PLAYING WITH FIRE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 663, 13 November 1909, Page 10

PLAYING WITH FIRE.

■ H.:OTteSELYES-Mp''THii;'^FORTUNE-V^ ■: -.}.:,: r :'. : . : ..:. ;; -^^ ''Xi-'k^ ! One is constantly amazed,here-in.Wollington .: td'flnd how many people oi\o ! knows, .and who;. are respected -rightly for their -goneraV intolli- • gohce, aro bitten with the jfi-Jgß-for consulting, fortune-tellers; ; seers,, clairfojrhnts, and aa- : trologere—anyone, in fact,:: who -claims -to ,be " ahlo.-.t0.100k into the future. „'.,• . ■■■;■,■. , ■■• ■; It ! is uot only that tho. fortunq-tolleir, reads'the fate of so..'maiiy' various guejti in the course of an jtoji, fie fairly',' rusned with earhost :in«ivirprs, nor that at ':■.''. any bdsaar or, .charitnblo cutetAinmont thov camp' of the fprtnne-toUcrs: is. certain" to"' do! good buslhoss no'matter .how; dohreesed trade' ■'<■'. mw'bo-at the dißcront '; Thtso, patrpnig'i-i seok'Only to be ahjueed. ..At".Hn.afternoon'tea ■- it is great fun tp"'.listenV tp> thd kindly woftis' o£ the lady who knows sa". much 'hioro about', y ono than those whor one's closest : 'v companion, for yfears, and\it"is qujto ■'certnfni' that she,.will nevor say a word,-to hurt; anj>//; body's feelings., In , ,.f rictj -it.'is , quite nsual 0 to \>- read fortunes or phnractefs (juito,openly,' whilnv ai- group of interested h'ienas' gather roiirid,'' pocring'qvßT the euohlder ■of reader or feiM ■ and, agrcqing or^critibising' the' Interpretation"'"' ■ ,sk it. goos on., There: is nb reason whjr'.tfcfcjMshould; not rdo eo.-If ; the eibyl comes 'across : anything that she thiats, would hurt'her Wnb.ject'a. foeljnge .to'havb-'problwißod aloud'shV' ' suppresses.it.,-,:At!thcse' afternboh-tea'recitals.' there is no mention ot;deaths,: or violent'-die-' , , asters,"' and' such, vices: as bad "temper ai,t fe

■ Wrin|torf)retcd; as (Characteristics; that give': in■ii myiduality* 'and i> add;; interest > -to:. the '•>' sub JBot. j.: There ;hiay.jherb .and''- thdre- 'he - a'* g'entlo^hiint■• ;,:Mat<it Via toj"pr'ofi i t | ;)by,' r .butJ.,geheri|Uy '..i"4^witf-'the\f(ir'l!TO.e''told%.pieasaiit''an(l : '(inl; .; mildly. l ßtimulatinß.s l .:r.«'.^ : :;; :; .;:■'■ > '■■■\ l -'--'' ki* (in 'affairs,' 'it '.'':VQUd :^be*C:a-'\yi^.';> > Q^is4>{6ittoe;toUe:V..'w&p- 1 ':p?nmßed I l i th'esdeep.-;'ftbysse3' , - ; ofV.'pefs6nality, : -. ;rakod_,'. tip;from i the:' pages 'of '.'the', future/terrible ■.: little Vstor.ies;l better : ;-;jef t Sconceal;4v. 'This •'. is ■'ivTery:-{'pifeytell--'w"'eia(it,. : triith:'.;''.S'h"e ; does', ;/and:-in'?a:."marTeUous'; i : 'client . -.'.to, l ; ! sejid- : -her;. i friends;'., hlsb* \i6i:';k tpleasant'.little r ''diT^ioa; 1 j-jVdfy toakSa " V '..▼ellidgi.,'. '|thia cofinktipn'i'(>ne (ori.two/.cririgiis Vstojriqs - can:', , be' , ■;palley^,toX)mind.■.■;vThe*iβ}'was/:^ 'ttt'.a- cer-. ; tai^';farevf.bU;tea;' ,l and .to; one -young-^girl^who . of-deep'raystic; ..'knpwledgb:- . ney;;withih.' ; a|f^ eomewhere ; >by'' .traipiW, .aridAthe r.gitl; whoj: ji'eit ;'■ day^' ; '-left;Jpr>EnglKnd-.,by.direotj;boat, : '.-,smiled . pleasantly i'andV'saidr that-.she was 'glad to ..hear; ::ithrshe.:t.ha'dV'beeii'v;»fraid''.that I she, >wbnld '■■ be . '-' i-iAndi)t : 'yasVnottso;.y4ryf:lbni^ . tnne^fener^kept;Vhar)iV;'at^wprk ; : at : 'a Baz'aal ,^ feUVitti-'rather-jbadly.'k'lt :afisi-a. case i.of , taken}identity,'i : abd / ehe.-.thpbght' she: was.iun- : ; fpldin'g f .the^.futurb''fprjthe 'large.; : bnsiness.-housSiK'.Therefofei'-'.she discoursed;;,to . Eiro';;gUbly/'concerning {cnti.iahd. ';': ,^a,^on.i;ot l the;ig^s^.tnet'iheVttVst : .b*ysnt!t!H:p: :.' ito^T^.Vafld.-'tKfcpl^t'.*'h;o:!.kpeW'' ; inuch>mpre .about'i.tirU^anf-^ ". aridvwas ; vtechnicair' , quite imystified, ,, presumably .-not , ; to*;carry, : put-the , 'well-meait^dvicej;.':;,.?,": :;•■.'■■•;. ; •■vNo'i'bn'e'j'cMithi^ v'-'-':l^.ipie^qt';fb^Unf''s^tilLvas'<th»/:piitvthe':'iian-■■•■^^ljto;-in:tbeJ^bel|efi';firjnly"'rp6^"V;Jn::',the. ' ■ minds:;bf-/so!'manyv^ow^'that, '■' V; WjJ^jll]!J{^tp^'/-.'fdwiand',:Myi ; r 'm;OTei,t£ißome,:^ »^vß' , 'that''.will , ..- mlnyv.oft'ttese do'possess ■some

. straflga? that'' ehable^.'ifiehr<to' f rea'd''a' gp'od-oeaVipf-. Wna'tny, telling.hertf.'gteat 31*al of, :what'.she already J ;^klioy9^llβflaJβ;:\teUipg^hβ^'i^ ( what^^'.6J^J,■ ! /.sJie: Icdows^rthey/persuade'' , her^' that" they; ate ;able totellJieifjilßOiwliatisfebdnWo. happen. /'• :.;. r'-vMthe Jeame: ,way v that;.they, read:what.,ehe, ■ happen, , aadOb/rrtpeatirig ,it, J to' her} they uti- .; B , appy-<d'oTaJV';int6' ; .a;;ce , rta'iiityJ.,-(Smsing , ,. .her.. ■■■■•: V,;- ■ is > thick iwjth' them : - : 4toriesi thatvwe 'JiaVe -been told ,by 'pnr■ ifriends' of' the'.tiiafyellotfs'interTOem ;theiy; haveS had: !with v ;dairvoyant3^Valways '.ending'.with- the;'..trinuislianfc"assertionc:that; ■ .'is* .a (.great deal an,"-it;" generally .:''diqiti^(eV^\irqm' , '^js'c^ii i tical).!itEe.-acinow : , ■•l*d^βnt•!^^at. , ; Hupgithatjiiupresses' the ''sceiife'o'as 'femarkable ; ai(d\thafcseeme tbiConfirm'-.tlieiWlepathic , theory , ; . is/.the"iact'that.eyery..'sortvpf "metnod'of p'rying ;, intp : the'_fntuie seems, to Imeet Vith some degree o^.V'en'ccese,';.ah'd.Vwhile the;.differsnfc... ; .profos'..^)nals...may:;hot aclcndiTl'edge.':each'otherspoV- ■ ersi I.their"-ciieiite 'acco'rd.'.oconlt.giffe, ,to- each ■• ■ • and , 'ali;-;/-;- i"."-" : V: V ;- ;■.';!? •' "•: i-;- , -; '■:■■'.; "•-•■=■■', * -;.:' : "- '*. ■ '•. .•.". L .W. i..!^/EngUsh' : iouraal;j)bints'.,flnt',the .danger ■ : , that these ,pracu&iinTVlyS. : .lU^these■daysVhen : . , 'iiOT^'-''aw , ) : r^pa , nfc'"4W J v^:grow;.'inore':aia ..mow'-highlrTßtruni.'.apvtime'fEoesilon.-.and.s-.we 1 ■ ; - compelled jtp'BiYe , .' at.-'higher \and-./. ; higher. . .pressuro,-;it .is ',of ygrdyß'-iinportance. .that' _-we. shonldiiot■recklessly encqufaßeia"'.crape fratight Tnth.'fe'deniableidangDfs.'.-'.This as-aiiyage'Vof ■. a'thletic'ism ! 'and'independence, :'but.withal/Tre, ;, fal J freadier ; proy "to , - eyefy:.! or m: .df. charlatan ism;. than dpr forbears,', who'made less show.of iphysi- ■' cal-fand'mentar'strength^^ i;his•■specially■ --.M)pliee:t6.:w6men^~.'Ghe7n^ds":^'achelor"?"RiTlSi '■> skilled-in .bocEey/ : af dent' "suffragists,"; excellent ;• dteTxiters, ■ intrepHd^hOTse^omeiiii '• in';; short, •;.woi. men neither'•neurotic:.in'-te , mperament:hor > -;weak in''body , or'mind,-^hb; ; will-eagerry7rrish off,','if y6u > teli : 4hem"'6f;sn(!h l '-an'O ine,..tQ'some:new;so(&UebVpr'6fessorVof;occrilt'fscience; The;harm.'.lies . iiJdabming;,Tnth ;that.:,which'.we .do .not .:nnder.v'etodA;anrt;,en|»niairing;i'K'^raze.;:whichj.may.,ao. ■■'graTe/.haimi;:':>lhey:..biain^^lK;npt-,pear.:;l»-:.be :: ■played with, and .whereas ninetyTnine. persons.in aVhundwd ;jn , ight'.'visit.':a.-'forttine-teller; and 'be- - none .worse, for-ityihe' liundredth,,might;.receire- irremediable -hurt. Tor this V. reason,silrely, we should be in les3 haite to'let:ybnng. in r fnn—dabble.; in , the;.;.^pcciilt.' Tnought-reading, table-turning, plahchettei ■ are all'thin ends of the wedge that should;.never, bel employed even as forms of amusement.. They open the way to indulgence iri necromancy, sham, , or-otherwise, and this is the last thing in the world with which it is safe to play, howefqr strong-minded you may think you are.

taxatipn measures, andVeyer/isp -many .'more, it sia' .all, ■'■ .piv ration not. all, ■.but; some'; of ; it, ,treiheftdously''.iateri;stingi ; '';'auUivOnb't'olt," i Very' important.-.. Probably tue laud ' proposals, ! -the Ucensing i< legislation,'' and were' the : 'subjects':in ■which.-.the'greatest.iin-iterest ■•was-'centred.-:rKverybodyv-at. least .is interested,,in. taxation because..th'eyi 'dislike ..-it so. Since '.we.are..already' the"most: heavily.'taxed 'popple in 'the.world, it is hardly ■.a matter:, of ■joy. to 'hear-,of other, ways' jd; which we. are iriado to. "pay,; pay, pay*." I Once; there was, .in; the -history of .the world, .an.'extraoj:;dinary ; -;but.celebr&ted.:';porsori. .-who"., that if i taxation were .made voluntary-/ the national < income would be; increased ..boyorid all bounds of belief—that there wpiild , bo a.rivalry, among- the; people' to.:;putvie onevahothor in '.thdir .contributions to, , the State. ■ Somehow .one's faith in. human" nature, : and love : for country.;does'.not vcafry- . one quite , - so -far as that. There aro. people'.who .never-see: their obligations unless .they are put in a: very concretoJorm ;bofore their eyes.- ■~.■'■'.•'•: ;,'The thought strikes one that' England 'will hot b'e;>the ,pnly>. country.; that. is. going to • have all , ,the v excitenientoV.or,its.Budget, but;that we,; too, , ;will .have some on our own account, for .'there. We proposals .in- this'that will'-bp ,veiy keenly'.contested;; The.death duties seem to!.-one.:.rather -interesting. Mr. LlpydTUeorge has certainlyyope'ned;up .ways' of increasing ireyenue.to i 'nwdy;"countnes. , ,other..than 'his own in ihore .ways.thari.ohe.-. : One,would'hot'think, hpwever;■ that;.very'much/ , would.,be. added ..to ...revenue by ; ..imposing ;.>;: duty, upon' gifts .'-of over 'five , ,hundred /poundsi'.'aiaae; byVany person during'.his, lifetime,—it, fieenisv wore 'usual':to take' away rather. than- to ■ give, ijudging. by, the .varioiisi.pxperiehces.'vthat : , .have'.'come;, under one's-.notice, ,'and. {the'.'Hipre; helpless j ; they are, the more' tempting'the:jpr.ey. At any rate, .the Budget offers '. up'villimitable' -fields V for '...dis-cussion,...which-.''iil; no .'doubt, beJ.takbn'.full adyiinlagp' bf, and; at u the-rate .'.that Parliament has! been .Working,■ thejr may;;at :the imminent risk'pf.brain.toflapse,. gotvabout three, of the ,nieasure3:.throughcby "Ohristmas: time, ~ ; ;A; - '•■'•;"•',:' iv;''.?,' \ '■'::..., "■;■ ■ On 'irhur6day: ; afternopii,;Sir William;,'Ste-;:-»rarid'e'.'Mama|^s^4t-'^iß'nMent.Bi_ll'.\ra's:a't.. ■•?■■;v....;-.; ■: v^;■ :i/. ; vi-; , ■"> : ' : ? •'.*..•.-.;',.■-•:.•■: w •,.' - : --.