ng man, whom, if I
could afford a trifle, she would show me through her MATRIMONIAL MIRROR.
To this I consented, and she desired me to shut my eyes and keep my face
covered while she made the necessary preparations; and there she kept
me, with my face hid in her lap, until I was nearly smothered; when
suddenly she told me to turn round, and look through the mirror, which
was seen through a hole in a curtain, and I saw a young man pass quickly
before me, staring me in the face, at which I was much surprised, she
assuring me that he would be my husband. It was then agreed that she was
to call on me the next morning, and return the silver spoons; but, your
Worship,' said the poor girl, 'she never came; and as I was afraid my
mistress would soon want them, I asked the advice of a woman in our
neighbourhood, as to what I had better do, and to whom I related all the
circumstances I have told your Worship; when the woman asked me how
I could have been such a fool as to be duped by that old cheat at the
bar,--that she was a notorious old woman, that she had in her employ
some young man, who was always hid in the room, to overhear the
conversation, and to run from out of the hiding-place before the mirror;
and that I ought to be thankful I came away as well as I did, as many
young girls had been ruined through going to this old creature; that,
from her acquaintance with so many servant girls, she always contrived
to get from them such intelligence as enabled her to answer those
questions that might be put to her, as to the business, name, place
of abode, country, and other circumstances of the party applying, the
answering of which always convinced the credulous creatures who went to
her, of her great skill in the art of astrology; and when she was right
in her guessing, she always took care to have it well published.'

Of course, and again, as usual, the magistrate 'hoped it would be a
lesson to Martha, and to all other foolish girls, never to hearken to
those infernal, wicked old wretches, the fortune-tellers--many a girl
having lost her character and virtue by listening to their nonsense;'
but there have been hundreds and thousands of such Marthas since then,
and no doubt there will be very many more in future--in spite of the
ridiculous exposure of such dupes ever and anon, in courts of justice
and in the columns of the daily papers.

'The art of cartomancy, or divination by playing-cards, dates from an
early period of thei