Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-01-15

sisted OF nOtnlng more imam claplet OIL
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 to
bring here before you.
Come in, ifyou please to the sanctum
of M. Dcsgranges, in his house at Vile
e-Saint Georges. Nj. Desgranges, a
merchant retired from business, is talking
nv the fireside with his wife and his
daughter, and the talk is extremely ami
mated, as it is all about a marriage. A
young architect, Nj. Henry Grandval, has
asked the hand of Madeleine, with whom
he is in love, and who is in love with him.
So far, nothing palmer. But nj. Grand
val senior will let his son marry only a
girl of two hundred thousand francs, and
NJ. Desgranges 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 infiexible, she
rises from her seat, and says to him in
dignantly:
IN. Desgranges, do you wish to know
just what | think of you? You have
neither heart nor bowels!"
"No doubt of that, my dearm
"You are not father: you are a"
"An executioner! AS is said in 1phi-
genia:'
Thy daughters executioner, 'twere right
That for her mother thou shouldst now prepare
A ghostly festvair"
IN. Desgranges!"
madame Desgrangesm
"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 characterw
provided my dear, that you don't go
back into it again." gently suggested NJ.
Desgranges.
"Ah, this is too much ~
Enough, mamma, enoughn' said Mad
cline, rising in turn, 81 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 cryingw 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 of hers
that her happiness is involved and re-
main inflexible?"
"What would you, my dear? When /
see woman cry, I'm always on my
guard"
allow so?"
ats not my fault that / 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 i always
look now upon feminine tears as sort OF
investment"
90 papa, papar' exclaimed Madeline,
show can you mistrust my sorrow? You
don't believe, then, that Pm in love with
Henryg"
"Of course do"
"Henry is good and clever. YouSay
yourself that he has fine prospect before
him as an architect"
"That's true"
"His father, nj. de Grandval, is man"
"Of the highest honor"
'Well, them"
eyes, well then?" chimed in Madame
Desgranges.
"Well, then, let her marry him, and with
my consent, and hundred thousand
francs for dowry. But, as to the two hun
dred thousand that nj. de Grandval asks
nor
"Why:" replied Madame Desgranges.
"Whyl That's charming. Because I'm
not rich enough to give two hundred
thousand francs to my daughter, without
crippling 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 it. There's
not an infirmity that is not source OF ex-
pense: my sight fails, must have specta-
Giles my legs grow feeble, / must have a
carriage; my hair falls out, ! must have
wig; and then the India-rubbers and
flannel! Why, the flannel alone will cost
a hundred francs per annum."
"But--"
"No, no; let youth be poor. That'sj just.
That's its lot. Is it, in fact In want OF
any things What matters a good supper
and good lodging, when one has rest?
While, as for old age"
you're not DID," said Madame Des-
oranges, amiably.
ooh, 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 II.
After all, what is the question? just some
slight reductions in our mode OF living
our having, for instance, one servant
less"
Exactly sol'
swell. so much the better"
$50 much the worse! I'm lazy. like
to be waited on"
"And you grow heavier, and are getting
fat, while, if you waited little on your
self, you would remain active, young"
II don't care about thatp
"But care about it-for your sake!-
It's the same Of our table. Suppose we
were to retrench one dish at our dinner"
mot at all. won't have it. I'm
glutton."
That's a sin, papa" observed Made
leine.
"Just 90 lint a very pleasant sim and L