“Rings in Noses and Bells on Their Toes.”
Fashions of men and women frequently jump from one extreme to another, but, according to a general all-around prophet, America is soon to witness a series of transformations that will make plain, old-fashioned people simply gasp with amazement. Society maids are to wear rings in their noses and bells on their toes; the fair sex will become entirely bald, and perhaps have cute little landscape scenes done in oil here and there on their shining pates; men may adopt skirts, wear bracelets and earrings, and possibly carry fans instead of canes, the walking sticks being permissible to women alone.
This old world is fast approaching its great upheaval stage, this wonderful prognostigator tells us. The great war of nations shows it—the Scriptures show it, he declares. We have been in preparation for this upheaval for nearly eighty years. He gets this from Peter’s saying[{60}] that an hour of God’s time is a thousand years. An hour of our time would be eighty-three and one-third years of the Lord’s. This is our eleventh hour of dispensation. It began in 1829 or thereabouts. He also figures it out that the European war will end one year, one month, one day, and one hour from the date of its inception—that—that—oh, well, that lots of things are about to happen, including the customary rise in beef prices.
James Henry Tate is fifty years old, is a pleasant little man, with a great deal of personality and knowledge of events, past, present, and—possibly—the future. Born in America of wealthy parents, educated in the East, and possessing the “gift of tongues” and the power of healing, he went to Denver five years ago after a revelation that Denver is to be the central city of the great upheaval, religious and otherwise.
“Present-day fashions are bearing out the Scriptures. In a very few years women will be wearing bells on their shoes,” he predicts. “Skirts will become tighter, and women will become old at early ages. Then women will wear rings in their noses and will become bald, totally bald. For the Scriptures read in the third chapter of Isaiah, 16th, 17th, and 18th verses:
“‘Moreover, the Lord said because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go and making a tinkling with their feet, therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the heads of the daughters of Zion.’
“I was called by the spirit when I was but seven years old. I have received many calls since. I have the power of healing by the laying on of hands. I carry a bottle of olive oil with me with which I anoint any one who wishes to be healed, after the devils are cast out of the body. I have a good constitution and have never had a doctor.
“My father is eighty-five years old, has served as a State senator in Wisconsin, and he is rugged and strong. I eat no pork or fish that do not have scales. I bar catfish, for catfish are scavengers and unclean. I eat coarse bread and drink pure water.
“Latter-day churches are ignorant in their evils, and that is what is causing so much backsliding. I have telegraphed President Wilson and Secretary of State Bryan many times, and they have always followed my advice, especially in the maintaining of strict neutrality. I have received personal notes from our president, thanking me for my advice and prayers.”