The Monroe journal. [volume] (Monroe, N.C.) 189?-1965, 1910-09-06
ALabor Day
Feast
How . Laboref Tested His Social
Position.
By r. A. MICHEL
Copyright. 1870 by American Press
Association.
By r. A. MICHEL


TO be admitted. l have never known
30 many diverse views about any one.
Some complained that he dressed Ike
tinker instead Of a gentleman; Others
complained that when he did put on
fine clothes they were foppish. Some
of the young men thought him clever.
Most Of the girls considered him a
fool.
Notwithstanding that he was gen.
orally disapproved by the girls. no one
Of them would take TIE responsibility
OF sighting him. Miss Arietta Price. IL
is true. was very cool TO him. but Miss
Price had said openly among her girl
friends that she proposed TO be some
body" in the social world and to do
that she must marry rich man. Miss
Dora Laraway. who was perhaps the
most independent among the girls,
took up Mr.. Nebbins, but II was said
that she did so because she liked TO
be contrary. I mention these two girls
because they represent the two ex-
tremes.
Just as Nebbins was acquiring So
cial foothold along comes Tom Kir-
shaw, who the year before had left
l. to go into business in the city,
and says that be had seen Mr.. Neb-
bins working in overalls In large
manufacturing concern. A halt was at
once called. and many were Of the
opinion that no more invitations
should be extended to the workman
until more was learned about him.
Miss Price the next time she met him
cut him. Miss Laraway. with her usual
contrariness, was more gracious TO him
than ever The rest of us were d.
vided. The situation was rather an
noying, because Nebbins had been re-
ceived within our circle, and. once ad-
mitted. ii was not easy to Gust him.
Ed Clifford. one of our number, who
prided himself on going straight at
things, asked Bob II 1t was true that
he had been a workingman. Nebbins
admitted that it was. Clifford attempt
cd to follow the matter up with other
questions, but Nebbins admonished
him to mind his own business.
Common sense prevailed. Those who
declined to turn cold shoulder TO
Nebbins because he had been greasy
mechanic carried the day, and. al
though he was not especially welcome
among us after this, he was at least
tolerated We wondered what he lived
on. He had come among US at the be-
ginning of the summer. and 1t was
expected that he would leave early In
the autumn. Probably the fact that
his stay among US was temporary con-
trlbuted to our willingness 10 treat
him considerably while he remained.
Notwithstanding the disadvantages
under which Nebbins labored. he grad
ually made friends. don't mean that
he was in any way a popular man.
even with those with whom he became
most intimate. After 1t became known
that he had been workman this
fancy of his for putting on mean
clothes seemed TO be explained. In
other words. he was an instance OF a
workingman trying to be Il gentleman
and only half succeeding, or, rather.
now and then suffering relapse.
We young men found Nebbins much
more endurable-not to say attractive
than the girls. There were a few
girls who, like Miss Price, made no
scruple of turning the cold shoulder to
him: there were those who neither
avoided nor sought him and few who
In a spirit Of kindness treated him
cordially. Miss Laraway alone posi-
lively favored him. But Miss Laraway
had laid out for herself life Of work
and had accepted position as teacher
to enter upon her duties the following
autumn. on this account probably she
had less influence with us In social
point of view than any of the girls.
Indeed, Dora's social position was not
fixed among us. Some of the girls,
though they worked with her In
church duties and were familiar with
her at such times, forbore to invite her
to their homes She was as refined as
they and more intelligent than most OF
them. Indeed, there was no difference
between her and them. ut least none
that was not to her advantage, except
that when her parents had first come
to L. they had neither been inclined to
enter society" nor had they the means
to enable them to do so. Indeed, Dora
had been taken up by a few Of those
"in the swim for herself alone. and
she did not seem TO care whether the
others accepted her or not.
Miss Price was the girl whom all
her associates looked up to as one
bound to achieve prominence. She was
really marked for a star career.
Affable to all, she knew how to draw
distinction between those Of her set
and others, Just as a gentleman knows
how to be on easy terms with bis
coachman without permitting that
coachman to become familiar with
him. She recognized certain kind Of
merit in Dora Laraway and undertook
to patronize her, but Dora showed no
appreciation of her kindness, and 1t
was withdrawn. Some of US thought