The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-07-10
For the Natione
NJ R S. H A D De N.
CHAPTER Nv.


aft she could only have all she wanted"
Mrs. Hadden said, one of those days, laughing.
She wanted some more China custard-cups.
Her husband, looking her quietly in the face,
told her she was reasonable, very. He wished,
he said, that there were more such reasonable
wives in the world-that was, wives who asked
nothing beyond this-"all they wanted"
Mrs. MADDEN told her husband that she was
provoked with him. She tried not to laugh. as
he pursued his raillery; tried to pout that he
might see how provoked she was But she
laughed far more than she pouted, SO that he
had no faith in the vexation.
"Well! at any rate, was not he glad Mr. and
Mrs. Stetson were coming? 1t was so pleasant,
SO good, for one to form friendships with such
persons as the Melchers, the Stetsons, and the
BIS; for another season, she would not
stop short of the BIS. She wanted them
to see their beautiful, beautiful scenery, in the
summer time. And, besides, she wanted his
acquaintance and sympathies for him, (Mr.
Hadden,) before any more of his gray hairs
came, and for Jamie, now that he was Just
starting in life."
Mr.. Hadden looked up from his tooth-pick
with a sober face, to tell her that she didn't
know where B would be another summer.
In year, in less than three months, his sym.
pathies might be worth no more than any other
mans, only, to be sure, he had always been a
capital fellow, and always would be, in or out
the executive chair.
Yes; Mrs. Hadden didn't care what chair he
was in, if he was true, generous-souled, man,
whose presence, the sound of whose voice, would
operate benefcially upon their boy. She did
not expect him, or Mr.. Stetson, or any of those
men, whose lives were so busy, to stop beside
jamie, or to take his hand to lead him. She
did not desire anything of the sort. But he had
had Webster's hand on his head more than
once, had kept his eye on him, listening to him,
in public and in private life. She had been
careful that he did not take Webster for god
she should be careful that he did not mistake
any erring creature, ever so great, for a god
but it was good thing, in any ones expert.
ence, to know such men. Jamie was their only
boy, their only child and she wanted all to be
done that could be done for him. She would
want it, if she knew he would not live five years,
as she sometimes foolishly imagined he would
not. She would want all his impressions and
appropriations to be ennobling, that they might
all tend to make him a noble being, here, and
in the other, better world.
Mrs. Hadden spoke with the earnest rapidity
she gave to all her utterances. She had tears
in her eyes, as she often had, in the downright
heartiness and simplicity of her feelings, and in
the spontaneousness with which she gave them
expression.
Her husband had moisture in his eyes, as he
listened. He told her she was a good wife,
" after al, }" and started to go.
"Oh, the custard-cupsl" thought Mrs. Had.
den.
ooh, some custard-cups, you want" said Mr..
Hadden, turning back.
"Give me kiss, wife, before 60, and you
shall have them"
She kissed him. She called him, softly and
with laughter, as she did it, Rascal"
He looked in her face, and kissed her again,
as if he liked the name, and then went to get
the custard-cups.
The good man, the favorite of our village,
DR.. W, is at our table. He comes when
ever he peases, leans on our high. back chair,
or sits at the table, reading what we have been
writing, and talking. He has just been read.
ing, and now, he says, "Do you mean, here, to
have the reader understand that Mr.. MADDEN
and his wife did ali this-h'm all this kissing
before folks?"
ooh no, blessed, polite, good natured DR..
W." We answer "Ellinor was in the next
room, the kitchen, scraping off the bottom of
some rich cake she had burned -
chad burned, do you mean, child, or had let
burnt"
"Had burned, mean"
"No you don't; you are stiff thing, that is
all. Where was Ada? the gentlest, busiest of
all cousins where was she?"
"Up stairs, putting some"-
Up stairs? you mean aboUe stairsl"
"No, indeed, ! don't, Or. W! She was
up stairs, putting flowers in vase for the la. |
dies dressing room"
"Flowers such a winter as che last? guess
you are telling wrong story, just for the sake |
Of dragging in flowers some way. You women
folks can never talk Ave minutes, or write a
tale, or dress for An evening, without having
something to do with flowers, or something to |
say about them"
"Ada's were artificial flowers, thank you
She picked up all she could find in the house,
and took them out Of her own winter bonnet.
sir, that she might have some beautiful moss
roses, air."
Are you vexed With me2"