Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-02
THE BLUEBOTTLE DIVIDENDS

,Au an old woman, and the children
of today appal me. why are they not
content TO be merely the ladies' and gem
,or,op, their forcbears were? The unrest
,,s D., bs growing. 80 to call on my
olo friend Maria Washburn, and ma her
veeping softly because her son has sat AT
table with an anarchist aliSht from my
carriage at n crowded corner and discover
n Colby girl offering for sale an aosuru
erorare handbil, jostled and scOhed at
~, rorsons who should be as far from her
as the poles | gaze out through t'e
TRANSPARENCY view of Swiss chalet IN
,,, ,,irdow. and see a daughter of the
Aik,rs going down into the slums 10
nr.ach to the soilcd and the hopeless.
rTnr.st among the children Of the poor
cou,d understand, but unrest among 'he
children OF BostOn's first families rs quite
hoyond ms comprehension. We Bluebot-
Ties had our experience with II Wheh
Minerva. my brother Rogers daughter,
wrote a play and actually dragged the
reyerod Bluebottle name into the theat-
ricaI llmcllght II was not exactly happN'
We were all relieved Thcn the play was
withdrawn and Minerva devoted her tll'e
to getting engaged to young Edward
Wells. Young Edward Is essentially
harmless lie has no interest whatever
In the lower classes, except to nave thtll'
get out of the way OF his automobile we
all thought the problem of the uneasy
woman"-as the public prints call her
had been forever solved in our family ana
We were very glad indeed.
And theu--it began on dark November
afternoon. II had been my day at home,
and over my excellent tea ! had discussed
with Professor Bangs his forthcoming pa
per for the AIHvfower Descendants Bull
letn on John BGryan's influence as seen
4 In early rigrim dOS umcnts: had consulted
with Cousin 10. nh over the proposal 10
give TO the lnsto zeal society the old Blue
bottle homesrcm at Plymouth, and had
heard from Il friend who had recently vts-
tied there the pans for the winter care
of the flower bulbs at the Arboretum. |
like to chat thus with my own circle over
the issues of the day, as IL keeps me
abreast OF the times, but there Is no de-
nyiig II gives one headache, and / was
on the point of taking a brisk walk down
Beacon street preparatory TO dinner when
Minerva came in.
How are you, Aunt Lucinda?' she In
auiied.
With her was the youngest Washburn
girl, Cicily, an advanced" creature who
prates of social justice" attends lee
lures and otherwise follows paths that
should not concern her. ] was grieved TO
see lady of the Bluebottles in her COM
pany.
We've had the most exciting time
Cicily burst out, and then | noted that
8 Aiinerva's cheeks were very pale, and
her eyes very bright and staring as
though they had just looked at very
strong light
They had brief and brainess squabble
as TO who should tell of the adventure,
and Minersa's voice had the sound of hys-
terics in Il. With a sense OF impending
doom ] reached for the teapot that was
my Observation-Disclosures pride.
"YOu Ste. aunt Lucinda" my niece be-
gan, "ticiIy Invited me to so TO u lecture
by young Socialist"
'Suth a handsome man." cried Cicily.
"wuhderul hack eyes-all the suffering
OF tie worlu IN them"
"A lecIute about what?" asked
shar ply.
Living conditions in our textile towns"
explained Minerva. This man-Arthur
someihug-a foreign name-has lived and
worked In some Of the upstate wool and
cotton centres. And his talk was about
'he pitiable condition of the people there
The small wages and all that"
A hlshs colOred narrative, ! have no
u9ubt, / srplitd. FOi | know these agi-
latois, how Tney seeS constantly to in
maine "lass against class. to gain maudlin
sympathy and money, which late~ | do
not question goes into their own pockets,
anu looked at Cicily Washburn. Her
iaiiiiiy hEs never been noted for tact. II
was her motLe, who told Professor Law
soh' the eminent historian, that in her
opinion all histories were written by liars
put IN all the record OF WashbuTn tact
ssshess. had seen nothing to equal
.nS' Cicily Washburn, taking TO d lee
'eie' calculated By untruths and false
soiors to put In an unpleasant position
hoiuers OF stock In wooden mills, my niece
lady OF the Bluebottles.
for' as everybody Ia Boston knows, the
oo,eh mills at SaSton furnish the Blue
gottie Income. Were II not for them
Roger would own no motors; / could NOT
port my tea direct and squander a lit
r no" and then on some rare edition.
" many years We have subsisted hon
eoly on the dividends from SaXton-
honorably and well
lrusl you believed nothing this Young
|ss.sorand said, remarked. looking hope
'eny az my niece
A., ne was rather eloquent" answered
e,Fs he drew some narrowing pic
OF NE In the mill towns He told
s pale Women a,nd girls working for pitt
ess az dangerous machines, OF families
~ into one room, Of men fighting to
49, 49, Aleir babies on s. week-all this
,ssse 81 the sreed OF the owners for
tremendous dividends. And while he talk-
fS,,s Ae9t sayin& 10 myself: That isn't
- y SaAton- Then suddenly he said;
ss worked IN saxton, too
Ws.hns ss % thrilled, guTgled that idiotie
And Aunt Lag4N se ssis Ssxton