THE OYSTEK. 83 



good as the true ones ; but only look hard at the orna- 

 ments, and the duchess is abashed. To test false pearls, 

 one has only to put a true one by them, and the '' dif- 

 ference," as advertisers say, ''Tvill be at once per- 

 ceived." 



Let us devote this last portion of our book to the his- 

 tory of the pearl. Its very names are pretty. Looloo, 

 Mootoo, Mootie, Margaritm, Perles, Perlii, Perlas, Pearlsy 

 all sweet, pretty, mouth-rounding names, but worthy 

 to be applied to the lustrous and beautiful spheres 

 which we call pearls. Principium cidmenque omnium 

 rerum pretii tenent: " Of all things, pearls," said 

 Pliny, two thousand years ago, " kept the very top, 

 highest, best, and first price." ^Tiat was true then 

 is true now. There are few things so immortal as 

 good taste. Let us pay something " on account" 

 of our debt to the oyster. Having regarded that 

 placid creditor as an article of food, I now propose 

 to treat him as an assistant to the toilet. And, looking 

 at him in that point of view, here is not a bad instal- 

 ment of the aforesaid debt, contributed by Barry Corn- 

 wall. 



" Within the midnight of her hair, 

 Half-hidden in its deepest deeps, 

 A single peerless, priceless pearl 

 (All filmy-eyed) for ever sleeps. 

 Without the diamond's sparkling eyes, 

 The ruby's blushes — there it lies, 

 Modest as the tender dawn, 

 When her purple veil's withdrawn — 

 The flower of gems, a lily cold and pale. 

 Yet, what doth all avail ? — 



