Autobiography of a Pocket-Handkerchief | Page 9

of 1830, between
rightist ("cote droit" = right side) legitimists, who read the official
"Moniteur" newspaper and supported the absolutist Bourbon monarchy
of King Charles X, and leftist ("cote gauche" = left side) liberals, who
read "Le Temps" and argued for reform or revolution; "nothing good
could come of Nazareth" = from the Bible, John, I, 46: "Can any good
thing come out of Nazareth"}
The reader will readily understand that these feelings lessened toward
the centre of the piece, acquiring most intensity at the extremes. I may
be said, myself, to have belonged to the centre gauche, that being my
accidental position in the fabric, when it was a natural consequence to
obtain sentiments of this shade. It will be seen, in the end, how
prominent were these early impressions, and how far it is worth while
for mere pocket-handkerchiefs to throw away their time, and permit
their feelings to become excited concerning interests that they are
certainly not destined to control, and about which, under the most
favorable circumstances, they seldom obtain other than very
questionable information.
{centre gauche = center left, i.e., moderate left}

It followed from this state of feeling, that the notion we were about to
fall into the hands of the unfortunate daughter of Louis XVI excited
considerable commotion and disgust among us. Though very moderate
in my political antipathies and predilections, I confess to some
excitement in my own case, declaring that if royalty WAS to be my lot,
I would prefer not to ascend any higher on the scale than to become the
property of that excellent princess, Amelie, who then presided in the
Palais Royal, the daughter and sister of a king, but with as little
prospects as desires of becoming a queen in her own person. This wish
of mine was treated as groveling, and even worse than republican, by
the cote droit of our piece, while the cote gauche sneered at it as
manifesting a sneaking regard for station without the spirit to avow it.
Both were mistaken, however; no unworthy sentiments entering into
my decision. Accident had made me acquainted with the virtues of this
estimable woman, and I felt assured that she would treat even a pocket-
handkerchief kindly. This early opinion has been confirmed by her
deportment under very trying and unexpected events. I wish, as I
believe she wishes herself, she had never been a queen.
{daughter of Louis XVI = the dauphine, Marie Therese Charlotte,
Duchesse d'Angouleme, mentioned above; Amelie = Marie Amelie
(1782-1866), daughter of King Ferdinand IV of Naples, sister of King
Francis I of The Two Sicilies--reluctantly became queen in France
when her husband the Duke of Orleans seized the throne from Charles
X on July 31, 1830, and was proclaimed King Louis Philippe of the
French}
All our family did not aspire as high as royalty. Some looked forward
to the glories of a banker's daughter's trousseau,--we all understood that
our PRICE would be too high for any of the old nobility,--while some
even fancied that the happiness of traveling in company was reserved
for us before we should be called regularly to enter on the duties of life.
As we were so closely connected, and on the whole were affectionate
as became brothers and sisters, it was the common wish that we might
not be separated, but go together into the same wardrobe, let it be
foreign or domestic, that of prince or plebeian. There were a few
among us who spoke of the Duchesse de Berri as our future mistress;

but the notion prevailed that we should so soon pass into the hands of a
femme de chambre, as to render the selection little desirable. In the end
we wisely and philosophically determined to await the result with
patience, well knowing that we were altogether in the hands of caprice
and fashion.
{Duchesse de Berri = Marie Caroline (1798-1870), wife of Charles
Ferdinand of Artois, Duke of Berry, second son of King Charles X;
femme de chambre = lady's maid}
At length the happy moment arrived when we were to quit the
warehouse of the manufacturer. Let what would happen, this was a
source of joy, inasmuch as we all knew that we could only vegetate
while we continued where we then were, and that too without
experiencing the delights of our former position, with good roots in the
earth, a genial sun shedding its warmth upon our bosom, and balmy airs
fanning our cheeks. We loved change, too, like other people, and had
probably seen enough of vegetation, whether figurative or real, to
satisfy us. Our departure from Picardie took place in June, 1830, and
we reached Paris on the first day of the succeeding month. We went
through the formalities of the custom-houses, or barrieres, the same day,