scribed; a slate and some paper, with pencil and India ink; and a few books with explanations of various methods of divination, including phrenology, palmistry, theomancy, sciomancy, and sortilege, illustrated with diagrams. The principal method is by aid of the Confucian system of the dual principles of nature, male and female, the former representing the heavenly attributes of light, heat, and perfection, the latter, the earthly, of darkness, cold, and imperfection, symbolized respectively by and By forming these lines into parallel couples, four combinations are obtained, to which have been applied the names of the cardinal virtues, piety, morality, justice, and wisdom. By forming them into triple parallels, eight combinations result, which symbolize heaven, earth, fire, air, water, mountains, thunder, moisture. By further combination of the virtues and elements sixty-four aphorisms result, on which have been framed not only the answers of diviners, but a system of ethics and a cosmogony. The applicant for mystic glimpses draws one or more divining strips, the characters on which are noted by the fortune-teller, and combined with the above symbols according to a prescribed form. The result is conveyed generally in an abscure, non-committal answer, which is greedily puzzled over by the dupe, and twisted into the most flattering versions possible. Instead of the strips, three copper cash, marked with similar characters, may be used by the applicant. Shaken in a box, they are cast by him thrice three times, and the different combinations of characters formed into a diagram by the numismancer, who, as a close observer of human nature, also calls his penetration to aid in framing the answer. He further discovers the cause of diseases and their remedy, and keeps a supply of medicine to palm off upon his impressible patients, or throws custom into the hands of certain doctors and apothecaries. Spare moments are besides devoted to writing letters for the illiterate. In the upper strata of the divining profession stands ASTROLOGY AND DEMONOLOGY. 417 the astrologer, who paves his way to respectability by charging from one to five dollars for what the humbler brother will do for as many dimes, and who sustains his reputation by a larger collection of books, treating on soothsaying, cosmogony, and stellar influence. The dual character of the hours, days, months, and years of a cycle, are formed into eight diagrams, each having several scores of combinations, some marked with lucky red, others with ominous black. With these are connected the ethic diagrams of the fortune-teller, and the kings of the four seasons, represented by four figures, on the various parts of which are marked characters denoting the different hours of the day and night, changed in position on each figure. If a person has been born under the character marked on the head or hand of the king, prosperity awaits him; under other characters his prospects are more or less favorable, but the sign on the foot bodes misfortune. Provided with the hour, day, month, and year of birth, the astrologer forms the horoscope by connecting their characters with those of the five elements, the zodiac, and the kings, till the diagram develops into a perfect chart, generalizing destiny for decades, or detailing the prospects of every month, if the fee is large enough. The periods are pointed out which fall under the influence of evil stars and phenomena, and the course of conduct indicated wherewith to pass safely through the danger. The happy epochs are also marked with cautionary regulations for neutralizing the appearance of a crow or other evil omens that may cloud the horizon. The best year is pointed out for making a fortune; when to build a house and where; when a son will be born, and so on. Palmistry, phrenology, and physiognomy are frequently made use of to perfect the diagrams. pre Many revelations of diviners attribute the cause of troubles to some of the evil spirits which haunt the children of heaven on every side. When a house is built, a new lodging occupied, or a new suit of clothes put on, an imp is sure to inveigle himself into some cranny, and being aware of this the Chinaman has timely recourse to exorcism and charms, in order to secure himself. A common method is to take a tray with some rice and three cups of liquid, place a burning incense-stick at each corner, light some paper of the yellow, talismanic color, and empty the three cups upon the flaming paper, while scattering the rice. This has the effect of driving away demoniac spirits and of appeasing the good. But there are unguarded moments when a charm may have been neglected, and free entry allowed to the ever-lurking spirits, whose second entry is far more serious than the first, as the holy book teaches. In such cases it is safer to call in the experienced aid of one of the professional exorcists, known as Nam Mo. If a house is haunted, for instance, the charmer commences by burning incense before the family gods and mumbling incantations, while preparing a sacred liquid consisting of water mixed with ashes from yellow charm scrips, which bears a curse in vermilion or red letters. Armed with a sword and a magic wand engraved with three stars and the name of the Thunderer, he proceeds to rave and stamp, to brandish and whirl his implements, and to squirt in every direction from his mouth the sooty liquid, yelling to the demons to depart in a manner that makes it appear as if they had possession of him rather than of the house. A similar procedure is used to relieve a possessed person. If the diviner finds that an ancestral spirit troubles the afflicted, the cause must be looked for and remedied by more liberal offerings, or change of tomb. CHAPTER XIV. MONEY AND MONOPOLY. Of man's injustice why should I complain? -Collins' Virgi. THERE is something in the handling of money for gain that tends to the demoralization of the finer faculties. It sears the more generous feelings, and makes the heart like the metal, cold and hard. There is a difference in manipulating one's own money or another's, the former tending to the higher selfishness. There is a difference in this respect even between the commercial banker and men of the savings bank, to the disadvantage of the former, in whose occupation there is less of the sentiment of benefit to others. There are few positions more unfavorable for mind and soul development than that of bank-teller, where the man becomes a counting-machine, the mind being forced to fix itself attentively on the work in order to avoid mistakes, while ground down by dead monotony. This, however, is totally different from the occupation of the manager, who is obliged constantly to arbitrate between the interests of the bank and the necessities of applicants for loans. The aristocracy of England, when ruling trade and money-making from their higher atmosphere, could hardly have selected less improving occupations to be followed with some degree of respectability by necessitous lordlings than those of banker and jeweller. Monopoly exercises a more vicious reflex influence upon the man than usury or any other form of exact (419) ing gain from one's fellows. The system of slavery is demoralizing to the master, because no man can practice injustice toward his fellow-man without being himself injured and debased thereby. So it is with the gambler, whether in the shares of the broker's board, or in the cornering of wheat for an advance, or at the faro-table in the club-room,-any system of extortion, or obtaining from or forcing persons to pay money unjustly, and without giving full equivalent, is not only injurious to the victim and the public, but most of all to him who pockets the spoils. Twenty years ago half a million of dollars was considered quite a fortune; ten years ago three or five million-dollar men were becoming plentiful; to-day for a person to be remarkably rich he must have from ten to fifty millions. Some of these large fortunes have been legitimately made, others of them have not; hence, not unfrequently we hear the question asked regarding a rich man and his money, Did he come by it honestly? During these days of strong competition and welldefined business channels, the largest fortunes are not made by merchants or manufacturers, but by manipulators of mines, railways, or grain. The lands of a large holder may so increase in value as to make him enormously wealthy, and there are many cattle-kings among the millionaires; but as a rule the great fortunes come from gambling ventures, trickery on a mighty magnificent scale, or downright rascality barely shielded by all-accommodating law, but all under various degrees of indirection. The manipulation of capital in a speculative manner, and the making avail of opportunity, which in the Pacific States have led to so many large fortunes, were primarily due in a measure to the placer-mining occupation which predominated throughout the Pacific coast. The pursuit, with its chance results, now a competency, now a sudden fortune, but usually blanks, with its desultory work, its wandering life, and its |