The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1911-03-10
HIS Girl FRIENDS.
Mark Twain Dearly Loved Chill
dren as PiaymateS.
THE ANGEL FISH SOCIETY.
a Delightful and Touching Story About
Little Margaret, One of Its Members,
and the Genial Humorist-A Pretty
Compact and a Quaint Letter.

Compact and Quaint Letter.
Like many another great man. Mark
Twain was fond of children. He never
Outgrew childhood, and he always
chose young playmateS where they
we're to be found. He formed curious
societies of these girl friends. Back
in the nineties, when he was living in
Europe, he created club which was
to consist Of one (only one, girl in each
country Of the globe, the duty OF said
member being to write occasionally to
the chief officer, who faithfully replied
to these random and far faTing mes
sages. Of course these little girls were
swept into womanhOod presently, but
even to the last years of his life the
member who signed herself France
remained faithful to the law.
Another club of girls, little girls, be-
came one of the chief interests during
his final years. 1t had its beginning
in Bermuda during one Of his frequent
visits to those happy islands. 1t was
called the Angel Fish club, after n
gorgeous swimmer of those waters, and
he gave to each member an angel fish
pin as q society badge. 1t was n sue
ceSsful club, and on his return to
America he elected other members,
enough to make twelve in all.
His home at Redding, Conn. Storm
field. had been originally named In
nocence at Home. and as Angel Fish
headquarters Innocence at Home it
always remained. Members with their
parents visited him there, and the bill
lard room, where the fishes were
likely to spend most Of their time
knocking the balls about. under the
chief members instruction, was called
! the Aquarium, and gay prints of
many Bermuda fishes were hung along
| the walls to carry out the idea. Each
member had the privilege Of selecting
| one of these as her patron fish and of
identifying it with her name.
| 1t was in Bermuda one day when he
| was walking along the beach with one
/ of his angel fish members that lie pick
: cd up Il small iridesccnt double shell,
| delicatcly hinged together. He Scpa-
! rated il and handed his companion half
You will be going away from me
pretty soon. Margaret" he said, "and
growing up, and l won't know you
any more: I shall see a great many
Margarets, and now and then one OF
| them will say she is my Margaret. but
] will say. no; you resemble my Mar
-aret. but you are bigger than my
Margaret. and 7 can't be sure Then
/ will take out this shell and / will say
If you are really my Margaret you
| will have the other half of this shell
and it will fit exactly Then if she
has the shell and it fits l shall know
, that it is really my Margaret. no mat
ter how many years have gone Ivy OF
how much older she has grown"
All this he said very gravely and
earnestly. and the little girl took the
shell thoughtfully and promised tC
keep it always. Next morning wher
she came running up 10 meet him oil
the hotel veranda he looked ut hel
Questioningly.
You loOi: like Margaret" lie said
"but can't be sure. If you are really
my Margaret you will have Z shell
gave her oncc-thc mate 10 this one
He got no further The ta..sroan wa
promptly produced. and it fitted eX
actly. He returned to America, an(
somewhat later Margaret received ;
letter-one of the pretty letters he wa
always writing to children. In it b,
said:
/ am always making mistakes. Whel
] was in New York six weeks ago I wa
on corner OF Fifth avenue and saw 4;
small girl-not a big one-start acros!
from the opposite corner and exclaim
ed 10 myself joyfully. THAT is certainl,
my Margaret" so l rushed to meet her
But as she came nearer L began to doub
! and said TO myself, IT'S a Margaret. tina
is plain enough. but I'm half afraid 1t 4
somebody ese's." So when l passed he
/ held my she'll so she couldn't help blu
see it, Dear, she only glanced at it anC
passed on. I wondered if she could hav,
overlooked it. 1t seemed best to find out
so j turned and followed and caught VI
with her and said deferentially, "Dea
miss, i already know your first name b!
the look of you, but would YOU minc
telling me your other one?" She wa
veXed and said, pretty sharply: 1T
Douglas. if you're so anxious to know.
know your name by your looks, and IL
advise you TO shut yourself Up with pei
and ink and write some more rubbish.
am surprised that they allow you to ruI
at large. You are likely to get run owe
by baby carriage any time. Run alon;
now and don't let the COWS bite you"
What an idea, There aren't any COW
on Fifth avenue. But l didn't smile.
didn't let on to perceive how unculturet
she was. She was from the country, o
course, and didn't know what comica
blunder she was making.
Margaret. with her mother. calle'
when they returned to America. Whel
the cards were brought to him he look
ed at hers and said:
We'll, the young lady. her nam
; seems familiar, but i can't be sure it
my Margaret without q certain tOkel
which she is supposed to carry as
proof" The shell came up withou
delay. He took the two halves now t
: a jeweler ard had them set in gold a
: charms. One of these Margaret wor
: on ribbon about her neck, and tn
other he linked to his watch chain
where it remained till he died. VIVA