Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-01-02
THE DAUGHTERS DOVER.
BY ERNEST LEGoUvE.

|
| iAt the annual meeting of the Ave Academies Of
Paris held on the 2iLh OF last October, the
| little sketch Of which translation Il sub.
joined, was read aloud by It's author.l
| I.
THERE was a time when, according to
our old usages, young girls dOwry con-
sisted of nothing more than chaplet of
roses. That period Is long ago.
In these days, the question of dover is
the main point in marriages, and gives
rise in the domestic circle to occasional
scenes, that may be droll, or sad, or pa
thetic. 1t is one of those that desire 10
bring here before you.
Come in, ifyou please, to the sanctum
Of NJ. Dcsgrangcs, in his house at Vile
neuve-Saint Georges. NJ. Desgranges, a
merchant retired from business, is talking
| by the fTeside with his wife and his
daughter, and the talk is extremely ami
| mated, as IL is all about marriage. A
young architect, NJ. Henry Grandval, has
| asked the hand of Madeleine, til whom
he is in love, and who is in love with him.
So far, nothing palmer. But N. Grand
val senior will let his son marry only q
| girl of two hundred thousand francs, and
NJ. Desgrauges will give his daughter
only one hundred thousand. His wife
presses him to yield, his daughter ten
| derly beseeches him, but he refuses point
blank. A practical man and firm one
is NJ. Desgranges, and there is no NOV
ing him against his will. Good Madame
| Desgranges belongs to that tribe of soft
natured mothers who can't speak of her
| child without certain choking in her
utterance. She insists, she prays, and
then, finding her husband infexible, she
| rises from her seat, and says to him in
| dignantly:
an. Desgranges, do you wish 10 know
| Just what | think of you? You have
neither heart nor bowels"
mo doubt of that, mr. desrp s
"You are not father: you are a."
"An cxecutioner! As is said in Iphi-
genia:'
Thy daughters executioner, 'twere right
That for her mother thou shoudst now prepare
A gEOstiy festival."
an. Desgranges ~
MADAME Dcsgrangesm
"Do you know, sir, that with your iron
ical indifference you will end by putting
me beyond myself by driving me entirely
out OF my characterp'
provided, my dear, that you don't go
back into it again!" gently suggested VI.
Desgranges.
"Ah, this is too much"
Enough, mamma, enOughr said Mad
cline, rising in turn, ~ will not be the
cause of such language between my father
and yourself. And, since he does not be-
lieve that he ought to do what we ask
him." added she, beginning to cry, "since
he refuses what we so much desire, and
what would be the happiness of Henry
and myself"
"She is crying" exclaimed Madame
Desgranges-"O my child my little dar.
ling And this doesn't move you, mon
ster! You can see her tears, you can
hear her say with that sweet voice others
that her happiness is involved and re.
main infleXiblc?"
"What would you, my dear? When l
see a woman cry, I'm always on my
guard"
Glow SOY"
ats not my fault that l remember it.
In the early days of our marriage, you
used TO cry so often when you wanted to
get something out of me, that | always
look now upon feminine tears as 4 sort of
investment"
90 papa, papal" exclaimed Madeline,
"how can you mistrust my sorrow? You
don't believe, then, that I'm in love with
Henryg"
"Of course do"
"IIenry is good and clever. You say
yourself that he has a fine prospect before
him as an architect"
"That's true"
ellis father, NJ de Grandval, is q man"
"Of the highest honor"
"Well, them"
"Yes, well then?" chimed in Madame
Desgranges.
"Wcll, then, let her marry him. and with
my consent, and q hundred thousand
francs for dowTy. But, as TO the two hun
dred thousand that NJ. de Grandval asks
now
"Why" replied Madame Desgranges.
why! That's charming. Because Pm
not rich enough to give two hundred
thousand francs to my daughter, without
erippling myself"
"You will have enough, all the same"
Enough! That's too little"
AT your age, one has no longer any
wants."
"On the contrary, each advancing year
brings further want with 1t. There's
not an infirmity that is not a source OF ex.
pense: my sight fails, must have specta-
cles; my legs grow feeble, | must have
carriage; my hair falls out, must have a
wig; and then the India.rubbers and
flannel Why, the flannel alone will cost
a hundred francs per annum."
"But-"
mo, no let youth be poor, That's just.
That's its lot. Is it, in fact, in want of
any thingy What matters good supper
and a good lodging, when one has restS
While, as for old age"
you're not DID," said Madame Des-
oranges, amiably.
"Oh, oh The case is grave, if you're
going to flatter me-"
"Come, come, let's see," continued she,
IN coaXing tone. "Let's reason about 1t.
After all, what is the questions just some
slight reductions in our mode of living
our having, for instance, one servant
less.n
Exactly sop
"Well, so much the betterw
$50 much the worse Pm lazy. like
to be waited on.n
"And you grow heavier, and are getting
fat, while, If you waited little on your
self, you would remain active, young-n
81 don't care about thatln
"But care about it-for your sake -
It's the same of our table. Suppose we
were to retrench one dish at our dinner"