Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-03-05
The Bouquet Tax.

When sweet simplicity, at the peach bloomy
and irresponsible age OF eighteen or there
abouts, first begins to see that portion OF the
world which lives and moves and has its being
In receptions, afternoon teas. lunch parties,
dinner parties, dances and balls her fresh little
heart beats quickly and happily. It is 80
pleasant at last to be- not an On-lOoker, but
real part CT the world to eat Of the fat and
drink or the sweet no longer covertly and sur
rept1Tl0usy. nor In condition OF warmed over
ness, but ID the proud estate of one who Is
oidcen a. guest; to take part In very truta In
the 'WIldering delights OF ball instead OF
gazing at It's joys ongingly from afar off on the
back stairs, and, GROWING bliss, actually to be
taken into supper on the arm OF trim, square
shoudered, straight-lImbed lad OF one or two
and-tWeDty, on whose well cut upper lip
bairy nothing hints that In time he viii be q
bearded man. For awhile sac Is dazzled by
this sudden burst OF splendOr and is satisfied
TO float along In unqueStionng felicity taking
happily the happiness which comes to her and
troubled only by the dread that of sudden
she may wake and find 1t all dream.
But the days OF innocency are short and few;
and SO, presently, sweet simplicity begins to
cut her eye teeth upon the shams and f0llies OF
the W0rld-and then, in little while. those
who knew her as sweet simplicity know her as
such no more. II Is at this stage OF proceed
lngs, her eye teeth being well developed, that
she begins to levy iHposts upon mankind; and
among these by far the most onerous is that
when IS payable In bouquets. In her sweet
and simple days she has been made happy for
week at time by having from some espccl-
ally devoted young fellow present OF q bdnch
OF Ilo"ers-1reely given and accepted with a
sby hesitation that has graced but not hidden
her gladness az being singled out to receive so
pretty favor. But with her access to worldly
WISDOM she has bravely got over all such
tlmorouS grateful ways. Bouquets are no
longer accepted as favorS; they are demanded
as rights-impeTat1veIy, and, so to speak, at
Tie point OF the sword. Nor IS this demind
otheT taxes. the bouquet tax IS
regularly assessed and Is compulsorily
payable under definite conditions The man
VINO Is invited to box party must pay his foot.
ing with at least ten dollars worth OF bounuet:
german costs as much--while the ASSEMBLY
tC skip at once 10 the most appalllngly extern.
slVe form Ia which the tax IS levied, may be
mace 10 cost almost anything, since mailns
as well as maids expect tribute from all rnair
faithful followers ana make their entry fairly
hiduen beneath mountainous aggregation OF
MOVERS obviously, this tax Is to most men a
staggering imposition, and In leYying it lovely
woman is straiDtng dangerously her power: Il
afouSlng In crushed mani )od that Spirit of "a.
slstance against unjust taxation that hun
ofed years ago set America in blaze and that
eliminated in the loss TO England of her fair
western empire. A manly revolt against Wo
manly oppression would be a sad 10 alter, blJ
In this tempPStu0uS year-When all the nlanefs
are approaching their perihelions AMI asfr0in-
gers are sounding lOut warning against the
near coming OF evil tim3S-tt would be any.
thing but an impO55ibltty.
Doubtless the feeling that Drornpts tho levy.
log OF The bouquet tax is much tue same as that
which leads the North American savage 20 take
scaips-the desire to parade publicly tangible
proofs OF personal power: but alas Tor the sweet
ness and simplicity forever gone ere this feeling
enters into and possesses the GaX-gathers heart!
her added years have brought her experiences:
having become apart or IL she has grown learned
Ia me Word 5 WayS-but the loss OF innocency
Is ever the price OF knowledge, and her peach
gloomy freshness is among the things that
were. The heart and the cheek OF sweet sim
pilclty nave grown hard together and she has
settled down into That cool, ungracous being, @