LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2305, 24 August 1881, Page 4

LITERATURE.

THE FORTUNE-TELLER. An American Story. [By Frances E. Wadleigh, in the ‘ Argosy.’] The sun was low in the West and Judge Harnett felt the soothing influences of the balmy summer evening. Ho was at peace with himself and all the world, and listened dreamily to the childish chatter of his only daughter, who sat beside him on a rustic bench in the old fashioned garden, whilst he contemplatively smoked his after-dinner clour .-udd- uly th re appeared before him an unwelcome and unexpected guest One glance at her was enough to destroy all his previous luxurious ease of mind and body, without waiting for tho menacing words which, without courteous preface, fell from her bps. T , ‘ Why do you persecute my race, J udge Hsruett?’ , 1 Begone, Nushbawun! returned the judge severely. ‘I will nob begone, Judge Harnett, until 1 have said my say.’ <if you will noc go of your own accord i will have yon driven off 1’ continued the judge, a slight trace of amusement as well as anger in his tones. * You caunot, and yon dare not,’answered the Intruder, slowly and with determination, as she took a step or two nearer, and looked him squarely in the eyes. The defiant speaker was an old maliciouslooking Indian named Nashbawun. She ■was the last of her tribe who remained in the neighborhood of Milford Indeed, there were not a hundred of her race to be found in the whole state of N—-—, and she herself was not even half civilised She bore an uncanny reputation. Those who scorned to own themselves weak enough to believe in witchcraft or diabofism, said she was a thievish, hypocrite 1 Id squaw ; others, less strong minded, feared her, and tried to propitiate her, not that they really believed she was a witch, or had the ‘ evil eye' -if their own statements might be trusted. _ So what with hor herb medicines for the sick, whether man or beast, her well-made baskets, her charms and philtres sold on the sly to credulous lovers, and her prophecies of future events for the believing or the frolicsome, old Nnahbawun drove a thriving trade, and was a power in and around Milford. ‘ I have a mission to you, Judge Harnett, from my people,’ continued she after a moment of defiant silence. ‘ which you must hear. In Congress, eight days ago, you said ’ * Why, Nushbawun, do yon read the newspapers ?’ asked the judge, with a laugh. « No. Bat your word* were hardly cold upon your lips, before they reached me and others whom you slandered. Ah, yon jeer at me; you say I am a humbug, a deceiver. but these are things beyond your ken; things . . , «Nuahbawun,’ interrupted the judge, « what is it you want t Tell me at once, or my servant shall turn you out.' * What do I want ’ Justice! Justice!!’ almost screamed the woman. ‘Justice for my race, for the owners of this land which you and your fathers wrested from us with lying promises I’ * I never stole your land. My ancestors bought this farm, and many an acre more, from your forefathers and paid them their price.’ * Yes, ynur land was honestly gained. But it is you who have wronged us. You said—and your words were printed and scattered far and wide—that the Indian is a drunken, dirty, thievish, murderous, lying animal. Did you not say it ?’ * Yes, or words to that effect. What of it?’

* To-morrow you return to Washington ; when you get there you must unsay those words ’ * I must I’ Interrupted the judge in amused contempt. ‘Yes, yon must; I command it I I command you to deny your statement.’ And Nashbawun spoke authoritatively. One might have fancied her a dusky queen Issuing powerful edicts. ‘ Bee here, Nuahbawun ; don’t waste your breath; you know you can’t impose upon me ; I don’t care two straws for yonr commands. Your familiar —black cat, or whatever you pretend it to be—infomred you correctly as to my speech, and I repeat it bow. What is more, I tell yon to your face that you are one of the worst of the whole gang. Too lazy to work, you wring money, food, and clothing from credulous fools by pretending to tell fortunes; to conjure evil spirits out of or Into men and beasts. You are not murderous only because you live within reach of the law. which, unfortunately for us, your comrades la the far W est do not. ’

‘ Then you refuse to do na justice ? ’ ' I am one of the unsentimental few who do render you justice I Others, who know less about you, prate about the “noble red man,” the “ill used owner of the soil.” I, if I could do as I would, would put an end to ninety-nine hundredths of you and wipe yc.u off the face of the earth,’ answered the judge, not angrily but firmly. Now Nuahbawun was not a picturesque squaw. Her long, unkempt black hair straggled from beneath a man's bat, and fell in eU locks over an evil face. Her eyes were bleared, watery, and wicked. Fumes of bad whisky issued from her large lips, and jagged, fang-like teeth ; her fingers were long, claw-like and grimy; and her apparel was nondescript both as to color and material.

As the judge bol'ly declared his opinion of the red man she glared at him with venomous hatred in every feature. When he finished speaking she drew herself up to fall height, and brandishing In the air an oddly forked stick which was her constant companion, she cried—- ‘ Who Is murderous now ? It is only because you live within reach of the law that our lives are safe. Judge Harnett, I have given you a chance to do us justice and you refuse with added insults. Now hear my words and heed them This day ten years, the eve of the longest day in the year, the eve of that day that should see yonr daughter begin her twentieth year, you will recall this hour, this scene, and this curse that I now pronounce upon you —yon will think of Nushbawun and her wrongs, bur all too late; you will weep, your heart will be wrung. and there is the cause !’ And with these last words she waved her crook over Minnie's head, and suddenly disappeared, while the judge turned to pat his ar-c around the pa:e, frightened child. Poor little Minnie burst into tears, and no amount of logic, persuasion, or caresses from her father could convince her that she was net henceforth under a spell, or that Nuahbawun’s curse would fail to be accomplished. Judge Harnett could not remain many hours with the child, as he was obliged to start for Washington the next day. He had come home in the very midst of an important and tempestuous session of Congress to attend the wedding of hia eldest son, and had to hasten back to hia post of duty, where for six years he had been ropr sentative for his native county. He was a man of untiring industry and unquestioned honesty, and was deservedly popular in Milford. At the last election no one had come forward as opposition candidate, until, for form’s sake, one of his townsmen had consented to do at the last moment. It would spoil all the fun and excitement of an election in the United States, if there were aot at least two candidates for every office. The old woman’s dire predictions had no effect upon the judge’s Indian policy. Never was there an Indian Bill brought before tho Honee of Representatives, that he did not raise his voice in protest against furnishing the aborigines with whisky to inflame their evil passions, and arms and ammunition to cut off' the flower of our youth. But Mra Harnett viewed the matter In a different light. From that hoar she looked upon Minnie as either to follow her dead sisters to an early grave, or to suffer acme great trouble in atonement for her father's hardhearted ness As the years rolled or. and Minnie grew to be a tall, graceful girl, whose beauty and sweet temper were universally acknowledged, the mysterious evil that awaited her canaed her to he regarded w>th special tenderness. For Nosh bawun’a enrss was widely known and generally believed in ; the more so because some of her subsequent prophecies were fulfilled with remarkable exactitude.

In a fit of intoxication, Caleb Dawson d'ove her from his kitchen one sleety night, and as she went away she warned him that licjaor would bring him death within a

twelvemonth; and it did ao. Joaiah Patter* son refused to give her a turkey one thanksgiving day, and she truly foretold the sudden flitting of his wealth. Mrs Jamieson was hysterically inconsolable the day her husband was buried ; Nuahbawun said that in six months she would wed again, and the widow’s mother, scandalised, gave her a scolding. At this Nuahbawun bade her set her house in order, for the wedding would surely take place, and would be so little to her liking that she would die by her own hand the day after. All of which actually happened. To be sure, Dr. Barton and Judge Harnett said that any one could have predicted Dawson’s death, that Patterson’s poverty was a natural consequence of hia extravagance, and that the Jamieson prophecy caused its own fulfilment for the simple reason that the two women bad not mental strength to resist a fancied fate. But what availed the opinion of two men, when the whole township was against them ? Nuahbawun had certainly predicted these things ; they had certainly happened ; therefore the squaw must be infahble, they argued. When Minnie was about sixteen she was very ill with pneumonia ; every one then thought that death was Nushbawuu’s curse. But she recovered, and grew strong and beautiful. When two or three worthless lovers appeared the gossips sighed ; but as they were refused, a miserable married life was evidently not it, Philip Ron wick, Dr. Barton’s nephew, oame to Milford to assist his ancle when Minnie was about eighteen, and ,as soon as the two young people met their hearts went out towards one another. Impulsive, and sure that he had now loved for the first and only time, Philip declared his love within three months.

(To he continued.')