Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1911-02-14
Ills GIRL FRIENDS.
Mark Twain Dearly Loved Chill
dren as PIaymateS.
THE ANGEL FISH SOCIETY.

4 Delightful and Touching Story About
Little Margaret, One of Its Members,
and the Genial Humorist-A Pretty
Compact and Quaint Letter.
Like many another great man. Mark
Twain was fond Of children. He never
cutgrew childhood. and he always
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 a
gorgeous swimmer of those waters, and
he gave to each member an angel fish
pin as a society badge. 1t was 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 uome, and as Angel Fish
headquarters Innocence at Home II
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 BIZ
was walking along the beach with one
of his angel fish members that he pick
ed up q small iridescent 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. "ant
growing up. and ] won't know yor
any more. shall see a great many
Margarets. and now and then one Of
them will say she is my Margaret, bu
! will say, No; you resemble my Mar
garet, but you are bigger than my
Margaret, and I can't be sure Then
will take out this shell and will say
IF you are really my Margaret yor
will have the other half Of this shell
and 1t will fit exactly Then IL she
has the shell and it fits | shall know
that 1t is really my Margaret, no mat
ter how many years have gone by Of
how much older she has grown"
All this he said very grayely and
earnestly. and the little girl took thu
shell thoughtfully and promised t.
keep it always. Next morning wher
sba came runpino nm m moot him or
~. ta.a1 a. r. ,oo,-oa =. to,
Tue notei Neia1ua nc iooAeu a. ne
questioningly.
You look like Margaret" he said
"but | can't be sure If you are really
my Margaret you win have shell
gave her once-the mate to this one
He got no further. The taIisman wa,
,,,o,,,,1.,,. aroa,,ooa ona I. f+to5 ov
Piopi! W - -
actly. lie returned 10 America ant
somewhat later Margaret received /,
lattar-ona of tho nrettv letters no va,
L.ys. .. 4,
said:
am always making mistakes. Wher
I was in New York six weeks ago I wa
on corner of Fifth avenue and saw {
smaI giri-no. pig ohe-s'ar. aefos'
! cd 70 nvseIf iovfuIIv "rhat Is certainl,
my Margaret" so I rushed to meet her
But as she came nearer ] began to doub
aiiu salu - ny ~. .1si 1s :.
somebody eIse's" So when ! nassed he
held my shell so she couldn't help bu
see IT; Dear. she only glanced al II am
paes s, on !, " :, d 81. :. 4 sr,a 10 az,
so / turned and followed and caught vi
with her and said deferentially. 'Dea
miss, l ALREADY Know your nsst name ..
tesl,nr mo vo1r other one. She wa
vexed and said. pretty sharply: ut
Douglas. II you're SO anxious to know.
aUm ,, 20 sn,,t yo,rsa,t ~, With no,
and ink and write some more rubbish.
am surprised that they allow you to rui
az iarge. iou are nneiy 70 get run ose
now and don't let the cows bite you"
What an idea! There aren't any COW
on Fifth avenue. But didn't smile.