James Fenimore Cooper Autobiography Of A Pocket Handkerchief (PG) (v1.0) [txt]

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curiosity, she exacted of them both promises not to speak of me to their
governess.
"But why not, Julia?" asked the inquisitive little Jane, "Mademoiselle
Hennequin is SO good and SO kind, that she would be glad to hear of
your good fortune."
Julia had an indistinct view of her own motive, but she could not avow it
to any one, not even to herself. Jealousy would be too strong, perhaps
too indelicate a word, but she alone had detected Betts Shoreham's
admiration of the governess; and it was painful to her to permit one who
stood in this relation to her own weakness in favor of the young man, to
be a witness of an act of extravagance to which she had only half
consented in committing it, and of which she already more than half
repented. From the first, therefore, she determined that Mademoiselle
Hennequin should never see me.
CHAPTER XIV.
And now comes an exhibition of my mesmeritic powers, always
"handkerchiefly speaking," that may surprise those who have not
attended to the modern science of invisible fluids. It is by this means,
however, that I am enabled to perceive a great deal of that which
passes under the roof where I may happen to be, without absolutely
seeing it. Much escapes me, of course--for even a pocket-handkerchief
cannot hear or see every thing; but enough is learned to enable me to
furnish a very clear outline of that which occurs near me; more
especially if it happen to be within walls of brick. In wooden edifices I
find my powers much diminished--the fluids, doubtless, escaping
through the pores of the material.
That evening, then, at the usual hour, and while I lay snugly ensconced
in a most fragrant and convenient drawer, among various other beings
of my species, though not of my family, alas! the inmates of the house
assembled in the front drawing-room to take a few cups of tea. Mr. and
Mrs. Monson, with their only son, John Monson, their three daughters,
the governess, and Betts Shoreham, were all present; the latter having
dropped in with a new novel for the ladies.
"I do really wish one could see a little advance in the way of real
refinement and true elegance among all the vast improvements we are
making in frippery and follies," cried Mr. Monson, throwing down an
evening paper in a pettish manner, that sufficiently denoted discontent.
"We are always puffing our own progress in America, without exactly
knowing whether a good deal of the road is not to be traveled over
again, by way of undoing much that we have done. Here, now, is a
specimen of our march in folly, in an advertisement of Bobbinett's, who
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has pocket-handkerchiefs at $75."
"By the dozen, or by the gross, sir?" demanded Betts Shoreham,
quickly.
"Oh, singly--seventy-five dollars each."
"Nay, that MUST be a mistake, sir! who, even in this extravagant and
reckless country, could be found to pay such a price? One can fancy
such a thing in a princess, with hundreds of thousands of income, but
scarcely of any one else. How could such a thing be USED, for
instance?"
"Oh," cried John Monson, "to hide the blushes of the simpleton who had
thrown away her money on it. I heard a story this very afternoon, of
some person of the name of Halfacre's having failed yesterday, and
whose daughter purchased even a higher priced handkerchief than that
the very same day."
"His failure is not surprising, then," put in Betts Shoreham. "For myself, I
do not think that I----"
"Well, WHAT do you think, Mr. Shoreham?" asked Mrs. Monson,
smiling, for she saw that Julia was too much mortified to speak, and
who assumed more than half the blame of her own daughter's
extravagance. "You were about to favor us with some magnificent
resolution."
"I was about to utter an impertinence, I confess, ma'am, but recollected
in time, that young men's protestations of what THEY would do by way
of reforming the world, is not of half the importance to others that they
so often fancy; so I shall spare you the infliction. Seventy-five dollars,
Mademoiselle Hennequin, would be a high price for such a thing, even
in Paris, I fancy."
The answer was given in imperfect English, a circumstance that
rendered the sweet round tones of the speaker very agreeable to the
ear, and lent the charm of piquancy to what she said. I could not
distinguish countenances from the drawer, but I fancied young
Shoreham to be a handsome youth, the governess to be pale and
slightly ugly, though very agreeable in manner, and Julia excessively
embarrassed, but determined to defend her purchase, should it become
necessary.
"Seventy-five dollars sound like a high price, monsieur," answered
Mademoiselle Hennequin; "but the ladies of Paris do not grudge their
gold for ornaments to decorate their persons."
"Ay," put in John Monson, "but they are consistent. Now I'll engage this
Mrs. Hundredacres, or Halfacre, or whatever her name may be,
overlooked her own household work, kept no housekeeper, higgled
about flour and butter, and lived half her time in her basement. Think of
such a woman's giving her daughter a hundred-dollar pocket-
handkerchief."
Now Mrs. Monson DID keep a housekeeper; she was NOT a mere
upper-servant in her own family, and Julia was gratified that, in this
instance, her fastidious brother could not reproach HER at least.
"Well, Jack, that is a queer reason of yours;" cried the father, "for not
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indulging in a luxury; because the good woman is careful in some things,
she is not to be a little extravagant in others. What do YOU say to such
logic, Mr. Shoreham?"
"To own the truth, sir, I am much of Monson's way of thinking. It is as
necessary to begin at the bottom in constructing a scheme of domestic
refinement, as in building a house. Fitness is entitled to a place in every
thing that relates to taste, at all events; and as a laced and embroidered
pocket-handkerchief is altogether for appearance, it becomes necessary
that other things should be in keeping. If the ladies will excuse me, I will
say that I never yet saw a woman in America, in a sufficiently high dress
to justify such an appendage as that which Monson has just mentioned.
The handkerchief ought not to cost more than the rest of the toilette."
"It is true, Mr. Shoreham," put in Julia, with vivacity, if not with spirit,
"that our women do not dress as women of rank sometimes dress in
Europe; but, on the whole, I do not know that we are so much behind
them in appearance."
"Very far from it, my dear Miss Monson--as far as possible--I am the
last man to decry my beautiful countrywomen, who are second to no
others in appearance, certainly; if they do not dress as richly, it is
because they do not need it. Mademoiselle Hennequin has no reason to
deprecate comparisons--and--but--"
"Certainly," answered the governess, when she found the young man
hesitated about proceeding, "certainly; I am not so bigoted, or so blind,
as to wish to deny that the American ladies are very handsome--
handsomer, as a whole, than those of my own country. It would be idle
to deny it--so are those of England and Italy." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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