The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1868-03-26

! The Tyrannical Father.
"Jennie," said Mr.. Stacey ono even
. INK to bis daughter, Edward Wrigll
called ut my store to-day. ] suppos
you know what for" egans ya aJ
"How should know what for, pa
pa Y" returned Jennie, with y look Q
unco onsc,o business that was belied by tn
vivid crimson that rose from the ch eek
to tue temples. II suppose It was 4
see about an order for some goods, o
something"
mot exactly" replied her father
smiling. He came TO see me abou
you--in short, to ask my permission t.
address you" ei t..!p t.''4.
Jennie reddencd again; but the sud
den fash that CLEANED out from be
meath the brown lashes spoke more o
scorn than satisfaction. 1.e a..at
"Of course, I gave my consent,
continued Mr.. Stacey, after waiting
vainly Tor bis daughter to reply.
III you hadn't, suppose that would
have been the lat of It, so far as HI
was concerned retorted Jennie, with
sarcastic touch that WAS quite lost up
on her matter of.fact father. 'H
"Well, my dear, / don't know as
there is any need of raising that ques.
ton. could have no reasonable Oh.
lection to q well.principled, intelligen,
young man like Mr. Wright; and who
is, withal, doing an excellent business,
So it now remains for you to say
whether or no you will be Mrs. Edward
Wright"
Jennie pursed up her rosy lips with
an air ofgreat dignity.
IL haven't been asked yet"
mo, l suppose not. But I shouldn't
wonder if lie was here tonight for that
express purpose"
Then, as glimmer of truth entered
his mind, Mr.. Stacey added:
II trust that you are not so foolish,
my daughter, as to take ottense because
lie spoke to me about it first In 20
doing be acted honorably, and as every
man should, and it ought to raise rath-
er than lower him in your esteem. In.
deed, I fancied from what he said that
he was quite sure Of the nature Of your
feelings for him, else he had not spo-
ken to me-
Jennie's Indignation now reached its
climax. She elevated her naturally
rather aspiring nose until it stood at
right angles. H ..
"Quite sure, was hep I don't know
why he should be, then. ! Inever gave
him any reason to feel so confident"
Mr. Stacy looked rather gravely at
his daughter.
II don't know what you've said to
him, but l know that he's been here a
good deal, and you've always seemed
glad to see him. l hope you haven't
been trifing with the young man, Jen
ME. Am l to understand that you
don't intend to marry him ?"
Jennie's round and rosy face assum
ed as lofty an expression as features
could be expected TO wear not formed
exactly from the heroic mould.
"Mr. Wright is an excellent young
man, papa. I've nothing to say against
him. But would sooner perish than
unite my fate with one whose feelings
are 80 antagonistic to the holiest SYM
pathies ofmy nature"
The concluding sentence was a quo.
tation from her favorite novel, "a
trea; or the Stony hearted Father
and was pronounced with no little We.
hemence of look and tone
Mr.. Stacey stared ut his daughter for
q moment without speaking.
II really do not see, my DEAR" he
said drily, "any necessity for so much
display Of energy. Ifyou do not like
Mr.. Wriyhqwell enough to marry him.
all that you have got to do is to tell
him so." ~ ---g .
Here was a "come down" to Jcnnie's
soaring Imagination. Her father al
solutely refused to play the role Of the
Stony hearted Father, ruthlessly de
the secret hope that had risen
in her heart that some romantic Incl
dent, for which she had 80 often long
cd, was about to break the samcness of
her dull and prosy life.
And to increase her dissatisfaction,
Edward Wright, whom she really liked,
and whom she had invested with many
Of the virtues and graces that adorned
her favorite heroes, instead of throwing
himself at her feet and declaring that
no power on earth should take her from
him, had actually condescended to the
common sense and c 'nventional meth.
cd of asking her fathers permission
before speaking to her! Nothing more
was necessary to convince her that he
was not. to US, her own language, "the
chosen arbiter of her destiny"
After tea, Jennie slipped out of the
back way and ran over to neighbor's
for the two-fold purpose Of avoiding
what she was pleased to term the "per
secutions'' of the aforesaid Mr.. Edward
Wright and to pour her troubles-Or
rather her want VI any-into the sym.
bosom Of her dear friend, Ar.
abella Eugene Angelina Stubbs.
Jennie being firmly convinced that
"the course of true love never did run
smooth" and as, In the event Of her be.
coming Mrs. Edward Wright, there
would be nothing left for her to do but
to order her wedding 6nery and 60
with the requisite ceremony,
she eituer avoided the poor fellow a.
together, or treated him with such an
air of lofty indifference a. ~ put him
to his Wits end to discover the cause
of this angular change In her conduct.