The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-20

to do in this life.n
After the girls we're in bed Arthur asked me,
seriously, If we we're not living too eXpe ns1yely'
smiled with almost innate giee as l told him
which was the truth-that our expenses were
much lessened by the discharge OF tne COOK COOK;
that we had greater variety, with more ulgesuplc
food; that is 1t was cooked in sucb manner as
10 render it more easily assimllated with tne
juices of the stomach, which really was some
thing to be fed, and not mill 10 pc useu lor
He laughed at my simile and then entered
upon subject which had long been near my
heart. Alice was getting OF an age In when,
thouph surrounded by all the endearm ents OF q
bannv home there Ia still void in q young
girYs breast that can be filled by neither parents,
brotbers nor sisters. This / represented 10 my
husband, who could not, or would not, under
%ExpIain yourself, Polly. / am wide awake"
''T read verse to-day in Ecclesiastcus which
will perhaps make you more readily understand
me:-Marry thy daughter, and so shalt thou
have performed weighty matter; but give her
to o man of understanding
Nov do not exclaIm, Arthur, but listen to
me. [ wish TO keep my child with me as long
as God sees fit, but do not wish that neglected
youth should sour in maturer age"
NV husband fdgeted in his seat, and his eyes
flashed reply. | rested my arm on his chair,
standing behind him, and occasionally pressing
nv lips to his forehead, | continued
at is the concealed hope of all girls to marry,
to be happy, as all their parents or friends have
that there is no real happiness but between
husband and wife; and yet how is girl to
find husband if she have no opportunity of
mixing with the opposite sexH We have been
so happy in our home, so selhshly wrapped up
in its comforts, so lovingly idoized by our chill
dren, that we have forgotten to associate with
other families more than what has been abso-
lutely necessary. What youth have we ever
invited here to make acquaintance with our
daughters-to see them as they are, with loving
natures, with simple manners and truthful
bearing? And how are we to repair this thought
"But / do not see II is thoughtlessness.
There is plenty OF time, If lovers be really neces-
sary.n ,o-
back in thought to our early days. Had not
known YOU [ might in the choice to which
was limited, have married some one who would
have made of me desperate woman"
There was no fear of that" my husband re-
piled, looking up smllingly in my face. ''But,
to return to the topic you have started, one
would think Mary, that you were desrous of
getting rid of your girls, while |, on the con-
trary, would Keep them always with me. Why
should they marryY
"A1thur, never recognized you as other than
youthful until now. You have uttered the speech
of eighty winters. You, man of forty-hve, to
talk like this Do you think for one moment
that want TO get rid of my girls, as you term
it? God forbid But do not want to see them
lead loveless joyless lives, or making their
and solitary life, when too frequently other
selections has been denied them.n
''Now, how absurd you talk There is Jane
Hardy. Who can be happier than she? Useful,
contented, and always in good Spirits"
'Did you never know that the happy soul lost
her lover by death when she was very young ?
Some natures cannot love twice, and hers is one
of them. Therefore she is no example,"
'1hen there is Miss Mavor. She is certaigly
happy, though she is nearly sixty. What do
you say to her, PollyW
81 heard the story of Fanny Mavor not long
since, and perhaps hers is case in point OF my
noxnf Shn uyno fhn nrlu md nf
idOlized child of her parents, bred up in every
home luxury that their means could command,
but at the same time made to be useful. She
was rarely permitted to go from home. Mr..
Mavor had dread OF her marrying during his
lifetime, and never invited any one to the house
who would have made her suitable husband.
On the contrary, he was so exceedingly unclvil
that did any one venture within the sacred pre-
cincts, no matter how introduced, his conduct
was such that the suitor never made second
experiment. Mr.. and Mrs. Mavor married late
in llie, and when Fanny was about twenty both
fell into ill-health. Consequently she was kept,
from her affection, willing prisoner, neither
thinking nor caring of what was to come after;
and when she was thirty-eight she was left soli
tary, with. only enough of fortune to keep heI
in a much less luxurious style of living than
that she had ever known"
But who told you all this? 1t may not b'
true"
"The best of all authority-herself. Ant
more, she SAID that in her parents lifetime she
had met one with whom she could have beer
happy, but the dread of leaving her parents
alone made her put away all thoughts of mar
riage, and when they died she felt rejoiced tina
her means were too limited to invite an adven
tureT, for, as she expressed herself
=" The solitary, lonely feeling, the desoiatiol
of heart was terrible. Till my parents died
scarcely knew l was capable OF loving othe
than them, but to be left alone till was seventy
perhaps, 1t was dreadful; so / thought. But
you see, have lived to realize the Scriptures
@'The desolate hath many more children tina
she which hath husband" Children dearl
love, and so make the stray little ones m
own, as far as teaching and taking care OF then
till they go out and battle with the world, an
know its joys and cares, and lioe, which hav
never done. My life has been one of veget'
ton only
~ asked her if she had never loved, and
shall never forget the sad expression and suf
sion which flooded her face as she repied:-
"'Once did, Mrs. Norton. 1t was paint
dream, and do not like to think about it,
A" But why did you not marry thenF | aske
because heard my father say so often tn
he hoped l would never leave them, and
always set duty before inclination. So l p
such thoughts away, and perhaps 1T IS all 1
the best ....r ...., eL.. .
"This is the story Of the life of Fanny Nav
and her parents seltishness." r.r
Selhshness !" my husband exclaimed, as
got up and looked at me. THAT IS ha
"But Ills the truth. Turn and twist SUI
conduct which way you Will, it is pure selts
ness, and nothing else"
Arthur drummed on the chimney-piece for
few moments with his fingers, then turni
round sharply, said:- ..... i.
'sWhat am to dol cannot go and invite
lot of young men In to marry my daughters
In an instant my face became scarlet, and
am afraid my tone was rather sharp as said
''That is an unmanly way Of treating the 81
ject." -,