The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-11-03
MY MOTHERS OBJECTIONS.

1.
There is no use in talking; nothing
on earth will ever induce me to give my
consent"
1t was my mother who spoke, and l sat
silent, vainly endeayoring to find some
argument which would induce her to
change her mind. Unless she did so,
the case, | knew, was hopeless; for
Helen, proud, beautiful darling that she
was, would never marry a man whose
family refused to sanction the match.
My mother was the best woman in the
world, sometimes thought too good,
at least, for the world in which | lived,
and to which had recently transrlanted
her from the quiet New England village
in which she had lived all her married
life. If you know anything of the rigid
spirit which prevails in these quiet spots
of New England where a stern Puritan
ism rides rough shod over all natural
tastes and instincts, you can, perhaps,
appreciate the force Of my mothers OBJ
jections to my betrothed, Helen Leigh
ton; otherwise you must take my word
for their cogency.
"She dances; she CANDLES; she laughs
IN church"
These were the grounds on which my
mothers objections were based l had
argued them with her, point by point,
many time, driving her from them one
by one, forcing her to acknowledge their
untenability. So far so good; but as a
bit of whalebone springs back when the
pressure upon it is relaxed, just so surely
did her mind spring back to the original
point:
She CANDLES; she dances; she laughs
in church"
Dance? Of course she danced, like a
wave of the sea, or a bubble of the air.
Thanks to my Puritanical training, l had
had no opportunity of learning the art
until my muscles had lost their youthful
fexibility. Nevertheless, it was my de-
light to watch her graceful figure and to
catch the bright chances which from
time to time she sent me as she floated
past.
Gamble? She played cards, as every
body does, which hardly constitutes
gambling; but this was distinction
which my mother would by no means al
low.
Cards are cards" was her line of ar
gument. 1T may be shade worse to
play for money, but in either case the
principle is the same"
AS for her laughing in church. who
would not have laughed, under the cir
cumstances, should like to know? You
see, her brother, Harry Leighton, was
gifted with naturalist's tastes and in
stincts. Bugs and beetles, worms and
larvae, and all hideous flying and creep
ing things, were to him types of beauty
in its divinest essence. Now, on that
soft August afternoon, as Helen and
Harry were crossing one of our city parks
on their way to church, his eye fell upon
a specimen of the rare D0rcGs 6re0iS,
which, by some miraculous means, had
strayed thither. How was it possible
for him to resist capturing such prize?
collectors supply of boxes, murderous
drugs, chronological pins, and such like,
an empty envelope served to confine it,
and he thrust it into his pocket. I'm
luckily, the envelope was not sealed; the
beetle, by no means pleased with its in
generation, made its escape, and being
of an investigating turn of mind, pro-
ceeded to burrow under Harry's gar
ments. 1t is in vain to endeavor to pre-
serve a calm and decorous demeanor,
with mysterious claws burying them
selves in your skin in inaccessible places.
When to this is added the fear of iniur-
ing a rare and valuable specimen in your
frantic attempts at recapture, and also
the dread of attracting the attention of
clergyman and congregation, Harry
Leightons state of mind may be imag
ined. As for Helen, at first she had
gazed upon her brothers wild contor-
tons and grimaces with mild wonder
and alarm. The alarm was relieved by
his whispered explanation of the true
state of the case, profusely illustrated
by frantic but cautious grabs at the
cause of his woes. Now, ask, could
any mortal maiden resist this, especially
in place where to laugh was to feel
herself forever disgraced? The very
sense of horror which she felt at the idea
of her own untimely levity only FASTENED
the explosion. A little half-smothered
rivulet Of laughter trickled out; shame
and fright only made matters worse; the
laughter became uncomfortable, hyster'
ical, until the welcome sound of Let us
prayw enabled her to hide her blushing
agonized face.
Now had again and again explained
the circumstances to my mother, but il
was all in vain.
eff she had had proper sense of thu
solemnity of the place, she never would
have been tempted to laugh" was al
that she would say, adding, as her ultj
nadtum: "If ever you find me gambling
dancing and laughing in church, will
give my consent; but, until then, it i
quite useless to ask me-"
And so saying, my mother terminate,
the argument by sweeping from tn
room, leaving me to chew the cud o
sweet and bitter reflections. How m