Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1868-08-15
WHOLE NUMBER 972.

We have said that Mr.. Jones had
habit of being married, and it had so
grown upon him, that, had Providence
opened the way, he would in all probs-
billty have followed up series of be-
reavements with succession of conso-
lations. But in selecting Miss Patience,
he had no regard for compatibility of
temper. He had never thought anything
about it. + His other marriages had been
happy accidents, and, so far as he knew
or reflected, that was the order of nature
But Miss Patience had habit, too, and
1T was in accordance with her name, for
1T was the habit of endurance. 1t was
failing leaning to virtues side, and be-
yond 1t. She lived in the remote and fn-
ture. The present with her was never
| anything but make-shift, mere tempo
rary expedient till better times. Distance
not only lent enchantment to her objects
of pursuit, but was absolutely the only
charm to which she was sensitive. She
really liked Mr. Jones up to the hour of
his proposals; she meekly tolerated him
ever after.
They were at boarding for time, and
the wife said submissively to all her
friends: ooh, yes, it is very comforta-
bic for the present, until we feel able to
keep house." Mr.. Jones, after the re-
mark had been reiterated for the fiftieth
time, asserted that he qcas able to keep
house. To prove this, he engaged and
furnished tasteful tenement, and anoth.
er wear saw Mistress Patience the patient
mistress of her own fireside.
"What pleasant situation" said Dame
Grundy, as she called on tour of in
spcctiOn
"Why, yes, said Mrs. Jones. 1t is all
We can expect in house we hire. IF we
were to build, we should plan very diff
ferently, of course. And then you know,
one could have the heart to make i'm
provements in shrubbery and fruit trees.
| o, Mrs. Grundy, hope to live long E.
nough to have house of my own.n
Mr.. Jones WAS well-to-do and good ma
tured. Moreover, he was a little obtuse,
as we have seen, and he did not perceive
that something to put up with is with
most of us a practical necessity. So he
said very generously, "Mrs. Jones, in an.
other year you shall have house of your
own"
81 am afraid you cannot afford to build
such house rs / would like"
81 can, and will. You shall modify
the plan yourself, or draw new one if
yOu prefer"
Mrs. Jones sighed, ait will take so long
in building - and from that hour every
rational employment was deferred until
they should get into their new dwelling.
There were the usual delays and disap-
pointments, and Mrs Jones' love of en-
durance was fully gratiied; and she was
regaled with \ "lingering sweetness long
drawn out" At length the house was
built and furnished, the grounds laid out
and planted, and the wheels of the new
establishment fairly in motion. More
over, by rare and good luck, there was
very little to alter and undo; most of the
arrangements were desirable and the ex-
per;ments successes.
II hope, my DEAR" said Mr. Jones, be-
neyolently, "that we are in a condition
to take comfort" ..
"If we ever get settled" assentsd Mrs:
Jones with a sigh.
We'll years rolled on and fhey acere set
tied The flowers bloomed and the fruits
ripened. The turf thickened into velvet,
and the trees grew tall and cast well
come shade. Strangers passed to adj
mire the premises as they passed, and
neighbors paid their various tributes Of
envy and admiration. Mr.. Jones grew
to look portly and contented. Not 20
with Mrs. Jones. To all the eneoniums
lavished upon her residence, she replied
submissiYeIy:
eyes, it's a pretty place, but we don't
know who we built it for. We have no
children to come after us, and we are
just putting mp improvements for stran-
gers TO pull down.
Was ever woman so favored of an
indulgent fortune? Within year after
the utterance of this remark, Mrs. Jones
was happy-no, the patient mother OF a
real, genuine, glorious baby. Mr.. Jones.
who had with difficulty refrained from.
happiness before, was uncontrollably ju-
bilant now. The boy was healthy, hand
some and bright. There was no mistake
about him he was fixed fact, star Of
tho first magnitude. He had wants, il is
true, for which the fond father was in
tensely thankful, for to crafty and pre-
prevent them was his supreme delight.
!
And the mother? Alas, hers were all
a mothers cares, anxieties and forebod-
ings. Until he was weaned she scarcely
lett the house, or indulged in the simplest
luxuries of dict. Then there was the
long period of teeth-cuttlng which her
maternal apprehensions were never ap-
peased. Then she lived in fear of the
measles, whooping cough and scarlet fe-
yer, until the young hero met and con-
quered them all. He grew round and
rosy, aud she thin and anxious, but still
unalterably patient. At school she fear
ed he might study too much, or too little,
and as her fears divided between the two
perils, it is presumed be avoided both
Then she had a general misgiving lest
he should be spoiled, and from too much
petting at home, become an indolent and
useless member of society. But though
the reader may share her fears in this re-
gard. Master Jones falsifed them all
Indulgence and opportunity seemed to
agree with him. He was ambitious and
selfreliant, and not ohjectionably wilful.