First we may consider fortunetelling, under its various forms:

In the days of King Saul there were those who had a familiar spirit, and all down through the pages of sacred and profane history we find diviners and soothsayers.

The modern fortune-teller is usually a spiritualist, an astrologer, or a gypsy. They should all be shunned. If they tell ten truths, they do it through the power that will tell you ten truths to get you to believe one lie. If they have any power of second-sight, it is not given nor exercised through the priesthood of the Son of God. Why then should we seek to know of the past or the future at the hands of evil and deception?

There is no assertion made here that the adherents to the various sects and beliefs considered in this paper are evil or malicious. Most of them are deceived. Honest, perhaps, in their belief, but for some cause pre-existent or earthly, they are deceived. Let no one who possesses the key to all light spend useless time in seeking in the darkness for truths and half-truths.

The penalty attached to breaking the law of God in this respect, by seeking soothsayers, fortune-tellers and diviners,is as great and appalling as it was in ancient days.

And what then shall we say of the foolish among us, who, not content with the reading of the law, nor the prophecies of patriarchs as to their future, dabble with these accursed things? Women and men, who, not content to read their future through the words of their patriarchal blessings, amuse themselves, forsooth, with fortune-telling, by tea-cups, by cards and by the lines of the hand! Out upon such mockery, such profanation of one of the divinest gifts of the Holy Spirit! Ah, but, apologizes some one, it is not done in earnest; it is but fun and serves to pass away an idle half-hour.

But fun! Fun to imitate and play at prophecy! What would you say to boys who passed an idle half-hour imitating the Sacrament, or the gift of tongues? No doubt you would be properly horrified.

And yet this imitation and mockery of prophecy is far more dangerous. For enough truth may be told in the playful, mock prophecy to induce in the listener a half-belief in the tissue of lies which accompany it, to the vital injury of his future.

Say the least you can about it, fortune-telling of all sorts is false pernicious and to be carefully avoided.

Then come the peep-stones. These occupy the same place exactly as other forms of witchcraft and fortune-telling. A righteous man or woman, who had discovered in himself a gift and the accompanying stone for its exercise, would so instantly place the stone and the gift under the hands of the proper authority that no harm would accrue to himself or others through its use. A very good test to put to such a matter would be for the young man who hears that such a man or woman has a peep-stone, to inquire at once: Does he or she use it under the direction and sanction and with the full knowledge and approval of the President of the Church?

The least degree of secrecy, with noddings, and whisperings as to this one and that one who has consulted the owner of the peep-stone, should be taken as ample evidence that here again apostate influences are at work; and again we say, beware of those that peep and mutter-beware of tampering with the powers of the Prince of the Air!

In common with all this, yet not so strong, nor yet so deadly, but vicious enough in itself, we come to the many and often absurd superstitions that haunt and harass even the wisest. Most of them come by inheritance; but is that any justification

for accepting them and pinning our faith to them?

What a long list there is: beginning with planting potatoes and weaning babies in certain times of the moon, and taking along in its train the breaking of looking-glasses, spilling the salt, dropping the dish cloth, hearing the cock crow in your doorway, seeing the moon over your left shoulder, combing your hair after dark, sitting down to table with thirteen at the board, starting on a journey on Friday, cutting the finger nails on Sunday, feeding to babies with the whooping-cough fried mice or the milk in which mice were drowned, stealing a dish cloth to take off warts, wearing charms to keep off the toothache or rheumatism, or what not, meeting a piebald horse, wetting one's apron when washing at the wash tub, and indeed. all the thousand and one forms of superstition which have nothing in them but the faith of the person who implicitly expects the thing to happen whereof he has seen the sign.

What then is the grain of truth in this? Simply that God does sometimes send a sign to His children, and often He gives them warnings of future events. Also by putting faith in the administration of the priesthood and by the using of consecrated oil, whooping-cough or warts, even, can be removed from the body, and health will take the place of disease.

Here again we are confronted with the power of evil, for every effort will be made to induce people to put their faith and trust in some hoary superstition rather than in the adminiration of the Elder 3.

It developed that a learned professor, enlightened, gifted, and full of faith, had called upon him, and had recommended that he procure a tow string and tie it about his throat to prevent the mumps from falling!

"And would you not prefer to fasten your faith to consecrated oil and the administration by the Elders, than to lodge it in a tow string?"

The affirmative reply indicates how ready our youth are to accept pure truth when it is presented to them.

Upon what, then, do these superstitions rest? Upon a spiritual and psychological truth: faith! If your faith is centered on a tow string, a broken looking-glass, or an ivory image, that principle of power helps to bring the thing to pass. It is a psychological and physiological truth that a state of belief in the mind sets in operation great forces both within and without us.

The physician is better aware of this than most people. His capital, he well knows, consists in a cheerful, calm demeanor-a manner which inspires his patient with implicit faith in his skill. If the patient becomes doubtful or skeptical of the doctor's methods, the latter knows very well there is nothing more to be done save to leave the house. Even if the doctor is at loss what to do, he would never dare let his patient know it: he must go on experimenting with a cool head and a reassuring smile, to the doubtful end.

The startling reply that "He had tied a tow string about his neck," led to an investigation.

We may therefore conclude that all forms of superstition are apostate or mock faith. They lead us to trust in any form of delusion which the power of evil may invent or devise. We have faith in this Gospel healing

II.

Once again Gertrude stood on the porch of the old home from which six years before she had passed out a proud and happy bride. How familiar was each object that met her sight! The dearest and best of all was the dear mother, who was overjoyed to again fold the long absent one to her heart.

De Witt having one to San Francisco on business, Gertrude had come with with her two little ones-Elaine and James-to stay a month with mother.

Soon after the first words of welcome were over, Gertrude asked: "Where do Leroy and Alice live, mother?"

"Only just across the street," she answered. "We are like one family-they are very happy, although Alice is as frail and delicate as ever, but sweet and dainty; their little Gertrude is a great comfort to us and a blessing to them."

"Connie, go bring her over." Words cannot describe the enjoyment of the weeks which followed.

How often Connie would take the children out for a walk or for a romp on the lawn, while mother and Gertrude talked of the past and the future. At last the daughter unburdened her weary heart, telling of her many hopes which had ended in bitter disappointment; of how many times she had tried to bring De Witt to a knowledge of the Gospel and had failed; how finally, worn out with his constant ridicule on this subject-although he was so good about everything else-she else she had ceased trying.

"And now, mother," she said, "I am drifting with the stream without pilot, or guide, and lacking the spir

itual energy to grasp the oars and row against public opinion."

The words of loving counsel given by the mother during those never-tobe-forgotten days, stood out in Gertrude's memory in after years as if stamped with a golden brand.

How often Alice sat with them. watching the play of her little Gertrude, with Elaine and James, while Leroy and his sisters sang the songs of old days.

It was a peaceful, happy time, long to be remembered by all; but it came to an end all too soon, for De Witt came to carry away his wife and little ones to San Francisco.

A few days before they left, Connie was married to Alex Waldron, into whose care Mrs. Ancel felt safe in confiding her daughter, for they had known him from childhood, and he had always been true and faithful to every trust.

Alex and Connie accompanied De Witt and Gertrude to San Francisco, where they stayed a month, enjoying the sights and pleasures of the city and bay, visiting Cliff House, Seal Rocks, and ascending Mt. Hamilton, gazing through the great Lick telescope, rambling through the "Zoo," and in short, as the guests of De Witt, they were royally entertained. But both were glad to go back to home and mother.

Three years later, Mrs. Ancel peacefully fell asleep, and was tenderly carried to her last resting place by her children and friends who knew her worth and had loved her so sincerely.

During her last illness, Gertrude had wished to visit her again, but De Witt had said, "He did not consider it at all necessary," and so she could

not go. Poor Gertrude, when she realized that her mother was really sleeping in the graveyard by the side of her loved father, she could not be consoled; she had found a wound that her husband's wealth could not heal.

A lethargy seemed to envelop her, and she neglected her home duties, leaving her children entirely to the care of the servants; she paid no attention to the claims of society, would not heed her husband's pleadings to go to places of amusement, but shut herself up in her room for hours, or wandered through the house aimless and disconsolate.

De Witt's patience finally gave out and he ceased trying to cheer her, spending hours away from home, leaving her to her sorrow.

One day while she was brooding over her trouble, a new sorrow overtook her. Her beautiful four-yearold boy-James-fell down stairs and injured his hip. This blow awakened Gertrude from her stupor. For months, the boy was confined to his bed. Then with the aid of a crutch he walked around the house, but skillful physicians said he would always be lame.

This was a terrible blow to the father, and it was touching to see his devotion to his crippled son. How he carried him in his arms for hours and lavished every luxury upon him which money could procure!

The little cripple became the pivot around which all else centered. His rare personal beauty seemed to reflect a pure heart and mind; gentleness and truth were manifested each hour in his cheerful patience.

Gertrude's heart was heavy with remorse for her son's affliction, but the burden was made still heavier by De Witt constantly insisting that her carelessness and neglect had been the cause of all this suffering. Feeling convinced of the healing power in the priesthood, she tried to persuade her husband to take James among

the Saints that he might be administered to, but he only laughed and scoffed at the idea, when the best surgeons had pronounced him incurable.

She then tried all manner of schemes to take him herself, but he watched her too closely, and she was always outwitted by him.

As weeks passed by, and De Witt still spoke to her in such cold, stern and sarcastic tones-still censured her-the darkness of despair pressed upon her soul; she did not dare to pray, and thus surrounded by husband, children, friends, and servants, in the midst of wealth and luxury, a feeling of utter loneliness came over her heart, and she felt the need of God's help as she had never felt it before! In deep humiliation, for the first time in years, she poured out her desires in prayer-entreating her heavenly Father to give her some evidence that she was not forsaken, that He had not cast her off.

God's mercy was still extended to His erring, distrustful child! He had not forgotten her! He filled her heart with a peace she had not known for years! She fell asleep and her dreams were sweet; when she awoke, she felt as if angels had ministered to her.

Ever after, in all the many trials through which she passed, and amid the evil influences which surrounded her, she looked back to this time as the turning point in her journey of life, when she began to obey the commandments of that God whom she had so long slighted!

As the little fellow grew stronger he became accustomed to his crutch and skipped around cheerfully, and was again the sunshine in the household. He returned the affectionate caresses of his father and sister, listened to his mother's instruction, and learned to love God and obey Him. He persuaded his father to forgive his mother, and peace was once more restored.