Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-01-02
$3.50 IN ADVANCE.

you pretend that our children are nOtf'
"Yes, my dear, they are all that, and
more stilll But do you suppose thatyOur
daughter, with her pretty face, that she
takes pleasure In showing because it is a
pleasure 10 look at it-that your sonin
law, with his artistic tastes and his imag
ination, would leave Paris and the enjoy.
mcnts of its early winter; and, particular
ly, that he would go there for his business
every morning and return every evening
all for the sole delight of taking n hand
at piqtltt with father who is beginning
to be little deaf, and mother who
would gain something in being partially
dumbS"
"But, what else can you imagine9 Wha,
motive can you assign for their prolonged
stay with us?''
"Mv dear" answered NJ. Desgra1ges,
laughing again, "when you were young,
and had very beautiful hair you were en-.
chanted at going into the country, SO that
the parting might have rest. Well, our
children are delighted to stay here and
give rest to their pursew
Outrageous Can you suppose"
"I've no grudge against them for it.
do not accuse them, either, of ingra,itude
or indifference / am sure that, if they
had an income of twenty thousand francs,
instead of ten thousand, they would love
us always-but not quite so long at a
time. In the same way, for instance,
don't know any sOn-in-law the like OF
mine. 1t is impossible to show more def.
erence, to pay more attention. He never
allows one of my anniversaries-fcie day,
birthday, wedding g-day-to pass, without
fastening forward with an immense bou.
quet,"
"And you believe that interested mo-
tives only"
ooh, no, my dear, not interest alone-no
-no-an interest made up, half affection
ate, halfcalculated-an unconscious cal
culation, of which ono takes 10 account,
but the existence Of which | surmise, or
iginating in a necessity by which | profit,
while it does not vex me in the leastl"
"Ab, you are really too bad. You dis.
enchant you take the poetry out Of every
thing! One must be capable of such sen
timents, in order to imagine them in
others 1t is monstrous"
"By no means 1t is quite natural. Old
people are very mucl in the way. They
must make amends somehow. make
amends by hospitality"
"Say at once that our children take our
house for an innr'
"Ah, just 90; the Golden Lion = Here arc
lodged and boarded certain embarrassed
children, ,de5irous to economize. Have they
spent too much upon theaters, balls, con-
certs? Let's 60 and pass week with
papai Is one of the children out of
sorts2 Send him or her into the country,
to papa'sv And the child is sent-and
they all come at the same time. And, as
they are received with open arms, and as
they are spared all expense, and as papa
has good quarters and good table, and
as they find there good capons and good
partridgcs that the egotistical father is
enchanted to share with his children,
why, they come, and return, and remain
with pleasure"
"Ah, how disgusting! He invests every
thing with egotism, even paternal lovep'
"But, suppose, on the other hand" con.
tinucd NJ. Desgranges, without appearing
to have heard his wife, suppose that
had doubled Madelene's dover, accord.
ing to your wish, what would have hap
pencils That at this moment our chill
dren, considering that our son in-law is
somewhat of an enthusiast, would not
perl aps be much richer, while | should
be great deal poorer; that / could not
receive and entertain them for so | ng a
time, nor so well; and that they would
come less frequently to us, because they
would be better off at home. Ah, my
dear, if our children had more money
than ourselves, our daughter wruld have
discovered six weeks ago that Villeneuve.
SaintGeorges is too damp in the autumn,
and would have feared for the children
the effect of the fogs from the river, while
our son-in-law would have declared that
these daily trips TO Paris were affecting his
health. This brings me, therefore, to my
conclusion, which dedicate to all fathers
who have marriageablc daughters: Would
you keep your children? keep Y, Ut
money! Would you have pleasure in your
grandchildren keep your money! For
it is thanks to the money that the father
remains the head of the family; that the
fathers house remains the domestic raj
lying point-that is TO say, an honorable
and comfortable retreat for the aged; for
the young, place Of refuge and enjoy
ment; for the babies, a nest, to which they
will come in search of health, and some
times for nurture more judicious than that
of their mothers themselves; for all, in
short, center and sanctuary, wherein
occur things to be embered-wherein
successive generations grow up and grow
old, and wherein are perpetuated tradi.
tions Of respect and affection! Call my
foresight, if you will, ejaculation and per
sonality; for my pars, | call it the true
paternal love, that which consists in max.
ing children happier and better! For,
note well, my dear that my son in-law
had, am quite willing to believe it,
everything in favor of his becoming a
pattern sOn-in-law; but without this fore.
sight of mine, his good qualities would
perhaps have remained in budding state
only. To whom does he owe it, if they
have bloomed? Plainly, to me Moral OF
the fable: l shallII add one sou to my
daughters dowry"