e entire worldly possessions
consisted of a boot-jack and a hair-brush; but he had the most beautiful
shirt-collar in the world, and it is about this that we are going to
hear a story.
The shirt-collar was so old that he began to think about marrying;
and it happened one day that he and a garter came into the wash-tub
together.
'Hulloa!' said the shirt-collar, 'never before have I seen anything so
slim and delicate, so elegant and pretty! May I be permitted to ask your
name?'
'I shan't tell you,' said the garter.
'Where is the place of your abode?' asked the shirt-collar.
But the garter was of a bashful disposition, and did not think it proper
to answer.
'Perhaps you are a girdle?' said the shirt-collar, 'an under girdle? for
I see that you are for use as well as for ornament, my pretty miss!'
'You ought not to speak to me!' said the garter' 'I'm sure I haven't
given you any encouragement!'
'When anyone is as beautiful as you,' said the shirt-collar, 'is not
that encouragement enough?'
'Go away, don't come so close!' said the garter. 'You seem to be a
gentleman!'
'So I am, and a very fine one too!' said the shirt-collar; 'I possess a
boot-jack and a hair-brush!'
That was not true; it was his master who owned these things; but he was
a terrible boaster.
'Don't come so close,' said the garter. 'I'm not accustomed to such
treatment!'
'What affectation!' said the shirt-collar. And then they were taken out
of the wash-tub, starched, and hung on a chair in the sun to dry, and
then laid on the ironing-board. Then came the glowing iron.
'Mistress widow!' said the shirt-collar, 'dear mistress widow! I am
becoming another man, all my creases are coming out; you are burning a
hole in me! Ugh! Stop, I implore you!'
'You rag!' said the iron, travelling proudly over the shirt-collar, for
it thought it was a steam engine and ought to be at the station drawing
trucks.
'Rag!' it said.
The shirt-collar was rather frayed out at the edge, so the scissors came
to cut off the threads.
'Oh!' said the shirt-collar, 'you must be a dancer! How high you can
kick! That is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen! No man can
imitate you!'
'I know that!' said the scissors.
'You ought to be a duchess!' said the shirt-collar. 'My worldly
possessions consist of a fine gentleman, a boot-jack, and a hair-brush.
If only I had a duchy!'
'What! He wants to marry me?' said the scissors, and she was so angr
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