The Portland daily press., 1879-12-15
A Fable.
The Conversation Dainty Handkerchief
Had with Japanese Fan.
philadelphia Press.l

| philadelphia Press.l
A dainty handkerchief and japanese ian,
| the handkerchief carelessy thrust through the
| fans sticks, were lying on chair.
| "Well," said the handkerchief, chow do you
like this? We have had enough sea air at any
rate, left out all night on this damp piazza. 1t
is outrageous. I look like an old rag"
'It is careless of her," answered the fan. II
| feel rheumatic, and / am sure my sticks ar
| Spoiled
"Spoiled! 1 should think SOL" snapped the
| handkerchief; "all the varnish is coming off
on me. shall never be fit to be seen again, and
1 hate rag-bags."
cit is better than ash-heaps," said the fan,
| drearly; "that is where / will be thrown at
| last. 1t is awful! Such dirty people pick one
| up"
"Well, it is nicer to be picked up by pleas
| ant person. said the handkerchief. "That
| Mr.. Cartwright, now He always picks me up
| so carefully when our lady lets me fall. like
| him."
eyes, Know" said the fan; "but why does
she let us fall so often? I wonder if ladies al
ways jump up without looking what they
have? 1t seems SO. Up they get, down roll
| pick them up. They swear over it, too, some
| times, when they roll far. So a ball of worsted
| told me-"
"Oh ladies never think; it ish't expected"
| said the handkerchief, shortly. 'They are
| supposed to look pretty, that's all! Dress does
| a good deal toward position. Our lady was
very careful about her toilettes for coming here
| She has her handkerchiefs to match every
| dress. She came here to get into Society, you
| know"
"Did she?" said the fan, curiousy. "What
| does that mean?"
| "Well really" answered the handkerchief,
| contemptuously, ''you seem to know very little
| of the world; but 1 suppose quite simple
| minded people live in Japan"
| "Japan,' laughed the fan 81 never saw the
| place Most of us are made in America and
| perfumed. 1t does just as well. Bnt never
mind that. Tell me about society. What
| must one do to get there? Is it a placer"
ga place. laughed the handkerchief in her
turn. 81 should think not, indeed. Society is
| people, Not everybody, but the people,"
'What sort are they" asked the fan
"handsome?"
s'Well, not alwac cs-sometimes.
fClever?"
s'No not always-sometimcs.
"Good people, perhaps?'
81 am afraid not always"
| "Rch?"
"Often, but not always. Our lady is rich
enough, you know. Her father made it In
| glue factory"
| ''Wel, what sort of people is society, them"
"Oh, people of family-the Wallingfords
and the Shusans and the Gottards in our town
they are society. Blood, you know"
don't ha know rR nyRng 0b base seo heard thnt
Mr.. Wallingford's grandfather kept grog-
shop, and that Mr.. Gottards mother made
| flowers for living before she was married.
Is that all society is?"
"You don't understand" said the handker-
chief, Grossly; ''you are rather stupid. You
| can tell society people in minute: they have
| an air. They come into room as If they
| owned everything in it, and SO they do. Plenty
| of people bow down to them"
"Ah! now you begin to talk said the fan.
| ST am not so stupid; you did not tell me prop
| erly before l see now, see now. 1t is push
| which makes society; smiling and bending, but
| pushing along all the same, never mlndlng
| snubs and sliding into place after all. 1 nave
! seen people get through crowds that way 1t is
| the same sort of thing here. smile and by
| YOUR leave here and gruff push there and
| stiff beg pardon another time, but always get
! ting through. Before people know 1t some
| times, there you are in front of them They
almost wonder how you got there. Push, smile,
push, and on you go; ALI ;,
Dear me,' interrupted the handkerchief,
| ''there comes our lady-and with Mr.. Gottard,
| for all the world! How did she get to him?''
tsWhy,'' said the fan, slyly, ''he talked to
| her all last evening, very close, in this very
spot-were you asleep?-why didn't you tell
me he was society,""
! F:It was SO dark murmured the handker-
| chief, rather ashamed. "One can't tell society
people in the dark"
| "Oh, here it is" said bright, fresh yonng
/ voice. 81 am so glad. Dear old fan; I would
| not lose it for the world: now"
Nv
I tard very softly. "It reminds me of one of the
pleasantest evenings I ever spent"
"Oh OIL" whispered the fan to the hand
| kerchief: 'She is in society,"