autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第21章

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down　on　such　subjects。　I　suppose　your　Pa　makes　you　study　political
economy；　my　dear？〃

〃Indeed　he　does　not。　I　hardly　know　what　it　means。〃

〃Well；　that　is　singular；　for　Pa　says；　in　this　age　of　the　world；　it　is　the　only
way　to　be　rich。　Now；　it　is　by　means　of　a　trade　in　lots；　and　political
economy；　generally；　that　he　has　succeeded　so　wonderfully；　for；　to　own
the　truth　to　you；　Clara；　Pa　hasn't　always　been　rich。〃

〃No？〃　answered　Clara；　with　a　half…suppressed　smile；　she　knowing　the
fact　already　perfectly　well。

〃Oh；　nofar　from　itbut　we　don't　speak　of　this　publicly；　it　being　a　sort
of　disgrace　in　New　York；　you　know；　not　to　be　thought　worth　at　least
half　a　million。　I　dare　say　your　Pa　is　worth　as　much　as　that？〃

〃I　have　not　the　least　idea　he　is　worth　a　fourth　of　it；　though　I　do　not
pretend　to　know。　To　me　half　a　million　of　dollars　seems　a　great　deal　of
money；　and　I　know　my　father　considers　himself　poorpoor；　at　least；　for
one　of　his　station。　But　what　were　you　about　to　say　of　political
economy？　I　am　curious　to　hear　how　THAT　can　have　any　thing　to　do
with　your　handkerchief。〃

〃Why；　my　dear；　in　this　manner。　You　know　a　distribution　of　labor　is　the
source　of　all　civilizationthat　trade　is　an　exchange　of　equivalentsthat
custom…houses　fetter　these　equivalentsthat　nothing　which　is　fettered　is
free〃

〃My　dear　Eudosia；　what　IS　your　tongue　running　on？〃

〃You　will　not　deny；　Clara；　that　any　thing　which　is　fettered　is　not　free？
And　that　freedom　is　the　greatest　blessing　of　this　happy　country；　and　that
trade　ought　to　be　as　free　as　any　thing　else？〃

All　this　was　gibberish　to　Clara　Caverly；　who　understood　the　phrases；
notwithstanding；　quite　as　well　as　the　friend　who　was　using　them。　Political
economy　is　especially　a　science　of　terms；　and　free　trade；　as　a　branch　of
it　is　called；　is　just　the　portion　of　it　which　is　indebted　to　them　the　most。
But　Clara　had　not　patience　to　hear　any　more　of　the　unintelligible　jargon
which　has　got　possession　of　the　world　to…day；　much　as　Mr。　Pitt's
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　exc