A Social Meteor — page 144: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

134 A SOCIAL METEOR. lot of cash in my day, and I’ve known what it is to have people court me—and what it is to play the grand sezgneur to mothers who are angling for me—and to have half a dozen impecunious youths ready to black my boots at a moment’s notice merely for the privilege of being in my society; of occupying the footman’s seat on my dog-cart. And then,” with a comical little sigh, “T’ve seen this golden dream vanish into thin air ; I’ve seen the frescoed walls of my apartments crumble to pieces with greater rapidity than ever Cinderella’s chariot did; I’ve seen the Poole suits, with which I paralyzed the Avenue day after day, gobbled up by a greasy Jew; I’ve seen the very dames who, a month before, had show- ered their sweetest smiles upon me and fairly thrust their daughters into my arms, shun me as they would the plague, and the striplings who copied my clothes, and smoked my cigars, pass me by witha hasty nod. Yes, I’ve known and seen all this—and have been amused. Money,” lifting his coffee-cup and holding it halfway be- tween the table and his lips, “‘to use the words of _ an old woman who came to me for assistance this morning, ‘is a very comfortable article to have in the house of a cold winter’s night. It will make EOMICLOOO|KSn(EO