Weekly Trinity journal., 1871-10-28
WEAVERVILLE CALIFORNIA SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2S, 1871
TWO-TEN.


Miss Burdett Coutts, upon whom Queen Vic
toria recently conferred the rank and title of
Baroness, is tall, gaunt angular woman, who
more nearly resembles the traditional and popu-
lar type of the strong-minded female, than any
one of the prominent members of the woman's
wide acquaintance with the leaders of this move
ment on both sides of the Atlantic has convinced
me that scragginess is not characteristic of
the genuine I" woman's rights woman" But in
justice to Miss Coutts, must hasten to say that
her personal resemblance to the typical strong
minded female does not result from any sympa-
thy with the sisterhood. On the contrary, she
chershes for the class the most wholesome aver
sion, and has taken pains publicly to disavow
all participation in their sentiments, aims and
purposes.
Miss Coutts is no longer young, but she has
fancy that juvenile bonnets become her-which
is scarcely necessary to say, mistake on her
part. In short, neither in person nor in dress is
she the attractive woman she would be, if nobil-
ty of soul, hrgeuess of heart, and purity of
character revealed themselves in physical beauty
or were accompanied by an instructive knowl-
edge of the sources of good taste, which, unfor-
tunately, is not often the case.
But where Miss Coutts is well known no one
would ever give thought to the minor or ex-
ternal defects of this truly noble-souled and
generous-hearted woman, the fame of whose lib
eraity is as widespread as the fact that she is
the wealthiest commouer in England.
OF course she is a wel-known and welcome
customer at all the fashionable shops in London
but she is not so familiar habitue of the shops
of Paris During visit to this latter city, not
very long since, she learned the death of dis
tant relative, and she went to purchase mourn.
ming to the shop, the Tros Quarters, large
dry-goods establishment something like, "to
compare great things with small" our own
Stewards.
She asked for mourning dress goods and was
shown by one of the attentive shopmen to the
proper department. "Please show this lady
mourning stuff" he said " Two ten"
Miss Coutts made her selection and then asked
for mourning collars the clerk who had waited
on her accompanied her to the proper counter.
ten" said he, and left her From this depart
ment she went to look for mourning pocket hand
kerchiefs-escorted by the clerk, who passed
her over to his successor with the request,
"Show this lady pocket handkerchiefs--two ten"
AS she had still other articles to buy, she was
escourted from counter to counter, department
to department, and everywhere these cabalstc
words, "two ten" were repeated by one clerk
to another.
Struck by the peculiaity of this refrain, she
asked the proprietor she left the establish
ment, " Pray what does two ten mean | noticed
that each clerk said it to the other in your shop"
ooh it is nothing" he replied, "merely
password that they are in the habit of exchang-
ing"
But Miss Coutts was not satisfied with this ex-
planation. Her woman's curiosity was piqued
a1d she resolved to unravel the riddle. SO in
the evening, when the porter young boy,
brought home her purchases after paying her
bill, she said, My boy, would you like to earn
FIVE francs 2'
Of course he had no objection to do so, and
only wanted to know in what way he could do
it. "TelI me, said the lady, " what does two
ten mean. will give you five francs"
"Why don't you know, ma am p said he evil
IDENTIFY amazed at her ignorance; cit means
keep your two eyes on her ten fingers"
The mystery solved at last. All the clerks
of the Trois Quarters had taken the richest
woman in Great Britain for a shop-lifter
She told her story with great gusto, and one of
her friends, to whom she related it in Paris, re-
peated it to me- Golden Aye.