Fortune-tellers seemed to be reaping a harvest during the first two weeks after the Chinese New Year, though the rush has stopped now. I have occasion to walk into the city daily, and on one street along my route where these "'dis-pousers of good cheer" abound, I have a good opportunity of observing them as'they ply their trade, Their clients are composed chiefly of country-women, but men do not altogether scorn their ability to tell of the future. One old man who has stationed himself outside the Post Office has grown quite friendly and offered to tell my fortune free of charge. Being a pessimist, I declined.
I listened attentively one day while another old fortune-teller revealed the future to an old country-woman who seemed to be anxious about some one who was absent from home. The man artfully questioned the old lady and, having secured his information, told her all_she knew before, with a few embellishments. One thing the fortune-teller was quite positive of was the fact that a letter would come to her home and he stated clearly the direction from which the letter would come. No doubt he knew the points of the compass and the direction of the nearest post office from her place. The client could wring no further information from the man, but she was advised to return home and quietly await the arrival of that important letter. No doubt she went home feeling that she was getting "'better and better every day."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.