Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-09-15
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SUCH A MISTAKE /,
lII.-(CoSciuDznN


and bushes, had confded to her mother
Its substance and result. Great was Mrs. !
Mayheid's inward exutation. Surely she |
might now consider herself favorite of
fortuae. Her child, her beautiful RosaIie, |
had accomplished destiny more brilliant
than she bad ever predicted for her,
Wealth, that would secure Der luxury and
leisure fashion, position, aud more than
that husband whose virtues she could
esteem, whose genius she must admire,
and whom, to crown all, she evidently
loved with all her heart. Very compla-
Gently did the mother recall those very
words of Mrs. James :: " He bears the
highest possible character" To be sure,
IN her former estimates of what Rosalie's
husband was to be, character and mind
had not very largely entered but she now
felt and nowledged their value.
As soon as you are well enough to see
him, mamma said Rosalie, Mr.. Henry
will call to ask your consent
And that will be Tomorrow, nv love-
said Mrs. Mayfeld. Il feel myself i'm
nensely better. The sight of your hap
piness hat done me more good than all the
physicians visits .
The next day, at quite early hour, Mrs.
Mayheld might have been seen ensconced
in the depths of a luxurious armchair, go
ing through in form the interview with
her daughters ,futur 1t was delightfully."-
satisfactory. Mr.. Henry was SO respect
full, yet solicitous He spoke with such
tenderness, such delicacy, of Rosalie, and
asked her hand with as much difidence as
If he feared refusal-as if, in short, he
were asking favor instead Of conferring
one. But then, Mrs. Mayfeld verv
suddenly recolected, he could not know
how glad she was to give him her child !;
aud, on the whole, it was quite as well he
could not. He set her heart at rest, too,
on the o~ly aAh5ae& that distnrhsA her. Ia
all her plans for Rosaie's settlement she
had arranged, as a matter of course, that
she should live with the young couple
but when an actual engagement was un-
der consideration she began to experience
some misgivings She was we'll aware o
the common prejudice against mothers
in>law and suppose Mr.. Henry shared il
it! Well, it would be hard for her, bu
che could live by herself; at any rate, sh,
would have her dear child's happiness t.
rejoice in. These misgivings made th
present arrangement all the more agreea-
BILE. Mr.. Henry said with so much feel
/ ing that he could not think of asking
/ mother to give up her only child, and tina
she would confer the greatest possible ia
vor on both himself aud Rosalie by con
sentng to share their home. She mus
not consider that, in the proposed mar
riage, she was to lose daughter, but onl
( to gain sou, etc., etc. All of which ha
F in it nothing very striking or original, br
was not on that account less pleasing t
( the proud and gratified mother. So haI
f py was she that at times doubt cam
Z over her whether it were not all dreau
( and she pinched her arm q1te cruelty
make sure that she was enjoying a sobt
certainty of waking bliss When the fl
ial elect had taken his departure she vi
profuse in her praises to Rosalie of b
delicacy, his generosity, his nobleness !; 8
Of which, we may be sure, the young lac
echoed in her heart, though outwardly 81
disclaimed for him any special virtue.
'Whv, what did you expect Of |
mamma? she asked. Did you suppo
we would leave you alone, widowed al
invalid as you now are? You paid me
poor compliment if you fancied shou
forsake the mother who had loved al
cared for me all my life for person I h
known but few weeks
oh, my dear, | didn't doubt you
all; but you know how men sometim
feel about these things ...
Mr.. Caudle, for.instance. Well, man
ma, I hope Mr.. Henry is no more like h
than like his wife, or you like II
lady's dear mother
You may laugh, Rosalie, but it il
very common prejudice, and not altoge
es without foundation. Such being I
css9 YOU may imagine how was touch
by Mr.. Henry's noble behavior. He v
find it no loss to him, either. Even
the zichest household, person of expe
enee can prevent much irregularity &
waste; and against all waste | set my +
decidedly, no matter how great the me
are
II experience is valuable in a r
household it will be doubly SO in ou
remarked Rosalie, for i opine it will
be at all of that description
Mrs. Mayfeld was SO absorbed in
hehtful visions that she did not hear
coiamcnt, or it might have provoked !
pl4assr '-'.'~oetion.