TELLING YOUR FORTUNE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5392, 25 February 1929, Page 4

TELLING YOUR FORTUNE.

THE GIPSY GIRL’S METHOD.

“I.t is all memorised,” s 4 aid a gipsy fortune-teller the othejr day in explaining her method to a newspaper woman. “It is handled, down by word of mouth from generation to generation. All that we learn to acquire is thq ability to detect characteristics, mannerisms, of all types of. people.” Unbending still more, she added, “I said you were nervous. I could tell by the way your hand twitched) when I held it. You also chewed your lips, a sure indication of great nervousness. I saw your wedding ring. It shines with newness. And you are young; You could not have been married long.” Lapsing into broken. English she spoke of the; gipsies, who have about 3000 fortune-telling, booths in America. “People think wq wild. We not wild. We save money and buy property. We rich people, but like; to do this.” As the writer, tells us, “a swarm of. gipsies 'have established, themselves in booths along .the coast-wise boardwalks,’ where “few pleasure-seekers resist the call: “Tell your past, present, and future for fifty cents ? Tell your fortune?’” Published in the New York Times, the article informs us :

Usually the booths, are clean. The gipsies 'have the proud) appearance; of having recently been bathed and combed; the fingers that lightly hold the hand of the; client are well cared for. A pot of. ice-water stands on the table across which meet the hands of customer and fortune-teller. • The gipsy woman, dips her into the pot before going through the motions of. reading the lines in a hand at which she glances intermittently. She allows the hand to rest gently within own while her glance rpves over the clothes, the jewellery, or coiffure of her customers.

Leaning, against the outside supports of the booth, which is sheltered from the sun by cheap drapery hung low in the front, stand usually two squat men of dark complexion. They are the husbands, the winter support of the wives who ar,e their summer support. Their fierce moustaches twirling skyward, their thick hands, their, 'hot black eyes, all aid in forming a picture that reelss of Bohemia, a free life andj an easy one.

Is, it love of adventure that , attaches these; people to thejir way of. life ? Gipsy women' scorn the idea, we are told. Said one :

“We own our country home in. this to,wn, a long, high, frame house with fourteen light, airy rooms. We American gipsies, we do not roam about the country—are not like Brazilian gipsies, who live in dirty or ears am] have no place tp call home. In winter we live in New York, on De;lancey Street, ap f i send our, children to school. They must be educate! American children. We live in houses. We are good American gipsies, citizens.”

“How many camps are; there in this country ?” the fortune-teller was asked.

“Oh, 1 cannot say how many gipsy ■camps there arc-. Gipsies are divided. There ar.e Brazilian, American, and Roumanian gipaies in this country. Some have their kings still,” she said, “but American, gipsies have only bne boss. He in Washington, the President. We are not dirty. We try to be good Americans.

“We doi not steal, we ,respectable. We will send our babies, to college when they grow up—not be dummy, like mother —father.” Then came, the fortune-telling:—

“For . fifty cents I .tell you one hand,” the gipsy woman said 1 . “For dollar, I read both harujs. You* want all or half ?”

Only half a fortune '.was wanted.

“You are very nervous,” she droned.. “You are in danger of losing your, husband to a blond or brunette, both of. Whom are; jealous and, envy you your good job. Beware of eating too much meat You understand, understand ? The reading was peppered with her queries : "Understand, und'eiistand ? Tell the truth, ana I right ? Understand ?”

She toiok up her droning. “You will c.cime into some money soom, you will be very happy. You have had some troublft, little, trouble with your husband. You will have m .ore trouble. Watch your temper. You 'iwill take a long; journey. You are gctod-liearted, yoq do things for everybody, nobody does things for you. You, extravagant, you spend rnrmey foblish. You buy much ; ypur husband.' po like, understand ? You going have two children, you be very happy, you live sixty-five years. Good luck, make a wish.” ' '

When , the newspaper woman asked if suc]\ predictions, as the one- about the “’blonde or brunette” we re not likel.y to make trouble — T'je gipsy shook her head with a wi'j e air. “Oh, no, that only .makes JCft-e bigge;r and better. When jmu are i ji danger of losing something precious you hold it more dear. 1 ifook a chance on believing that you 'held a job ; most modern girls work.. 'And for every girl with a job theire arc dozens of blondes ami brune;ttißB'> who would like to have that job, so- that

•was a safe statement. She thought the others fully as safe, and explained: “The warning to beware of too much meat is always good. “Everyone gets some money. No matter how far away from the time I told your fortune, you wouid always say I predicted it. Of course you will be happy; no one unhappy all the time. It is safe to tell any person they will have trouble, that they must watch their tempers. “Everyone takes journeys, at same time or other. No pejrspn thinks his heart is mean, or that he is sti.ngv, or that he doesn’t do things for peopie. A customer always believes that lie does things for everybody, but nobody does anything for him. “I.t flatters a customer to be told that she is extravagant, that she is well dressed. I took a chance in saying that your husband did, not like yc.u to be a spendthrift. Every young married couple have their lovers quarrels, no matter how trivial, and they are always called troubles.” “But what about your prediction of two children and a life of sixty-five years ?” the customer asked“Who knows ? It makes the fortune nicer,!” Gipsiejs may stick to fortune-telling because they like it, but it does appear that they wholly enjoy being gipsies, fdr the gipsy woman said, 'half questioning, half pleading, “I do not look gipsy, I look American?” Finally, as if telling her people’s fortune, she remarked : “Some day we all b“ good Amerjcan citizens with educated children; then nobody think we gipsies.”