lmons them who are not 80 vague. and |
Who foretell disasters. tragedies. or good |
ortunes with unhesitatinG and precise ]
ietails. The evil that such people may |
work in the imaginations OF weak-minded
women and foolish girls Is hardly to be
exaggerated. One painful case is well |
Inown in which woman was falsely ac-
used Of theft and put under serious sus-
,icion. because the hostess with whom
he had been staying. had consulted one
4 these modern maGicians. and obtain
d an imaginary description Of the thief.
BY a tragic coincidence It was the de-
cription of the other woman who had
'een staying in the house where the
heft took place. There 10 another case
n which q man has been pursued by a
irl with extraordinary audacity and per-
istence. because It had been "foretcid'
hat he was to be her future husband.
'erhaps this prophecy. like many others.
owing upon a dominant idea: but in any
ase 1t will lead to mental torture.
The most striking case that came with
n the knowledge Of the public was that
( q man who was told by . fortune
eller that he was to die on q certain
ate. He was . soldier and a strong
nan: but A. the day drew near he be.
ame melancholy and morbid. and was
onvinoed that his death was at hand.
Is might be expected. he caught q severe
hill. and owing probably to his dominant
dea, he died.
There are People in good society who
o to the crystal-gasers to test the fidel-
y Of their wives, to obtain advise as to
he woman they slsould marry. to fore
ee their luck at gambling tables, or to
ct an inkling a. to the manner of their ,
cath. II
Is not all this Q sign of decadence? ]
hose 100 advertisements in . spiritualis- 4
C paper are proofs of the widespread
elief in the old BLACK Arts" which q
Tere supposed to be dead. For these y
lodern practices are nothing more nor
'ss than that. In the British Museum II
J the diary Of q witch doctor living in
he reign Of James !. His methods were Z
xactly the same a. those who 70 to
he back parlors In Mayfair. They were,
nd are. the new'otic women. the loose 9
wing men. who. having abandoned their e
nth In religion and the sane moral code,
II back upon crystal-sazing. table-turn-1 I