autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第17章

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removed　from　the　line；　properly　ironed；　and　returned　to　my　boss。　The
same　day　I　was　placed　in　a　shop　in　Broadway；　belonging　to　a　firm　of
which　I　now　understood　the　colonel　was　a　sleeping　partner。　A　suitable
entry　was　made　against　me；　in　a　private　memorandum　book；　which；　as　I
once　had　an　opportunity　of　seeing　it；　I　will　give　here。

Super…extraordinary　Pocket…Handkerchief；　French　cambric；　trimmed
and　worked；　in　account　with　Bobbinet　&　Gull。

DR。
To　money　paid　first　costfrancs　100；　at　5。25；　　　19。04
To　interest　on　same　for　　00。00
To　portion　of　passage　money；　　00。04
To　porterage；　　00。00　1/4
To　washing　and　making　up；　　00。25
（Mem。See　if　a　deduction　cannot　be　made　from　this　charge。）

CR。
By　cash；　for　allowing　Miss　Thimble　to　copy　patternnot　to　be　worked
until　our　article　is　sold；　　1。　00
By　cash　for　sale；　&c。　

｛in　account　with。。。。　=　this　and　subsequent　〃accounts〃　are　presented　by
Cooper　in　tabular　form；　generally　without　decimal　points　in　the　figures；
we　have　inserted　decimals　and　omitted　zeros　to　make　them　more
readable｝

Thus　the　account　stood　the　day　I　was　first　offered　to　the　admiration　of
the　fair　of　New　York。　Mr。　Bobbinet；　however；　was　in　no　hurry　to
exhibit　me；　having　several　articles　of　less　beauty；　that　he　was　anxious　to
get　off　first。　For　my　part；　I　was　as　desirous　of　being　produced；　as　ever　a
young　lady　was　to　come　out；　and　then　my　companions　in　the　drawer
were　not　of　the　most　agreeable　character。　We　were　all　pocket…
handkerchiefs；　together；　and　all　of　French　birth。　Of　the　whole　party；　I
was　the　only　one　that　had　been　worked　by　a　real　lady；　and
consequently　my　education　was　manifestly　superior　to　those　of　my
companions。　THEY　could　scarcely　be　called　comme　il　faut；　at　all；
though；　to　own　the　truth；　I　am　afraid　there　is　tant　soit　peu　de　vulgarity
about　all　WORKED　pocket…handkerchiefs。　I　remember　that；　one　day；
when　Madame　de　la　Rocheaimard　and　Adrienne　were　discussing　the
expediency　of　buying　our　whole　piece；　with　a　view　of　offering　us　to　their
benefactress；　the　former；　who　had　a　fine　tact　in　matters　of　this　sort；
expressed　a　doubt　whether　the　dauphine　would　be　pleased　with　such　an
offering。

｛comme　il　faut　=　proper；　tant　soit　peu　de　=　ever　so　little　of；　｛worked　=
embroidered｝

〃Her　Royal　Highness；　like　all　cultivated　minds；　looks　for　fitness　in　her
ornaments　and　tastes。　What　fitness　is　there；　ma　chere；　in　converting　an
article　of　real　use；　and　which　should　not　be　paraded　to　one's　associates；
into　an　article　of　senseless　luxury。　I　know　there　are　two　doctrines　on　this
important　point〃

｛ma　chere　=　my　dear｝

But；　as　I　shall　have　occasion；　soon；　to　go　into　the　whole　philosophy　of
this　matter；　when　I　come　to　relate　the　manner　of　my　next　purchase；　I
will　not　stop　here　to　relate　all　that　Madame　de　la　Rocheaimard　said。　It　is
sufficient　that　she；　a　woman　of　tact　in　such　matters　at　least；　had　strong
doubts　concerning　the　TASTE　and　propriety　of　using　worked　pocket…
handkerchiefs；　at　all。

My　principal　objection　to　my　companions　in　the　drawer　was　their
incessant　senseless　repinings　about　France；　and　their　abuse　of　the
country　in　which　they　were　to　pass　their　lives。　I　could　see　enough　in
America　to　find　fault　with；　through　the　creaks　of　the　drawer；　and　if　an
American；　I　might　have　indulged　a　little　in　the　same　way　myself；　for　I　am
not　one　of　those　who　think　fault…finding　belongs　properly　to　the
stranger；　and　not　to　the　native。　It　is　the　proper　office　of　the　latter；　as　it　is
his　duty　to　amend　these　faults；　the　traveler　being　bound　in　justice　to　look
at　the　good　as　well　as　the　evil。　But；　according　to　my　companions；　there
was　NOTHING　good　in　Americathe　climate；　the　people；　the　food；
the　morals；　the　laws；　the　dress；　the　manners；　and　the　tastes；　were　all
infinitely　worse　than　those　they　had　been　accustomed　to。　Even　the
physical　proportions　of　the　population　were　condemned；　without　mercy。
I　confess　I　was　surprised　at　hearing　the　SIZE　of　the　Americans　sneered
at　by　POCKET…HANDKERCHIEFS；　as　I　remember　to　have　read　that
the　NOSES　of　the　New　Yorkers；　in　particular；　were　materially　larger
than　common。　When　the　supercilious　and　vapid　point　out　faults；　they
ever　run　into　contradictions　and　folly；　it　is　only　under　the　lash　of　the
discerning　and　the　experienced；　that　we　betray　by　our　writhings　the
power　of　the　blow　we　receive。

｛creaks　=　probably　a　typographical　errorCooper's　manuscript　read
〃cracks〃｝



CHAPTER　IX。

I　might　have　been　a　fortnight　in　the　shop；　when　I　heard　a　voice　as　gentle
and　lady…like　as　that　of　Adrienne；　inquiring　for　pocket…handkerchiefs。
My　heart　fairly　beat　for　joy；　for；　to　own　the　truth；　I　was　getting　to　be
wearied　to　death　with　the　garrulous　folly　of　my　companions。　They　had
so　much　of　the　couturieres　about　them！　not　one　of　the　whole　party　ever
having　been　a　regular　employee　in　genteel　life。　Their　niaisiries　were
endless；　and　there　was　just　as　much　of　the　low　bred　anticipation　as　to
their　future　purchases；　as　one　sees　at　the　balls　of　the　Champs　Elysee　on
the　subject　of　partners。　The　word　〃pocket…handkerchief；〃　and　that　so
sweetly　pronounced；　drew　open　our　drawer；　as　it　might　be；　instinctively。
Two　or　three　dozen　of　us；　all　of　exquisite　fineness；　were　laid　upon　the
counter；　myself　and　two　or　three　more　of　the　better　class　being　kept　a
little　in　the　back　ground；　as　a　skillful　general　holds　his　best　troops　in
reserve。

｛couturieres　=　dress　makers；　niaisiries　=　should　read　niaiseries；　French
for　silliness｝

The　customers　were　sisters；　that　was　visible　at　a　glance。　Both　were
pretty；　almost　beautifuland　there　was　an　air　of　simplicity　about　their
dress；　a　quiet　and　unobtrusive　dignity　in　their　manners；　which　at　once
announced　them　to　be　real　ladies。　Even　the　tones　of　their　voices　were
polished；　a　circumstance　that　I　think　one　is　a　little　apt　to　notice　in　New
York。　I　discovered；　in　the　course　of　the　conversation；　that　they　were　the
daughters　of　a　gentleman　of　very　large　estate；　and　belonged　to　the　true
elite　of　the　country。　The　manner　in　which　the　clerks　received　them；
indeed；　proclaimed　this；　for；　though　their　other　claims　might　not　have　so
promptly　extracted　this　homage；　their　known　wealth　would。

Mr。　Bobbinet　attended　these　customers　in　person。　Practiced　in　all　that
portion　of　human　knowledge　which　appertains　to　a　salesman；　he　let　the
sweet　girls　select　two　or　three　dozen　handkerchiefs　of　great　beauty；　but
totally　without　ornament；　and　even　pay　for　them；　before　he　said　a　word
on　the　subject　of　the　claims　of　his　reserved　corps。　When　he　thought　the
proper　moment　had　arrived；　however；　one　of　the　least　decorated　of　our
party　was　offered　to　the　consideration　of　the　young　ladies。　The　sisters
were　named　Anne　and　Maria；　and　I　could　see　by　the　pleasure　that
beamed　in　the　soft　blue　eyes　of　the　former；　that　she　was　quite　enchanted
with　the　beauty　of　the　article　laid　before　her　so　unexpectedly。　I　believe　it
is　in　FEMALE　〃human　nature〃　to　admire　every　thing　that　is　graceful　and
handsome；　and　especially　when　it　takes　the　form　of　needle…work。　The
sweet　girls　praised　handkerchief　after　handkerchief；　until　I　was　laid
before　them；　when　their　pleasure　extracted　exclamations　of　delight。　All
was　done　so　quietly；　however；　and　in　so　lady…like　a　manner；　that　the
attention　of　no　person　in　the　shop　was　drawn　to　them　by　this　natural
indulgence　of　surprise。　Still　I　observed　that　neither　of　the　young　lades
inquired　the　PRICES；　these　being　considerations　that　had　no　influence
on　the　intrinsic　value；　in　their　eyes；　while　the　circumstance　caused　my
heart　to　sink　within　me；　as　it　clearly　proved　they　did　not　intend　to
purchase；　and　I　longed　to　become　the　property　of　the　gentle；　serene…
eyed　Anne。　After　thanking　Mr。　Bobbinet　for　the　trouble　he　had　taken；
they　ordered　their　purchases　sent　home；　and　were　about　to　quit　the
shop。

〃Can't　I　persuade　you　to　take　THIS？〃　demanded　Bobbinet；　as　they
were　turning　away。　There　is　not　its　equal　in　America。　Indeed；　one　of　the
house；　our　Colonel　Silky；　who　has　just　returned　from　Paris；　says　it　was
worked　expressly　for　the　dauphine；　who　was　prevented　from　getting　it
by　the　late　revolution。〃

〃It　IS　a　pity　so　much　lace　and　such　exquisite　work　should　be　put　on　a
pocket…handkerchief；〃　said　Anne