There are thousands of folk who believe in Old., Moore's Almanac. My difficulty would be not to believe in.the old gentleman. I seo that for the month of January last he foretold us that the Government would meet with determined and persistent opposition from the Radical party. Hoe warned us that there would be.much sickness about, and that rheumatism would discover its old victims. How does he know these things? Is it that the stars really do communicate with him, or does he "feel. it in his bones," as the saying is up North? During February ho mentioned that the weather would be unsettled. Ho concluded: "The word taxation will have a terrible significance for both Government and people this month," Really, it is quite uncanny. Tu Match: "Theatres will do badly during the month."
There soams to be no keeping anything from Old Moore. In April "much dissatisfaction will be expressed among Post Office employees." That sounds probable on the face of it. In any event I will answer for our local post-In May, "a wealthy magnate going to die." In Juno there is going, to be a fire. In July "Old core has reason to fear there will be I do hope he may be wrong, and how I feel a conviction that he Anyhow, one is glad thatit has been put off till July. In August, one-in high authority will be in danger jomise." In September "zeal" on strip discretion." Portugal also - will are of trouble, I am glad Portugal is going to have trouble. It sounds unkind, but I fool it will console me. Besides, she does not appear to have had any up to now. In October Old Moore is afraid again. Ho cannot 'a haunting ion that Certain people will be victimised by extensive fraudulent proceedings." In Novemb "the public Prose will have its calamus fall of important news." The weather will be "adverse," and "a death will occur in high circles." This makes the second in one year. Iam glad Ido not belong to the higher circles. In December Old Moore again foresees trouble, just when Iwas hoping it was all over." Frauds will come to light, and death will find its victims." And all this information is given to us for a penny.
PALMISTS AND PRESENTIMENTS, The palmist examines our hand. "You will go a journey," he tells us. Itis ma: vellous! How could he have known th only the night before we had been discussing the advisability of taking the jldren to Margate for the holidays? "There is trouble in store for you," he tells us regretfully, "but -you will got over it." We feel that the future has no eocret hid from him. We have " presentiments" that people we love, who are climbing mountains, who are fond. of ballooning, aro.in danger.. The.sister.of three presentiments of his came home safe and sound, but, admitted that on three distinct occasions he had been in imminent danger. It seemed, to the: dear lady a proof.of everything she had ever read. Another friend of mino was wakened in the middle, of. the.night by his.wife, who insisted. that he should dress himself, and walk three miles across a moor because she had a dream that something terrible was happening to a' bosom friend of hers. The bosom friend and. her husband were rather indignant at being wakened at two o'clock in the morning, but their indignation was mild compared with that of the dreamer on learning that nothing was the matter. From that day forward a coldness sprang up between the two families, would give much to believe in ghosts. The interest.of life would, be.: multiplied by its own square power, could we oom, municate with the myriad dead, watching us from their mountain, summits. Mr. Zangwill, in a poem that should live, draws for us a pathetic picture of blind children playing den, laughing, romping. All their lives they have lived in darkness, they are content. "But, the wonder of it, could their eyes by some miracle be opened May not we be but blind children living in a world of dark-noss—laughing, weeping, loving, dying—knowing nothing of the wonders round us? The ghosts about us, with their god-like faces, it might be good to look at them. But these poor, pale-faced spooks, those dull.witted table-thumping spirit: it would bo'sad to think that. of euch was the Kingdom of the Dead.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.