autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第19节

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celebrated　sinking…fund　scheme　for　paying　off　the　national　debt　of　Great
Britain　did；　half　a　century　since；　and　under　very　much　the　same
influences；　and　she　desired　her　friend　to　come　at　once　to　the　point；　as
connected　with　the　pocket…handkerchief。

｛Mr。　Pitt's　celebrated　sinking…fund　=　Sir　William　Pitt　〃the　younger〃
（1759…1806）；　when　he　became　Prime　Minister　in　1784；　sought　to　raise
taxes　in　order　to　pay　off　the　British　national　debt｝

〃Well；　then；〃　resumed　Eudosia；　〃it　is　connected　in　this　way。　The　luxuries
of　the　rich　give　employment　to　the　poor；　and　cause　money　to　circulate。
Now　this　handkerchief　of　mine；　no　doubt；　has　given　employment　to
some　poor　French　girl　for　four　or　five　months；　and；　of　course；　food　and
raiment。　She　has　earned；　no　doubt；　fifty　of　the　hundred　dollars　I　have
paid。　Then　the　custom…houseah；　Clara；　if　it　were　not　for　that　vile
custom…house；　I　might　have　had　the　handkerchief　for　at　least　five…and…
twenty　dollars　lower！〃

〃In　which　case　you　would　have　prized　it　five…and…twenty　times　less；〃
answered　Clara；　smiling　archly。

〃THAT　is　true；　yes；　free　trade；　after　all；　does　NOT　apply　to　pocket…
handkerchiefs。〃

〃And　yet；〃　interrupted　Clara；　laughing；　〃if　one　can　believe　what　one
reads；　it　applies　to　hackney…coaches；　ferry…boats；　doctors；　lawyers；　and
even　the　clergy。　My　father　says　it　is〃

〃What？　I　am　curious　to　know；　Clara；　what　as　plain　speaking　a　man　as
Mr。　Caverly　calls　it。〃

〃He　is　plain　speaking　enough　to　call　it　a　…　HUMBUG；〃　said　the
daughter；　endeavoring　to　mouth　the　word　in　a　theatrical　manner。　〃But；
as　Othello　says；　the　handkerchief。〃

｛Othello　says。。。　=　〃Fetch　me　the　handkerchief；〃　Shakespeare；　〃Othello；〃
Act　III；　Scene　4；　line　98｝

〃Oh！　Fifty　dollars　go　to　the　poor　girl　who　does　the　work；　twenty…five
more　to　the　odious　custom…house；　some　fifteen　to　rent；　fuel；　lights；　and
ten；　perhaps；　to　Mr。　Bobbinet；　as　profits。　Now　all　this　is　very　good；　and
very　useful　to　society；　as　you　must　own。〃

Alas；　poor　Adrienne！　Thou　didst　not　receive　for　me　as　many　francs　as
this　fair　calculation　gave　thee　dollars；　and　richer　wouldst　thou　have
been；　and；　oh；　how　much　happier；　hadst　thou　kept　the　money　paid　for
me；　sold　the　lace　even　at　a　loss；　and　spared　thyself　so　many；　many
hours　of　painful　and　anxious　toil！　But　it　is　thus　with　human　calculations；
The　propositions　seem　plausible；　and　the　reasoning　fair；　while　stern　truth
lies　behind　all　to　level　the　pride　of　understanding；　and　prove　the　fallacy
of　the　wisdom　of　men。　The　reader　may　wish　to　see　how　closely
Eudosia's　account　of　profit　and　loss　came　to　the　fact；　and　I　shall；
consequently；　make　up　the　statement　from　the　private　books　of　the　firm
that　had　the　honor　of　once　owning　me；　viz。：

Super…extraordinary　Pocket…handkerchief；　&c。；　in　account　with
Bobbinet　&　Co。

DR。
To　money　paid；　first　cost；　francs　100；　at　5。25；　　19。04
To　interest　on　same　for　ninety　days；　at　7　per　cent。；　　　00。33
To　portion　of　passage　money；　　00。04
To　porterage；　　00。00　1/4
To　washing　and　making　up；　　00。25
…
19　66　1/4

CR。
By　cash　paid　by　Miss　Thimble；　　1。00
By　cash　paid　for　article；　　100。00
By　washerwoman's　deduction；　　00。05
　
101。05
　
By　profit；　　81。39　3/4

As　Clara　Caverly　had　yet　to　see　Mrs。　Thoughtful；　and　pay　Eudosia's
subscription；　the　former　now　took　her　leave。　I　was　thus　left　alone　with
my　new　employer；　for　the　first　time；　and　had　an　opportunity　of　learning
something　of　her　true　character；　without　the　interposition　of　third
persons；　for；　let　a　friend　have　what　hold　he　or　she　may　on　your　heart；　it
has　a　few　secrets　that　are　strictly　its　own。　If　admiration　of　myself　could
win　my　favor；　I　had　every　reason　to　be　satisfied　with　the　hands　into
which　fortune　had　now　thrown　me。　There　were　many　things　to　admire　in
Eudosiaa　defective　education　being　the　great　evil　with　which　she　had
to　contend。　Owing　to　this　education；　if　it　really　deserved　such　a　name；
she　had　superficial　accomplishments；　superficially　acquiredprinciples
that　scarce　extended　beyond　the　retenue　and　morals　of　her　sextastes
that　had　been　imbibed　from　questionable　modelsand　hopes　that
proceeded　from　a　false　estimate　of　the　very　false　position　into　which　she
had　been　accidentally　and　suddenly　thrown。　Still　Eudosia　had　a　heart。
She　could　scarcely　be　a　woman；　and　escape　the　influence　of　this　portion
of　the　female　frame。　By　means　of　the　mesmeritic　power　of　a　pocket…
handkerchief；　I　soon　discovered　that　there　was　a　certain　Morgan
Morely　in　New　York；　to　whom　she　longed　to　exhibit　my　perfection；　as
second　to　the　wish　to　exhibit　her　own。

｛retenue　=　discretion｝

I　scarcely　know　whether　to　felicitate　myself　or　not；　on　the　circumstance
that　I　was　brought　out　the　very　first　evening　I　passed　in　the　possession
of　Eudosia　Halfacre。　The　beautiful　girl　was　dressed　and　ready　for　Mrs。
Trotter's　ball　by　eight；　and　her　admiring　mother　thought　it　impossible　for
the　heart　of　Morgan　Morely；　a　reputed　six　figure　fortune；　to　hold　out
any　longer。　By　some　accident　or　other；　Mr。　Halfacre　did　not　appear
he　had　not　dined　at　home；　and　the　two　females　had　all　the　joys　of
anticipation　to　themselves。

〃I　wonder　what　has　become　of　your　father；〃　said　Mrs。　Halfacre；　after
inquiring　for　her　husband　for　the　tenth　time。　〃It　is　SO　like　him　to　forget
an　engagement　to　a　ball。　I　believe　he　thinks　of　nothing　but　his　lots。　It　is
really　a　great　trial；　Dosie；　to　be　so　rich。　I　sometimes　wish　we　weren't
worth　more　than　a　million；　for；　after　all；　I　suspect　true　happiness　is　to　be
found　in　these　little　fortunes。　Heigho！　It's　ten　o'clock；　and　we　must　go；　if
we　mean　to　be　there　at　all；　for　Mrs。　Caverly　once　said；　in　my　presence；
that　she　thought　it　as　vulgar　to　be　too　late；　as　too　early。〃

The　carriage　was　ordered；　and　we　all　three　got　in；　leaving　a　message　for
Mr。　Halfacre　to　follow　us。　As　the　rumor　that　a　〃three…figure〃　pocket…
handkerchief　was　to　be　at　the　ball；　had　preceded　my　appearance；　a
general　buzz　announced　my　arrival　in　the　salle　a　manger…salons。　I　have
no　intention　of　describing　fashionable　society　in　the　GREAT
EMPORIUM　of　the　WESTERN　WORLD。　Every　body　understands
that　it　is　on　the　best　possible　footinggrace；　ease；　high　breeding　and
common　sense　being　so　blended　together；　that　it　is　exceedingly　difficult
to　analyze　them；　or；　indeed；　to　tell　which　is　which。　It　is　this　moral　fusion
that　renders　the　whole　perfect；　as　the　harmony　of　fine　coloring　throws　a
glow　of　glory　on　the　pictures　of　Claude；　or；　for　that　matter；　on　those　of
Cole；　too。　Still；　as　envious　and　evil　disposed　persons　have　dared　to　call
in　question　the　elegance；　and　more　especially　the　retenue　of　a
Manhattanese　rout；　I　feel　myself　impelled；　if　not　by　that　high　sentiment；
patriotism；　at　least　by　a　feeling　of　gratitude　for　the　great　consideration
that　is　attached　to　pocket…handkerchiefs；　just　to　declare　that　it　is　all
scandal。　If　I　have　any　fault　to　find　with　New　York　society；　it　is　on
account　of　its　formal　and　almost　priggish　quietthe　female　voice　being
usually　quite　lost　in　itthus　leaving　a　void　in　the　ear；　not　to　say　the　heart；
that　is　painful　to　endure。　Could　a　few　young　ladies；　too；　be　persuaded
to　become　a　little　more　prominent；　and　quit　their　mother's　apron…strings；
it　would　add　vastly　to　the　grouping；　and　relieve　the　stiffness　of　the　〃shin…
pieces〃　of　formal　rows　of　dark…looking　men；　and　of　the　flounces　of
pretty　women。　These　two　slight　faults　repaired；　New　York　society
might　rival　that　of　Paris；　especially　in　the　Chausse　d'Autin。　More　than
this　I　do　not　wish　to　say；　and　less　than　this　I　cannot　in　honor　write；　for　I
have　made　some　of　the　warmest　and　truest…hearted　friends　in　New
York　that　it　ever　fell　to　the　lot　of　a　pocket…handkerchief　to　enjoy。

｛salle　a　manger…salons　=　dining　rooms…parlor；　GREAT　EMPORIUM
＇capitals　in　original＇　=　New　York　City；　Claude　=　Claude　Lorrain
（1600…1682）；　French　landscape　painter；　Cole　=　Thomas　Cole　（1801…
1848）；　American　landscape　painter；　rout　=　evening　party；　Chausse
d'Autin　=　Chaussee　d'Antin；　a　fashionable　Parisian　street　and
neighborhood｝

It　has　been　said　that　my　arrival　produced　a　general　buzz。　In　less　than　a
minute　Eudosia　had　made　her　curtsy；　and　was　surrounded；　in　a　corner；
by　a　bevy　of　young　friends；　all　silent　together；　and　all　dying　to　see　me。
To　deny　the　deep　gratification　I　felt　at　the　encomiums　I　received；　would
be　hypocrisy。　They　went　from　my　borders　to　my　centrefrom　the　lace
to　the　hemand　from　the　hem　to　the　minutest　fibre　of　my　exquisite
texture。　In　a　word；　I　was　the　first　hundred…dollar　pocket…handkerchief
that　had　then　appeared　in　their　circles；　and　had　I　been　a　Polish　count；
with　two　sets　of　moustaches；　I　could　not　have　been　more　flattered　and
〃entertained。〃　My　fame　soon　spread　through　the　rooms；　as　two　little
apartments；　with　a　door　between　them　that　made　each　an　alcove　of　the
other；　were　called；　and　even　the　men；　the　young　ones　in　particular；
began　to　take　an　interest　in　me。　This　latter　interest；　it　is　true；　did　not
descend　to　the　minutiae　of　trimmings　and　work；　or　even　of　fineness；　but
the　〃three　figure〃　had　a　surprising　effect。　An　elderly　lady　sent　to　borrow
me　for　a　moment。　It　was　a　queer　thing　to　borrow　a　pocket…
handkerchief；　some　will　think；　but　I　was　lent　to　twenty　people　that　night；
and　while　in　he