Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-04-05
MY MOTHERS OBJECTIONS.

"There is no use in talking; nothing
on earth will ever induce me to give my
consent"
1t was my mother who spoke, and I sat
silent, vainly endeavoring to find some
argument which should 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,
too good for the world, 1 sometimes
thought-too good, at least, for the world
in which 1 lived, and to which / had re-
Gently transplanted 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 pre-
walls in those quiet spots of New England
where a stern Puritanism rides rough
shod over all natural tastes and instincts,
you can, perhaps, appreciate the force of
my mothers objections to my betrothed,
Helen Leighton; 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. 1 had
argued them with her, point by point,
many a time, driving her from them one
by one, forcing her to acknowledge their
untenability. So far so good but as a
bit of Whale-bone 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"
Gamble? She played cards, as every
body does, which hardly constitutes
gambling; but this was a distinction
which my mother would by no means
allow.
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 DOrcds breUis,
which, by some miraculous means, had
strayed thither. How wa it possible
for him to resist capturing such prize !?
As he had come out unproyided with the
collectors supply of boxes, murderous
drugs, chronological pins, and such like,
an empty envelope served to confne it,
and he had thrust it into his pocket.
Unluckily, the envelope was not sealed !;
the beetle, by no means pleased with its
incarceration, made its escape. and being
of an investigating turn of mind, pro-
ceeded to burrow under Harry garments.
1t is in vain to endeavor to preserve a
calm and decorous demeanor, with mys-
terious claws burying themselves in your
skin in inaccessible places. When to this
is added the fear of injuring rare and
valuable specimen in your frantic at
tempts at recapture, and also the dread
of attracting the attention of clergyman
and congregation, Harry Leighton,s state
of mind may be imagined. As for Helen,
at first she had gazed upon her brothers
wild contortions and grimaces with a
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 uncontrolla-
bic, hysterical, until the welcome sound
of Z" Let US prayl" enabled her to hide
her blushing, agonized face.
Now I had again and again explained
the circumstances to my mother, but it
was all in vain.
" If she had had a proper sense of the
solemnity of the place, she never would
have been tempted to laugh" was all
that she could say, adding, as her ulti-
matum, If ever you find me gambling,
dancing, and laughing in church, I will
give my consent; but, until then, it is
quite useless to ask me-"
And so saying, my mother terminated
the argument by sweeping from the
room, leaving me to chew the cud of
sweet and bitter reflections.
II.
1t had rained for week-a driving,
easterly storm, with occasional interludes
of heavy, foggy weather, low gray skies,
and damp, raw air. My mothers chest
being weak, she was debarred from all
outdoor exercise during its continuance.
and, sooth to say, the time began to hang
very heavily on her hands. Reading is
all very well for time, but when you
have all your life been bustling notable
housekeeper, finding your highest pleas
ure in new and recondite recipes, IN scru-
pulous and frequent cleansings and purl-
fyings of your domicile from cellar to
garret, your literary tastes are apt to rust.
In a city clearinghouse there is little OUT
let for energy in any housewifely direc-
ton. Therefore it was no wonder that
my mother soon began to stray about the
parlors with forlorn' and hopeless ex-
preston, wistfully watching the various
groups, each deep in the mysteries OF
cassino, Sancho Pedro, or such like
unwhOlesome diversions; for cards just
then happened to be mania with all
of us.
Suddenly, as I watched her on that
especial evening, l saw her whole lace
light up as she paused beside group OF
four who were collected around small
stand. Naturally strained my eyes and
ears to learn what could have produced
that look of placid and profound satisfac-
ton; but my observations were in vain.
until one of this group, rising with an
apology to the rest, politely offered his
chair to my mother. He, being a COM
parative stranger among us, knew moth
ing of her peculiar ideas, which were no
secret to the rest of the house. saw the
look of laughing dismay exchanged
among those who were left; then, to my
unbounded amazement, saw my mother
sLlh.ila ..,a. a.. ..a..----I -. L