Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-11-30
From a London paper.]
THE HANDKERCHIEF.
serhat handke rchief
Did an Egyptian to my mother give.

HE HANOhENNH
srrhat handke rchief
Did an Egyptian to my mother Sive
Seldom since the days of Othelo has SO much
warmth and vehemence Of debate, taken place
on the subject Of handkerchief as we yester-
day witnessed, when we dropped in to pass
pleasing half hour at the Marlborough-street
office.
There safe that worthy magistrate, MI. Co
nant, who has so heroically borne al:sthe pelt-
ing Of the pitiless storm Of the Morning Chron-
icle---he safe displayed under all the storms OF
the press. having to perform the difficult, not
to say impossible, task of administering justice
between two suitors Of that gentle sex, OF whom
it has SO sweelly been sung
Men have many faults, poor women have but two,
There's nothing wise they say nothing right they do
If the fair DANES would but have employed coun-
self they had only spoken with the tongue
as an Adolphus or Philips, the task Of eeci-
sion might have been easy. But no! they would
both employ their own sweet voices, which I'M
fortunately were not
More tunabe than lark to shepherds ear.
Neither did they keep time and tune with
each other, or respond in that way that the
muses. love-amant alterna camGna. They
both spoke at once, each in different key, and
neither had quite SO much of the piano as the
forte in her style of performance. Add 10 this,
one was genuine blossom Of CockneylaHd, and
the other was from La Belle France The En-
glish girl had all The energy youth, the Gallo
dame the praetced volubility of fifty years; and
each harrangaed in her native dialect.
She of the roses and dimples had been court
ing the pleasant breezes in promenade down
Regent-street, thinking probably much more OF
the ogles and chances that were cast at her, than
of the cambria handkerchief which her faithless
ridicule but i'll retained; when, on sudden she
perceived that this necessary adjunc, TO female
dress was missing. "Bless me!' she cried
loud "what can have become of my handker-
chief? where is my handkerchief? have lost my
handkerchief" Attracted by her piteous la.
ment, worthy gentleman came up TO her with
a consolatory smile, 81 have picked up hand
kerchief, madam" said he" A white one, sr?''
ayes, madam "Pray give it me- 81 have
given it, madam" said he, "to that lady, point
ing to a little Frenchwoman who was walking
nimbly away with her prize.
Miss - 1--WE did not catch her name) tripp-
ed after Madame, and accosting her-perhaps
not in the poltest of phrases-demanded resti-
tuition of her goods and cha,tles. The French
woman understood enough of English Jurispiu-
dence 10 know "that possession is nine points
Of the law The claimant proffered shilling
for the stray cambria; the holder would not part
with it for less than two shillings. At length,
finding nothing could be done in the way OF
compromise, the English lass gave the French
woman in charge, and so the matter was bro't
to issue before his worship.
The defendants as we have said, pleaded her
cause in French, the only language, by The bye,
known to our bar for several centuries.) We
confess with shame that, from her rapid utter.
ance. and our defective hearing, we could not
make out above one word in three that she Ut
tered; bat we collected that size stood on various
points of law-she was bona tide possessor-
she received the chattel by donallon-she veri-
ly believed il was her own originally-she had
lost Just such an one. Hitherto she had kept
The handkerchief fast in her hand. The magls-
trate, however, thought 1t would be but lar IN
her to show it TO the complainant. Madame's
cautionhere iorsock her, and she handed 1t over
TO her adversary, who with most provoking
GOODNESS, rolled it up and put II into her reti-
cule.
And now we really feared for the dignity of
the police Office. The little French woman's
eyes flashed FIRE, she calculated (not blessings
we believe,) on her antagonist, and would have
rushed upon her with the fury OF a Thalestris,
had no Pais interposed in the shape OF one OF
the officers, S, restrained her hands, though ne
could not impose silence Oh her tongue.
His worship, after due apprehension OF this
violence, kindly suggested an amicable arrange
ment. ~He asked the plaintiff, who had origl-
nally offered shilling, whether she was still
willing to pay that sum. Yes, said she, though
really don't think ms worth three-pence. In
that case, said a stander by, you had better give
Madame FRANCHISE, here, the handkerchief than
the shilling. The damsel seemed struck with
the originality Of this idea, and suddenly hand