The Washington times., 1904-12-25
STORIES ABOUT
HANDKERCHIEES
Figure Largely in History
and Fiction.
BELIEVED TO BE AMULETs
Factors in Tragedy or in Farce-cou-
riers TO Obey the Behests
of Love.
BELIEVED TO BE AMULETs

THE grossest az:d the most Sefica+e
| the simplest and the most COM
plex, organisms bear testimony to
the truth Of eroiution. wr,tes
s1tciia Cooke IN the -Boston -
/ script The souI-stirrins barnonv -
beethoven IS evolved thro,Ifrb az.
/ scrapins OF catgut; a reed With To-
| stops reveals TO rs the mind Of ~.
master OF melody, Mozart, and inet-,,-
nents wrought through yarior,s r,ro-
| cesses rom rudest material acn,Iai,,.
Us with tae genius of q Bach o. ;.
wagner. In each Instance the rae,.i, -
the evolution Is nusic-syeef f5f,ri,,,
ana lnspiri,gl Through what n,,,1+s,
!oFIn processes did the Mind ef 49,
iaoer TO achieve the watch. Ana 50
Ihheugh natural selection and fhe s,,--
VIVat OF the dttest was evolved tbo
handkerchief,
transparent fabric, now 81, nsress -, s. ~ -.
d iaoys toilette, was not ALWAYS -e,,,ss,
Conspicuous feature of fun dress
not n1,4eso, 90 ~ mere were times, and times
tt .lol 50 remote as we may imagine. wilen
the Saxon called il q ..sBzaf-eIorI,,s -
wore It at the left SIDE. .sNose-elr1bs1
Il was called by generations not so far
from Us as was the Saxon and ths,- -
was seduiously kept eut Of sight I'D.
cefi away IN pockets or under pinafores
instead OF reclining gracefully in nv
lauE zap. or as gracefully retained
NltEln her slender, jeweled Ringers No
doubl necessity was the psoliflsz .,,,5ti,,.r-
VINO first gave existence TO this sr,,asa
OF nnen, lace or muslin Plain ard IIn-
signify IN its infancy IL is not unlike
other awkward and ili-favoref1 cIlsIdren-
VINO develop grace and comeiiaess with
aoyancing years and become as remark
aDie Ior beauty as they were FOR ugIi-
A
ana quality II nac9. ally entered tie Do
main OF romance and superylitfor
Long before the niaddeaed O.helig
in so loud strain
Roared for the handkerchief that cans
ed his pain,
this little article of Gress ha6. bccsrI,e a
thing with which 10 charm and fas-
oinate, q sort OF amulet carrying IN it's
Sor- II was an Egyptian charEler who
gave 10 OtheIIo's mother the rne-nor-
able handkerchief, which at last brought
death TO the gentle DeSdemoaa and
through the pages Of history II nas had
a strange way OF aSsoeiaIing itScH with
the fate Of men anu women apd beconl-
ing one Of the dramatis personae OF a
tragedy, or perhaps a farce
a Courier of Love.
1t was the bloody Napkin, as the
handkerchief has been sometimes
named, which the faithful Orlando sent
TO Rosalfnd; and It has always proven
the fairest messenger, or the heetest
courier which ever obeyed the behests
of love. Horace Walpole, in his famous
letters, speaks OF a gentleman who was
in such a strait that he could hold no
communication OF ordinary character
with his lady love. and so he let fly his
handkerchief at the fair ones feet, in
token of his entire and unconditional
the dutiful handkerchief, so faithfully
manipulated by the indefatigable Sister
Annette huttering signal from the
towers summit, urging the speed OF the
brothers who were to rescue the wife
of Biuebeard? Lesbia. the love OF
Drummond OF Hawthorneden, embroid-
erS a beautiful handkerchief for the
enamored poet, which he consecrates in
his verse, and keeps ever after as a
memorial Of her whose lfethought went
out all too soon. Anne Boleyn's hand
kerchief proved as fatal TO her happi-
ness as did DeSdemoEa'S TO her conjugai
bliss At a tournament in which yari-
Gus knights were contending. she drop
ped it by accident from the balcony
where she was seated Henry Norris.
heated and excited by the part he had
played in the joust, picked IL up and
wiped his face with IL, after which act
he placed 1t upon the end OF his lance
and returned il TO her majesty. At sight
OF this incident Henry VII became so
lDIUTlaIc1, says MISS SlI1CAlallC- L4dL
he abruptly retired from the scene and
ordered the arrest Of Norris and the
queen
The girl who seeks to protect her
aSSaSSin-an incident in7mortaIzed by
Milais-but added another instance TO
the long list which has made the hand
kerehief a factor in the history OF love
and tragedy HandkeTchIefS are always
on the witness stand. and true or false.
are greatly given to telling tales both
CHIEFS testimony which the Due de
Csuise accepted as sufficient evidence
against his unfortunate duchess, and in
the play entitled Conspiracy of Ven
ice F'iesco's suspicion OF CaIagno is
based upon no other evidence than the
circumstance OF his having discovered
room which Calagno had just Quilted,
Calderon and Lope de Vega have both
paid their tributes to the handkerC bfef-
the former poet calling it
An astrologic favor-fataI prize
That told too true what tears did i'll her
eyes
And Byron emphasizes the fact thu the
people OF the East associated the hand-
kehchief so intimately with destiny, and
believed it to be endowed with such
potency for good or i'll. that they gave
Shakespeare dnbounded praise for max
ing the fate of Othello and Desdenena
turn upon an incident connected with
the talismanic handkerchief. The we'll
chief the sudariun-handkerch or
Veil-haS not only an Irresistible faSci-
nation of its own, connected as II IS
with the greatest ira Asedy OF the werlds
but was so tievoutly loved and cherished
by that seer of poets. Dante. that he
crystaIiZed il into his Paradise with
such exquisiteness Of language and
reverence of feeling that one can hardly
read it with dry eyes
In the Days of Queen Bess.
Stow tells rs that in the days of good
Queen Bess, handherchiefs were in high
favor as love tokens and messengers be-
tween parted lovers. and that 1t was
customary for gentlemen TO present TO
their lady-loves little handkerchiefs
three or four inches square. eTnbroid-
cred, with button and tassel ar each
corner. and when these dainty gifts were
bestowed upon gentlemen. the happy re-
cipients wore them il their hats with