The record-union., 1894-12-13
HOW 4 SHREWD MAMMA MANAGED.
Points on Marrying Off Your Daugh-
tiers.
Beselena Gives Away Some of the Sc.
crets of the Arts Practiced
to That End.

I was talking to woman the other
day, the mother of three grown daugh-
ters. each happily married, and yet the
mother looks young enough to be their
sister, but it wasn't as TO how she man
aged to retain her good and youthful
looks that we talked, but how she sue
ceeded SO admirably in settling her
daughters in life, when other and more
attractive girls were still on the shelf.
1T isn't an absolute necessity that your
daughters should be beautiful" said this
matron, ''but they must be sensible and
cIever-clever not only so far as accom-
plishments and all that goes, but they
must also know how to perform the prac-
tical things of life. When my oldest
daughter was of marriageabie age 1
looked about the field for an eligible
young man. 1t wasn't so easy task to
find one as it is to tell about it, and
while l was sitting the wheat from the
chatf L took Mary in hand and was train
ing her for the coming conquest, for girls
need more training and cultivation in
this respect than In any other. l grant
you that two young persons who are ex-
actly suited to each other are going to
find it out without any training from
their parents, but with an older, wiser,
more experienced head IN the back
ground To give counsel and advice they
make a surer and swiiter conquest and
do 1t more gracefully, too, than If left to
their own devices.
''At last Mary was ready, and just
about this time L found a young man
whom / thought would suit. He waSn't
rich, but he had good position with a
comfortable salary every month. lie
didn't have a soul dependent upon him,
but was just sort of boarding and DRIFT
ing around. l had had my eye on him
1or some time. and after all inquiries con-
corning him had been satisfactorily an
sWered, L waited favorable opportunity
and casually invited him to call. He ac-
cepted the invitation with alacrity, and
could see that he was secretly pleased.
ION the night of his first visit l had
Mary sewing III the sitting-rOOm where
my gentleman was to be ushered. She
wasn't wasting time over an insane piece
of fancywOrk that is simply ruinous to
ones eyes and health, but she had a good,
sensible piece of Work-she was making
aprons, and kitchen aprons al that. I'm
romantic? Well, perhaps, but l have
always maintained that that kitchen
apron was one of the things that helped
to captivate that young mans heart.
Mary looked very industrious and pretty
as she sat IN the ceuter of the room near
table, just where good light fell upon
her. One has to be so particular, my
dear, in these small details, which, after
all. though seemingly unimportanG, go to
make up charming and agreea bic whole
Gas and electric lights are very trying to
ones complexion, and If one isn't care
1ul to sit IN just the right position the
way the light fails Is very likely to make
even a pretty woman look unatLractive.
presently the young man appeared
We didn't frighten him by too much
gusb, nor allow him to see that we were
positively overwhelmed with joy to see
him, nor did we play the stiff act, and
make him wish he were we'll out of the
whole business. We simply treated him
as an old friend of the family, and we
soon had him at his ease. After awhile l
brought the conversation around to
Mary's work, which she showed him.
and that brought around the subject of
cooking, which was just what l had been
aiming at all along, and l very casually
mentioned, just as though it were of no
importance Whatever, that Mary was an
excellent cook. L knew he had been
boarding around SO long that he was
positively dying for good home dinner
again, SO i'll an otf-hand manner | ill.,
vited him TO dinner on a certain day,
being careful to explain that it would
simply be a family affair, not a bit differ
ent from what we had every day of the
week. This put him at ease at once.
also added that Mary would be cook on
that occasion, and l wanted him to try
some of her cake, as she was considered
quite an expert in that branch of the
culinary art.
"Of course he accepted the invitation,
and the dinner was SO good and we all
made him feel so much at ease that it
didn't take pressing to induce him to
come again. From that on it was only a
step 10 have him regular caller. Then
hu1 Nor ll-a aa1n loft fO- I "a
trained her 10 do this privately, so she
wouldn't be awkward about it. She made
1t in little brass teapot in the sitting
room, and if | do say it myself, Mary
looked very charming while presiding
over that teak ettle, and when the choco-
late was made and served in dainty cups
she passed the cake and sandwiches
around. | could almost see by this time
what that young man was thinking of.
lie was thinking how nice it would be if
he only had home of his own with just
such presiding genius in it as Mary.
Then, after awhile, Mary would
sing for him. She hadn't big voice, but
she could sing simple song very effect
lively. l didn't care Tor her to try diff
cult operate music, because amateurs, in
nine cases out of ten, utterly murder the
song, and it is too painful an effort on
the part of the singer, not TO mention the
audience, to be attempted, so Mary con-
fined herself to ballads and songs which
appealed to the heart and sentiment and
that people could understand. l used to
tell that young man what a treasure
Mary was, and how it would siluplv
break me all up should she marry and 90
away from me; that l just didn't think
the house could positively be run with
out her; that the other dear girls were all
that could be desired, but they were
young yet, and Mary-here there would
be an expressive pause.
We'll, OF course that set him thinking.
and when the fact dawned on his brain
that Mary wasn't for sale he was simpIy
more determined than ever to get her. /
know this to be fact, that il a mother
shows too plainly that she is anxious to
get her daughters off her hands the men
are apt to be shy. No man likes what he
can get too easily; if he's got to work for
it he appreciates the prize all the more
when ii is within his grasp.
''All this time you mustn't think that
/ was playing the chaperone act for after
had got things properly started l grad
ually began to disappear. I'd have the
housemaid or one of the other girls come
in under some pretext or another, ana I'd
excuse myself and leave the room, for
getting to return, or, if did, making nv
appearance just as he was about taking
his departure. After while | didn't 90
in at all, but l knew by this time that my
absence was more desirable than nv
company-that these two young people
could get along deal better without me
so / stayed away accordingly.
Presently he began to take Mary to
walk, and occasionally to the theater and
his visits to the house became more fire.
ouelt By these signs l knew that thinps
were progressing most beautifully, so l
wasn't surprised when one day he led the