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

In short, just the reverse of myself!
ISM tit SOL" said NJ Desgranges, laughing,
and adding, as he went up to his wife,
Come, come, let me give you kiss. /
can't help adoring you, for you are never
more than twelve years old!'
How ?-I ?-tweive?"
II mean that you are, and always will
be, the same good creature, simple con-
| tiding, credulous, whom married with
so much satisfaction"
Simple and credulousr replied Mad.
| anne Desgranges. somewhat hurt "Would
you pretend that our children are notP"
Eyes, my dear, they are all that, and
more still! But do you suppose that your
daughter, with her pretty face, that she
takes pleasure in showing because il is n
pleasure to look at it--that your son-in-
law, with hisartistic tastes and his imag-
inatiOn, would leave Paris and the enjoy
ments 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 hand
at ptquet with father who is beginning
TO be little deaf, and mother who
would gain something in being partially
dumb"
''But, what else can you imagine; What
motive can you assign for their prolonged
stay with u.s."
"Mv dear" answered NJ. Desgranges,
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 a rest Well, our
children are delighted 10 stay here and
give rest 10 their pursew
Outrageous Can you suppose"
1--we no grudge against them for ii.
do not accuse them, either, of ingratitude
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 fete-day,
birthday, wedding day-to pass, without
Fastening forward with an immense bou.
quet."
And you believe that interested mo-
tives only"
"Oh, no, my dear, not interest alone-no
--no-an interest made up, halt affection
ate, half-Calculated-an unconscious cal
culation, of which one takes no account,
but the existence Of which | surmise, or
iginating in necessity by which | profit,
while it does not vey me in the least"
'Ah, 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 monstrousw
"By no means 1t is quite natural. Old
people are very much in the way. They
must make amends somehow, | make
amends by hospitality"
"Say at once that our children take our
house for an innn
"Ah, lust so the Golden Lion = Here are
lodged and boarded certain embarrassed
children, DESTROYS to econonize. Have they
spent too much upon theaters, balls, con
certs? Let's go and pass week with
papa Is one of the children out OF
sortsY Send him or her into the country,
to papa'sl' 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
partridges that the egotistical father IL
enchanted to share with his children
why, they come, and return, and remain
with pleasurew
"Ah, how disgusting! He invests every,
thing with egotism, even paternal love-!
"But, suppose, on the other hand" con
tinued M. Desgranges, without appearing
to have heard his wife, Suppose that
had doubled Madeleine's dover, accord
ing to your wish, what would have hap
pened? That at this moment our chill
dren, considering that our sOn-in.law is
somewhat of an enthusiast, would not
peri APPS be much richer, while | should
be great deal poorer; that | could not
receive and entertain them for so lJng a
time, nor so WELL and that they would
come less frequently to us, because they
would be better off at home. All, my
dear, If our children had more money
than ourselves, our daughter would have
discovered six weeks ago that Villeneuye-
Saint Georges 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 10 all fathers
who have manageable daughters Would
you keep your children keep your
money! Would you have pleasure In your
grandchildren keep your money? For
il 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, 10 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 a sanctuary, wherein
occur things TO be Observation-Disclosures
successive generations grow up and grow
old, and wherein are perpetuated tradi-
tons Of respect and affection! Call my
foresight, if you will, ejaculation and per.
sonality; for my part, ! 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
mad, ! 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 coed qualities would
perhaps have remained in budding state
only. To whom does he owe il, if they
have bloomed? Plainly, to met-Moral Of
the fable: i shall ID add one sou TO my
daughters dowry!n