Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-02-11

nNANNNAfN W AAhNNf R'A'hfN - A"t"H.
There was time when according TO oui
old usages, young girls dowry cousste,
Of nothing more than chaplct Of roses
That period is long ago.
10 these days the question Of dover D.
the main point in marriage, aud gives ris,
in the domestic circle to occasional scenes
that may be droll, or sad or pathetic. Il
is one of these that desire to bring before
you.
Come in, if you please, to the sanctum
Of NJ. Desgranges, in his house at Nillen
euye-Sant Georges. NJ. Desgraugos, q
merchant retired from business, is talking
by the freside with his wife and hi.
daughter, and the talk is extremely ami
mated, as it is all about a marriage. A
young architect, NJ Henry Grandval, ha.
asked the hand Of Madelaine, with whom
he is in love, and who is in love with him
So far, nothing palmer But NJ Grandya
senior will let his son marry only girl Of
two hundred thousand francs, and NJ. Des
oranges will give his daughter only one
hundred thousand. His wife presses him
to yield, his daughter tenderly besoeche.
him, but he refuses point-bank A prac-
tical man and a firm one is NJ. Desgranges
aud there is no moving him against bis will
Good Madame Desgranges belongs to that
tribe of softnatured mothers who cant speak
Of her child without certain choking il
her utterance. She insists, she prays, and
then, finding her husband inAexible, she
rises from her seat, and says to him, indig
nantly
NJ. DesgraDgcs, do you wish to know
Just what think of you ? You hayeueither
heart nor bowels !'
No doubt Of that, my dear -
You are not father you are a ~
An executioner As is said 10 Iphi
genia ,
Thy daughters executonor, 'twcre right
That for her mother thou shouidst now prepare
ghostly festival
M. Desgranges :"
Madame Desgranges :"
"Do you know, sir, that with your iron
ical Indifference you will end by putting nc
beyond myself, by driving me entirely out
OF my cuaTactef.
4" Provided, my dear, that you don't g
back into it again. gently suggested NJ
Desgrauges.
"Ah this is too muchl"
" Enough, mamma enough 70 said Made
leine, rising in turn, will not be the
cause of such language between my father
and yourself. And, since be does not be
ieve that be oughtto do what we ask him,
added she, beginning to cry, since he re-
fuses what we SO much desire, aud what
would be the happiness Of Henry and my
self"
"She is crying - exclaimed Madam,
Desgranges-" o my child my little dar
ling And this doesn't move you, monster
You can see her tears, you can hear hcl
say with that sweet voice Of hers that bel
happiness is involved--and remain inAex
ible."
What would you, my dear2 When
see a woman cry, I'm always on my guard.
How sol"
Z" It's not my fault that remember it
In the early days ofour marriage, you use,
to cry SO often when you wanted to &c
something out of me, that always lool
now upon feminine tears as a sort OF invest
ment."
90 papa, papa !" exclaimed Madeleine
how can you mistrust my sorrow2 Yol
don't believe, then, that I'm in love witt
Henry2"
OF course | do
" Henry is good and clever. You sa,
yourself that he has fine prospect beforI
him as en- architect"
That's true"
His father, NJ. de Grandyal is man
"Of the highest honor"
Well, then ?"
"Yes, well then ?' chimed in Madam
Desgranges.
"Well, then let her marry him, and viii
10Y consent, and a hundred thousand franc
for dowry. But, as to the two hundre,
thousand that NJ. de Grandyal asks no !!
Why2" replied Madame Desgranges
why! That's charming. Because Ia
not rich enough to give two hundred thou
sand francs to my daughter, without Grip
pling myself"
You will have enough, all the same. -
Enough That's too little"
"At your age, one has no longer an.
wants"
4" Ga the contrary, each advancing yea
brings a further want with it. There's no
any infrmity that is not a source ofexpense
my sight fails, | must have spectacles m,
legs grow feeble, must have carriage
my hair falls out, must have wig an,
then the lndia-rubbors and fannels! Why
the flannel alone will cost a hundred franc
per anuum."
" But"
No, no let youth be poor That
just. That's its lot. Is it, in fact, in wan
of any thing2 What matters a good sup
per and a good lodging, when one has rest
While, as for old age"
"You're not old said Madame Dcs
oranges, amiably.
:" Oh, oh The case is grave, if your
going to fatter me-"
Come, come, let's see" continued she
in coaxing tone. Lets reason abou
it. After all, what is the question? Jus
some slight reductions in our mode ofliyinI
our having, for instance, one servant less.
Exactly sou
"Well so much the better!"
$50 much the worse I'm lazy, like l.
be waited on
"And you grow heavier, and are gettini
fat, while, if you waited little on yourself
you would remain active, young"
A" don't care about that !"
"But care about it--for your sake -
It's the same of our table Suppose W
we're to retrench one dish at our dinner
" Not at all. l won't have it. I'm
glutton."
That's sin, papa ~ observed Madeleine
"Just so, but very pleasant sin, and
have so few Of that sort left me. My dea
good appetite Why, never notice tn
coming on Of dinner-time without seeinI
before my cyes--as it were in dream
the bill Of fare; without saying to myself
: Ha, hs, what delicious dish Of sweets vii
my wife have inverted for me to-day 7
For.I must do you justice on that point