The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1859-01-12
A SOCIAL SKETCH.

heauer, constant or lnconStant, oil
course you know the Toothpickers. One
meets them at every evening party that one
goes TO. In fact, no evening party would be
thought complete without them. One is
sure 10 find herd of them in the doorway
OF the drawing room, and straggler or two
is always 10 be seen upon the Staircase
They derive their name of Toolhpicker from
the sort of after.dinner toothpick air there
is about them. They come generally in
couples, and come rather late, with the lazy
aller look. of men who have just been dining
So long as the pick.chewng mania
continued the Toolhpckers were always
seen TO be afflicted with it, and nothing but
the fear OF being placed in Bedlam prevents
them, even now, from giving vent 10 the
insanity. Evening party-goers never need
look far 10 find a Toothpicker. One cannot
escape seeing them, for they are always in
the way. One can neither leave the room
nor enter ii without tussle TO get past them.
If your partner wants an ice, you have 10
squeeze through them 10 get it. And then
they jam up close again the instant you've
gone through, as though they were all hung
on hinges and had doorsprings in their back
bones. The Toothpickers belong to the
family of Wallfowers; but there are be-
tween them some marked points of differ.
ence, In the first place, they are only found
in The male SEX AS far as we can learn, no
one ever yet has seen female Toothpick-
er. If ever one existed it may now be clss.
sified among the extinct animals. Again,
unlike the Wallfowers, the Toothpickers
| are seldom TO be found inside the drawing
room. They frequent the ice.room and the
staircase, and the landings; but the walls
of the drawing-room are generally free from
them. The doorposts are, however, their
favore place of resting. 1t is always there
the Toothpickers do mostly congregate.-
They are not shy animals; but they like to
keep together, and don't care TO associate
with other than their species. They avoid
locomolion, and seldom take much exercise;
but it must not be inferred that they are
weak or muscIeless. The way in which
they stand about the doorway the whole
evening is a satisfying proof that they have
no mean crural powers, and that their dorsal
muscles are prodigiously developed is
shown by the tenacity with which they
nightly in the season stick their backs against
the doorposts. They adhere to place as
firmly as Government official; and, like
the Wings, if you displace them, They are
certain TO come back. A cry of Supper p;
generally induces them 10 move, but have
known herd of Toothpickers refuse TO be
disturbed by it.
Although they condescend occasionally
10 stalk through quadrille, it may be laid
down as rule that the Toothpickers don't
dance. recollect once asking one the rea-
son why he didn't; and he graciously iu.
formed me he thought dawncing a gweat
baw-for it made one feel so-aw-stcky,
and it--aw--disawange one's waistcoat.' u
In general, the Toothpickers are not very
communicative. Two words in ten min.
utes seems about the pace at which their
conversation travels. After supper, certain
ly, thanks to their libaiions of pale ale and
champagne, they generally contrive to spar
kle up bit. But till they get the liquids
they are generally mutes. Mutes, too, they
are really, in more senses than one; for
they look. in their white chokers and ex-
pressionless fixed features, much more fiji
| 10 be on duty on the doorstep at a funeral