his wonderful gift of
revealing the destinies of man, and she has revealed
mysteries that no mortal knew. She states that she
advertises nothing but what she can do with entire
satisfaction to all who wish to consult her.

"Also, she will scan aright,
Dreams and visions of the night."

The tender inquirer went away in a desponding mood. The Widger
was out of the question as a bride, "for she was old enough," he
said, "to have been grandmother to his father's uncle."

CHAPTER V.

Discourses of Mrs. Pugh, of No. 102 South First Street,
Williamsburgh, and tells all that Nursing Sorceress communicated
to her Cash Customer.

CHAPTER V.

MRS. PUGH, No. 102 SOUTH FIRST STREET, WILLIAMSBURGH.

It is travelling a little away from home to go to Williamsburgh
in search of a witch, but there are some peculiar circumstances
about the present case, that give it more than common interest.
Mrs. Pugh is not an _advertising_ sorceress, but practises all
her magic slily, and generally under a promise of secresy, which
is exacted lest the fame of her fortune-telling should come to
the ears of certain respectable families, who employ her as a
nurse. She is much resorted to by a number of young persons of
both sexes, and has considerable notoriety among the low and
ignorant classes as a practiser of the black art. She is by no
means the only "nurse" who is given to this reprehensible
practice, but very many of the old women who officiate as
professional nurses are proficients in telling fortunes with
cards, and with the Bible and key, and are always glad of an
opportunity to exhibit their pretended skill. Being at times
received into families where there are daughters, not grown up,
they become most dangerous persons if they are encouraged or
permitted to thus practise on the credulity of these young girls.

The mere encouragement of hurtful superstitious notions is a
great ill in itself, but is by no means the extent of the evil
done by some of these persons. They not unfrequently take an
active part in bringing about meetings between unsuspecting girls
and evil-disposed men, thus paving the way to the wretchedness
and ruin of the former. More than one instance is known, where
the going astray of a loved daughter can be traced directly to
the mischievous teachings of a fortune-telling nurse.

These are the reasons that give the case of Mrs. Pugh an
importance greater than att