The Columbus journal., 1911-03-01
EAIS GLRL Friends.
Mark Twain Dearly Loved Chill
dren as PIaymates.
THE ANGEL FISH SOCIETY.

chose young playmateS where they
were 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 faring 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
gorgeous swimmer of those waters. and
he gave to each member an angel fish
pin as 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 ut Redding, Conn.,, Storm
field, had been originally named In
nocence Mt Home, and rs Angel Fish
headquarters Innocence ut 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 rs her patron fish and Of
identifying IL with her name.
1t was in Bermuda one day when he
was walking along the beach with one
of his angel fish members that he pick
cd up n small irideSccnt double shell,
delicately hinged together. He sePa-
rated it and handed his companion half.
You will be going away from me
pretty soon. Margaret" he said. land
growing up. and I won't know YOU
any more. I shall see 4 great many
Margarets. and now and then one OF
them will say she is my Margaret. but
/ will say. no: you resemble my Mar
garct. but you are bigger than my
Margaret. and can't he sure Then
will take out this shell and I will say.
IF you are really my Margaret YOU
will have the other half Of this shell.
and il will fit exactly Then il she
has the shell and il fits ! shall know
that it is really my Margaret. no mat
ter how many years have gone 10y or
how much older she has grown"
Al, this lie said very gravely and
earnestly. and the little girl took the
shell thouGhtfully and promised To
keep 1t always. Next morning when
she came running up To meet him on
the hotel vcranda he looked mt her
qucstioningly.
"You look like Margaret" Inc said.
"but I can't I've sure. If YOU are really
my Margaret you will have q shell ]
gave her Once-the mate to this one
He got no further. The talisman was
promptly produced, and it fitted OK
actly. He returned to America. and
somewhat later Margaret received a
Ietter-one of the pretty letters he was
always writing to children. In II he
said:
/ am always making mistakes. When
] was in New York six weeks ago I was
on Il corner of Fifth avenue and saw a
small girl-not a big one-Start across
from the opposite corner. and ! eXclaim-
cd to myself joyfully, THAT is certainly
my Margaret" SO I rushed to meet her.
But as she came nearer I began to doubt
and said to myself. Its Margaret. that
is plain enough. but I'm half afraid it Is
somebody else's." So when I passed her
I held my shell SO she couldn't help but
see il. Dear. she only glanced at II and
passed on. wondered IL she could have
overlooked il. 1t seemed best to find out.
SO 1 turned and followed and caught up
with her and said deferentially. Dear
miss, already know your first name by
tie look Of you. but would YOU mind
telling me your other one?'' She was
veXed and said, pretty sharply: Its
Douglas. il you're SO anxious to know. I
know your name by your LOOKS. and I'd
advise you to shut yourself up with pen
and ink and write some more rubbish
am surprised that they allow you to run
ut large. You are likely to get run over
now and don't let the COWS bite you
What an idea. There aren't any cows
On Fifth avenue. But I didn't smile.
6idn't let on TO perceive how uncultured
she was. She was from the country. Of
course. and didn't know what n comical
blunder she was making.
Margaret. with her mother. called
when they returned TO America. When
the cards were brought to him he look
cd mt hers and said:
"Well. the young lady. her name
seems familiar. but ] can't be sure it's
my Margaret without a certain token
which she is supposed to carry as Il
proof" The shell came up without
delay. He took the two halves now to
4 jewcler and had them set in gold as
charms. One OF these Margaret wore
on ribbon about her neck. and the
other he linked to his watch chain,
where it remained till he died. What
a sweet fancy il all was.
He spent the last months OF his life
in Bermuda in the home of one Of his
angel fish. Helen Allen. daughter Of
the American vice consul there. She
was his daily companion. and it will
be her lifelong happy memory that
she frightened and comfortesl his final
days.-Albert Bigelow Paine in Ladies'
World.