FORTUNE TELLERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 94, 14 January 1908, Page 4

FORTUNE TELLERS.

Two things 'must • have struck the roadeM of the account which we gave yesterday of the visits of Dominion representatives to fortune-tollers in- this city. In the first place, it. is obvious that soothsaying is : ab flourishing abusiness as it was the Delphic oracle and the Sibyl of'Cumae were patronised.'• Further, this fact is the second obvious truth that the modern Sibyls 'wOuljl nOt be finding their business so profitable unless they had a olientele' of sincere believers' in the power of prophecy through greasy packs of cards,-hand "readings," and astrological nonsense. The normal man, if he ever visits the dens of these, absurd people,:does so simply in quest of amusement. , The normal men, who are willing to pay half-a-crown for the poor entertainment of pretending to be deceived by the fortune-teller's- wearisome imbecilities, are not numerous enough ,to aeoouftt for the thriving trade which the soothsayers drive_ in this and in other New Zealand cities. A very large proportion of. the palmist's clients are women and girls, and although few bf them believe implicitly whatever the fortune-teller deduces from the. juxtaposition •of /the nine of hearts 1 and the ten of olubs, most of them are Unduly credulous* They go probably, in most cases, rather for Confirmation, or Correction of their opinions iipoii ! tho course which they contemplate ■in their private crises than for brand-new revelations, of the future ill general. The jealous Woman and the conspirator wife are the surest supports of, the charlatan With the cards. Her clients include, also, ill-balanced girls dosii'6us of having some mystic assistance in.their private affairs, arid stipei'stitiOlisly ready to trust fhe impressive of the fortune-teller rather than the prosaic advice of some wise elder. The offence of 'the fortune-teller is, therenot merely tile negative "one of obtaining money, for. bogus prophecies. She may, and we are ready to. believe that She frequently, does, do positive harm, i If her advice were merely worthless, she Would be hardly worth attention, however much, in the interests of she might deserve suppressing. But, her advice is liable to be worse than worthless. Over 2000 years' ago attempt was made to blast the public credulity with laughter, for, upon the Word of CicerO, Cato used to say that he always wondered' that a, soothsayer did not chuckle when he saw another of his tribe. •■Vftowddays',tW soothsayers do chuckle together wheii they discuss the admirable, persistence of human folly. At least, we suppose Uliey do,' if they ;liave any sense of-the comic. .'.But it is'; not Creditable to the intelligence of the century tliat they should be allowed to enjoy their sordid and undignified trade. "We cannot, commit to men tal hospitals' the ' regular clifent .df the creature who professes, to tear her secrets" from the breast Of Fate, but we Can urge tile police to make soothsaying ; a highly perilous occupation.