FORTUNE-TELLING AND MATRIMONY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2146, 6 January 1891, Page 4

FORTUNE-TELLING AND MATRIMONY.

There is evidently room for a gbod matrimonial agency in Paris, Fending the formation of a trustworthy hymenal bureau, many simplp-mmded persons, such as cooks and domestic servants generally, contiaue to be easy prey for tha ingenious sharpers who abound, Thiß Mdle. Artbeimise, a cook of no mean professed ability, has found to her cost. She was visited lately by a showy female whom she had never seen before, and who at once accosted her by paying, ' ¥ou want to get married don't you ?' The cook, surprised at, and no doubt impressed by the powers of divination thus displayed by the Btranger,»ccepted gladly the tatter's propoual to have her fortune told. The wise woman was to find out from the saint vtbat kind of man was to pop the question to the fair Artlietniee and lead her' to the altar. Cartain ceremonies had to be performed before the members of the heavenly hierarchy were consulted. Thus Arthemise had to put a gold piece in n glass of water, and then bold out the vessel containing the fluid and the coin at arm's length. The cook did all this, and bb she spilled no water the fortune-teller told her that she was in luck's way. The glass was now to be rolled up in linen, marked with the first letter of the alphabet and placed at the bottom of a Urunk, Arthemise, in the meantime wan to emulate Apostolic poverty and to hand over to the fortuneteller all the ready cash and jewels which she possessed, as if she kept such mundane articles the predictions might be hindered in their development, Accordingly the cook handed over about £l2 in money and her trinkets. The fortuneteller took them, and went off to invoke tit. Joseph. Of course, Artbcmiaa is still a maiden, and her hardly-earned dot has been reduced to a considerable extent. The trick which w»s played on her was certainly one of the most audacious Bnd successful ever performed by any of those wide-awake perpons who study carefully the idiosyncrasies of the mora gullible portion of the community.