Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-16
WHAT THE BUTTONS SAID.
SEVENTY OF THEA IN A BAG AND PIE QUAINT
REMARKS OVERHEARD FROM THEM.

Buttons are proverbialIy bright. There are
about seventy OF US in this calico bag and
hardly dull one in the collection. Rubbing
against ones fellows in this world makes one
show at ones best, and to hear the merry chink
when we move around you would think that
We were made of money. Yet not silver nor
even gold is so useful as we. True, one or two
OF us have lost their shanks, and having thus
ceased to be valuable will soon be relocated to
a forgotten limbo alasr'
It was a big brass Button that spoke. He
was getting just trife furnished and was ac-
customed to say that he ionged for the military
life for which he had been intended. Although
an extra one and left over from the making of
an army uniform he felt sure of being called
into active service after a while, when ne would
be polished at regular intervals with brush
and powder.
Nice Buttons do not have sbanks; propriety
ierbids it, !" said large mother-of- pearl Button
TO half dozen little ones speaking at the rude
soldier Button. Where was brought ND, my
dears-from the depths of the sea-such things
were never spoken of. As the mother of real
pearls have been obliged to consider the pro-
prieties, in order that their purity might not
be sulied by contact with indelicacy of any
sort. In the oyster family we"
Rats ~ interrupted a vulgar suspender But
ton, coarsely IF you belong to the oyster
y, Il madam
familiar saying has it, worth makes the button:
the want Of it,. ct cetera. i am not pretty but
In value l AM rated high. Do no. sustain
the parts, which but for me would droop and
bag at the knees? What would become of the
male of the human species without me? He
could not appear with confidence in polite soci-
ety."
"A belt would afford substitute" said
porcelain collar Button. ''On the other hand
! am indispensable. When tho sowing which
fastened me to the collar band of q shirt came
undone the circumstance occasiOned q row in
the family. l rolled under the bureau and hid
myself, just for mischief. beneath the edge Of
the carpet, SO that l could not be found. 1t
was immense fun. Months afterward l was
discovered and put into the bag"
Il was once part Of horse and should be
very sorry to DO relocated to the stud"
chuckled a bone Button. I've always heard
that collar Button was the most deviish
thing in the world. On one occasion heard
church deacon deliver forcible sermon Oh
the subject, because he had lost his and been
late at service on that account That was the
time when he found me in the collection plate
Hey. Celluloid?"
I'm not BUTTON" replied the individual
addressed. haushtilv. I'm a Poker Chip.
Once was employed at a gambling house and
was worth whole dollar. l saw a great deal
OF life then and was passed from hand to hand
being always regarded with appreciation. but
the proprietor of the establishment valued me
so highly that he invariably bought me back,
If was on the table. at the end OF each game
One night. however, pleasant gentleman,
who had lost nearly all his money, purchased
me with nine others for his last SO bill There
were red and white chips on the table Also
which were worth only rs and cents You
will observe that my color is blue. though am
little faded. He put us in his pocket and
lost the other nine. then he stopped playing.
hid IN corner of the pocket and he did not
lind ME until the next morning.
That day he had nothing to eat. for he had
no money except myself. and. though worth a
dollar, was only negotiable at the poker table
SO in the evening he went back to the gambling
house, put me up as ante, won and won again,
until finally he had n big stack of other blue
chips on the table. But me lie put back into
his pocket saying that was lucky BY and bv
there was great excitement and heard bet
ting going or for long time Then the cards
were laid down and my owner had a straight
f1ush-two. three, four. five and SIX of hearts
while two Of his opponents had each four OF
kind.
II never heard such swearing as there was
then" added the Poker Chip ..The pleasant
gentleman got money for all his chips. except
me, and went to a restaurant for a square meal
After he got home he counted up his money
and found that he had nearly S40O. He said he
was going to carry me in his pocket always and
he did so until, soon after. he married IA rich
young woman. She came across me and, TAX
ing me Tor button. put me into this wretched
calico bag. 1t is a sad fate for one who has
played an exciting and useful part in the world"