autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第3节

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There　is　a　period；　which　occurred　between　the　time　of　being　〃hatcheled〃
and　that　of　being　〃woven；〃　that　it　exceeds　my　powers　to　delineate。　All
around　me　seemed　to　be　in　a　state　of　inextricable　confusion；　out　of
which　order　finally　appeared　in　the　shape　of　a　piece　of　cambric；　of　a
quality　that　brought　the　workmen　far　and　near　to　visit　it。　We　were　a
single　family　of　only　twelve；　in　this　rare　fabric；　among　which　I　remember
that　I　occupied　the　seventh　place　in　the　order　of　arrangement；　and　of
course　in　the　order　of　seniority　also。　When　properly　folded；　and
bestowed　in　a　comfortable　covering；　our　time　passed　pleasantly　enough；
being　removed　from　all　disagreeable　sights　and　smells；　and　lodged　in　a
place　of　great　security；　and　indeed　of　honor；　men　seldom　failing　to
bestow　this　attention　on　their　valuables。

｛cambric　=　a　fine　white　linen；　originally　from　Cambray　in　Flanders｝

It　is　out　of　my　power　to　say　precisely　how　long　we　remained　in　this
passive　state　in　the　hands　of　the　manufacturer。　It　was　some　weeks；
however；　if　not　months；　during　which　our　chief　communications　were　on
the　chances　of　our　future　fortunes。　Some　of　our　number　were　ambitious；
and　would　hear　to　nothing　but　the　probability；　nay；　the　certainty；　of　our
being　purchased；　as　soon　as　our　arrival　in　Paris　should　be　made　known；
by　the　king；　in　person；　and　presented　to　the　dauphine；　then　the　first　lady
in　France。　The　virtues　of　the　Duchesse　d'Angouleme　were　properly
appreciated　by　some　of　us；　while　I　discovered　that　others　entertained
for　her　any　feelings　but　those　of　veneration　and　respect。　This　diversity　of
opinion；　on　a　subject　of　which　one　would　think　none　of　us　very　well
qualified　to　be　judges；　was　owing　to　a　circumstance　of　such　every…day
occurrence　as　almost　to　supersede　the　necessity　of　telling　it；　though　the
narrative　would　be　rendered　more　complete　by　an　explanation。

｛Dauphine　=　Crown　Princess；　Duchesse　d'Angouleme　=　Marie　Therese
Charlotte　（1778…1851）；　the　Dauphine；　daughter　of　King　Louis　XVI　and
wife　of　Louis　Antoine　of　Artois；　Duke　of　Angouleme；　eldest　son　of　King
Charles　Xshe　lost　her　chance　to　become　queen　when　her　father…in…
law　abdicated　the　French　throne　in　1830Napoleon　said　of　her　that
she　was　〃the　only　man　in　her　family〃｝

It　happened；　while　we　lay　in　the　bleaching　grounds；　that　one　half　of　the
piece　extended　into　a　part　of　the　field　that　came　under　the　management
of　a　legitimist；　while　the　other　invaded　the　dominions　of　a　liberal。　Neither
of　these　persons　had　any　concern　with　us；　we　being　under　the　special
superintendence　of　the　head　workman；　but　it　was　impossible；　altogether
impossible；　to　escape　the　consequences　of　our　locales。　While　the
legitimist　read　nothing　but　the　Moniteur；　the　liberal　read　nothing　but　Le
Temps；　a　journal　then　recently　established；　in　the　supposed　interests　of
human　freedom。　Each　of　these　individuals　got　a　paper　at　a　certain　hour；
which　he　read　with　as　much　manner　as　he　could　command；　and　with
singular　perseverance　as　related　to　the　difficulties　to　be　overcome；　to　a
clientele　of　bleachers；　who　reasoned　as　he　reasoned；　swore　by　his
oaths；　and　finally　arrived　at　all　his　conclusions。　The　liberals　had　the　best
of　it　as　to　numbers；　and　possibly　as　to　wit；　the　Moniteur　possessing　all
the　dullness　of　official　dignity　under　all　the　dynasties　and　ministries　that
have　governed　France　since　its　establishment。　My　business；　however；　is
with　the　effect　produced　on　the　pocket…handkerchiefs；　and　not　with　that
produced　on　the　laborers。　The　two　extremes　were　regular　cotes
gauches　and　cotes　droits。　In　other　words；　all　at　the　right　end　of　the
piece　became　devoted　Bourbonists；　devoutly　believing　that　princes；
who　were　daily　mentioned　with　so　much　reverence　and　respect；　could
be　nothing　else　but　perfect；　while　the　opposite　extreme　were　disposed
to　think　that　nothing　good　could　come　of　Nazareth。　In　this　way；　four　of
our　number　became　decided　politicians；　not　only　entertaining　a
sovereign　contempt　for　the　sides　they　respectively　opposed；　but
beginning　to　feel　sensations　approaching　to　hatred　for　each　other。

｛bleaching　grounds　=　open　spaces　where　newly　woven　linen　is　spread
to　whiten　in　the　sun；　legitimist。。。。　=　this　paragraph　refers　to
controversies；　before　the　French　〃July　Revolution〃　of　1830；　between
rightist　（〃cote　droit〃　=　right　side）　legitimists；　who　read　the　official
〃Moniteur〃　newspaper　and　supported　the　absolutist　Bourbon　monarchy
of　King　Charles　X；　and　leftist　（〃cote　gauche〃　=　left　side）　liberals；　who
read　〃Le　Temps〃　and　argued　for　reform　or　revolution；　〃nothing　good
could　come　of　Nazareth〃　=　from　the　Bible；　John；　I；　46：　〃Can　any　good
thing　come　out　of　Nazareth〃｝

The　reader　will　readily　understand　that　these　feelings　lessened　toward
the　centre　of　the　piece；　acquiring　most　intensity　at　the　extremes。　I　may
be　said；　myself；　to　have　belonged　to　the　centre　gauche；　that　being　my
accidental　position　in　the　fabric；　when　it　was　a　natural　consequence　to
obtain　sentiments　of　this　shade。　It　will　be　seen；　in　the　end；　how
prominent　were　these　early　impressions；　and　how　far　it　is　worth　while
for　mere　pocket…handkerchiefs　to　throw　away　their　time；　and　permit
their　feelings　to　become　excited　concerning　interests　that　they　are
certainly　not　destined　to　control；　and　about　which；　under　the　most
favorable　circumstances；　they　seldom　obtain　other　than　very
questionable　information。

｛centre　gauche　=　center　left；　i。e。；　moderate　left｝

It　followed　from　this　state　of　feeling；　that　the　notion　we　were　about　to
fall　into　the　hands　of　the　unfortunate　daughter　of　Louis　XVI　excited
considerable　commotion　and　disgust　among　us。　Though　very　moderate
in　my　political　antipathies　and　predilections；　I　confess　to　some
excitement　in　my　own　case；　declaring　that　if　royalty　WAS　to　be　my　lot；
I　would　prefer　not　to　ascend　any　higher　on　the　scale　than　to　become　the
property　of　that　excellent　princess；　Amelie；　who　then　presided　in　the
Palais　Royal；　the　daughter　and　sister　of　a　king；　but　with　as　little
prospects　as　desires　of　becoming　a　queen　in　her　own　person。　This　wish
of　mine　was　treated　as　groveling；　and　even　worse　than　republican；　by
the　cote　droit　of　our　piece；　while　the　cote　gauche　sneered　at　it　as
manifesting　a　sneaking　regard　for　station　without　the　spirit　to　avow　it。
Both　were　mistaken；　however；　no　unworthy　sentiments　entering　into　my
decision。　Accident　had　made　me　acquainted　with　the　virtues　of　this
estimable　woman；　and　I　felt　assured　that　she　would　treat　even　a　pocket…
handkerchief　kindly。　This　early　opinion　has　been　confirmed　by　her
deportment　under　very　trying　and　unexpected　events。　I　wish；　as　I
believe　she　wishes　herself；　she　had　never　been　a　queen。

｛daughter　of　Louis　XVI　=　the　dauphine；　Marie　Therese　Charlotte；
Duchesse　d'Angouleme；　mentioned　above；　　Amelie　=　Marie　Amelie
（1782…1866）；　daughter　of　King　Ferdinand　IV　of　Naples；　sister　of　King
Francis　I　of　The　Two　Siciliesreluctantly　became　queen　in　France
when　her　husband　the　Duke　of　Orleans　seized　the　throne　from　Charles
X　on　July　31；　1830；　and　was　proclaimed　King　Louis　Philippe　of　the
French｝

All　our　family　did　not　aspire　as　high　as　royalty。　Some　looked　forward　to
the　glories　of　a　banker's　daughter's　trousseau；we　all　understood　that
our　PRICE　would　be　too　high　for　any　of　the　old　nobility；while　some
even　fancied　that　the　happiness　of　traveling　in　company　was　reserved
for　us　before　we　should　be　called　regularly　to　enter　on　the　duties　of　life。
As　we　were　so　closely　connected；　and　on　the　whole　were　affectionate
as　became　brothers　and　sisters；　it　was　the　common　wish　that　we　might
not　be　separated；　but　go　together　into　the　same　wardrobe；　let　it　be
foreign　or　domestic；　that　of　prince　or　plebeian。　There　were　a　few　among
us　who　spoke　of　the　Duchesse　de　Berri　as　our　future　mistress；　but　the
notion　prevailed　that　we　should　so　soon　pass　into　the　hands　of　a　femme
de　chambre；　as　to　render　the　selection　little　desirable。　In　the　end　we
wisely　and　philosophically　determined　to　await　the　result　with　patience；
well　knowing　that　we　were　altogether　in　the　hands　of　caprice　and
fashion。

｛Duchesse　de　Berri　=　Marie　Caroline　（1798…1870）；　wife　of　Charles
Ferdinand　of　Artois；　Duke　of　Berry；　second　son　of　King　Charles　X；
femme　de　chambre　=　lady's　maid｝

At　length　the　happy　moment　arrived　when　we　were　to　quit　the
warehouse　of　the　manufacturer。　Let　what　would　happen；　this　was　a
source　of　joy；　inasmuch　as　we　all　knew　that　we　could　only　vegetate
while　we　continued　where　we　then　were；　and　that　too　without
experiencing　the　delights　of　our　former　position；　with　good　roots　in　the
earth；　a　genial　sun　shedding　its　warmth　upon　our　bosom；　and　balmy　airs
fanning　our　cheeks。　We　loved　change；　too；　like　other　people；　and　had
probably　seen　enough　of　vegetation；　whether　figurative　or　real；　to　satisfy
us。　Our　departure　from　Picardie　took　place　in　June；　1830；　and　we
reached　Paris　on　the　first　day　of　the　succeeding　month。　We　went
through　the　formalities　of　the　custom…houses；　or　barrieres；　the　same
day；　and　the　next　morning　we　were　all　transferred　to　a　celebrated　shop
that　dealt　in　articles　of　our　genus。　Most　of　the　goods　were　sent　on　drays
to　the　magazin；　but　our　reputation　having　preceded　us；　we　were
honored　with　a　fiacre；　making　the