SOOTHSAYING.

Mataura Ensign, 24 July 1914, Page 2

SOOTHSAYING.

I The soothsayer is the oldest of soj.fjifity sensations (writes a correspondent oft ho 'TiimVj. Eve's serpent may he s?id to -have played that part in the i.tifst garden, and it is still the same. People will hear all 'about themselves. If they were to dilate exclusively on th-eijiselves to others they would be sent i £-q Coventry. How "simply wonderful" to be told that not long ago we-experienced a great farrow, a great passion, a, great surprise. great disappointment, a great anything that makes us interesting in otir own eyes. Of course, we recogn'se the truth, or our memory rrtkes out fhe nearest open approacli> to it. - How could she have kiwjvu */.that we Jiad lost a dear friend or"% pet dog, save perhaps front a. tell-tale line about the face? or (sa-vo l'rom youth's possibilities) that wo were .so deeuly in love; or (except from the law of contrasts) t'ha-t lie ,is "fa-'r" ; or (save from ap Appearance) that a windfall liad cheerfid us; >or (except from expression) that not yet has Eugenio proposed. Despite science, a love of mystery still remains the most -powerful motive in t|ie. world and nothing will make us believe that wo are not to believe. Faith i,3 at the very core of life and joy, and strength and healing. * If only she would stop there, if only her insp'ration would not urge her further. Above all, if only site would not Insist on reading the future 1 For here it is that tragedy may enter. There are indeed terrible dangers in soothsaying. I remember an instance years ago. It came out in a divorce case.

A young lady, happily married, repaired out of mere idleness to a fashippajjle palmist-. She was told that ere !<>tig she would meet with her "affinity," who was described as blessed wjtji every natural gift! By this unkritjwn paragon she was to beware of being attracted. What was the result? That she did the very -reverse. Ei|7>t, without knowing it, she set herSe'.f to find the paragon, and, having foiind him, straightway she eloped| him. That soothsayer iinintentivpll.v dashed all her household gods tp. pjeces. : ',l- "jpe6tiny bears us to our lot -and perIwps destiny is only our'own will." All .tMjjfiore reason, surety, for bringing it .ijfp,;jn the way wherein it should go. •Stegfand over again the soothsayer has events. A word, -a color, a f' 'Unce, the flight of a birefhave altered 6;fourse of kingdoms. fAny tli is can come to pass as much by .'d.ejjflpc-c -of the prophecy as by heeding if!,;."Jul-iuo Caesar might have lived if 'VP hpd not disregarded- the warning rfujit tiiose "'ldes of March"—and here the soothsayet was the mere, male who, ! as tibial, sc >ms to have bungled the ;' concern.

-Far if people must predict, •t;>,giM tlKJ'nture; optimism would be -justified ol hCr children.