Page:True fortune teller.pdf/6

 and the effect it had; and from her sometimes casually acquainting the neighbouring farmers of any change which usually took place, her fame began to spread when young, and she was consulted by them on almost every occasion; not a farmer would go to plough, not a sower would put the seed in the ground, without first asking the opinion of the young gipsy (for so they then styled her), and following according to her dictates.

Her fame now began to spread, and Bridget’s prescience became more universal; other persons besides the farmers and her neighbours came to consult her; and the truth of her predictions made her veracity gain ground, and she became the topic of conversation of the politest circles, many of whom came in their equipages to consult her; and she never asked for any particular sum, so the unbounded generosity of those who applied to her oracles, put her in possession of more money than was sufficient to maintain her.

As she grew in years, like the generality of old folks, she became fond of dumb animals, which were her chief companions, and of these she always had a very great number; people, indeed, have said about one hundred, and others have declared she could call as many on the earth as she pleased, but this is fabulous, for I never saw more than ten at any time. Dogs and cats were the principal companions of her retirement, which, being of the smallest breed, would, as she sat, creep from different parts of her garments, and not a little to the surprise of those who came to see her, and, indeed, frightened many, though to do her justice, she desired her visitors not to be terrified at her domestics as she termed them, for they were not like many that attended on the gentry, saucy, imperious, and unfaithful, but were always attendant on the will of her whose hand fed them, nor would injure without provocation, a lesson, she used to say, she wished was learned by all mankind.

Of a pipe of tobacco our Bridget was exceedingly fond, and, indeed, was continually whiffing; and as she humourously used to observe, she had "sent more puffs into the world than all the quacks in the kingdom." From a long, contracted habit, likewise,