Doesticks, What He Says

Witch

the stomach of the modern wonder-seeking Public; it opens its staring eyes, perhaps, a little wider than usual at some transcendent tomfoolery, but its sapient o

he latest form of religious quackery, that new device of bashful, half-grown, bastard Infidelity, denominated Spiritualism, wh

ons of real merit and importance must resort to the basest bombast to keep pace with the foolery of their neighbors-when solid merit which would succeed, must vie in euphuistic phrase with brainless emptiness which will-when, in Literature, inane collections of stolen wit, diluted humor, and feeble fiction are spawned in scores from w

ts and spirit-seers, other persons not quite so intellectual perhaps, but f

knowledge to some practical use, instead of dealing entirely with abstractions. In New York these people are numero

the "seventh daughter of a seventh daughter," a lineal descendant from some one of the

ow many children we're to have, how many will die of measles, and how many will be choked with the croup, and can calc

nal orgies with dancing skeletons and corpses, brought by the black art back to temporary lif

red eelskin which contained his treasured pennies. They easily satisfy these gullible customers, by promising the first no end of rich, handsome princes, who are to appear some day and carry off their brides in fou

nd beldames who practice it, or stick them full of needles, or duck th

msticks; and in our city, where cream is only traditionary, they cannot bewitch their neighbors' churning

beard and flowing robe, with magic wand and attendant spirits; no more "weird sisters," with talon fingers

ould steal their living, if cheating wasn't easier. And the trade thrives, and the swindling practisers thereo

ormed me by instalments that her mistress would see me presently. Examined the furniture-rickety table, ditt

outh, beauty, hair-pin

a brass candlestick in her hand-she drew no mystic circle, she performed no inscrutable incantations, she spoke in no unknown tongue-

in the lottery, which should draw a prize big enough to support the family-also wanted a descript

where I was born, or what my father did for a living-she exhibited no strange paraphernalia of sorcery and

shed out from some unknown depth a pack of cards. Greasy were they, and well worn-the knave of spades had his legs torn off, the queen of diamonds had her fa

in three symmetrical piles; then looked them over-bit her lip-stamped her foot; then told me that my knife had been stolen by a squint-eyed Irishman, who had disposed of i

ould turn me into some horrible monster; that, like Circe of old, she would exercise her magic power, and qualify me t

r my fingers change to claws; as I felt no growing appetite for blood,

e "jilted" by a widow, and finally wed a lady whose description corresponds exactly with my present washer-woman; our family is to increase to seventeen; my second son is to be President, and my eldest daughter i

mber-hav'n't got my knife yet, but live in hope-have seen my future wif

eet, and had a basket on

rget Ex