Year: 1864




their society here. There is no possible plea


sure in running to the door every five minute


to let in old women, I'm sure. Jennie Saul


ders stood in her mothers dressing roou


whittier she had gone to get lamp to take /


the sitting room where there were sewers
| young ladies and gentlemen of her own ag


and on hearing the bell she addressed thes
ungrateful words to her aged mother. Mr.


Saunders was just leaving the room, and G
hearing these words, turned and looked Sol


rowf1Ily at her daughter, but she had talke
like this in her mothers presence many time


before, and did not now care to notice th


troubled expression in her mothers counter


auce.


"If you are going down now you may g,


to the door yourself L am tired of saying


good evening TO stiff old ladies'"


Jennie" said Mrs. Saunders, her voie


trembling with emotion, you are trying M,


tonight more than words can express.


hope if you live to be as old as 1 am, you viii


never have your feelings wounded by daught
er of yours, as 1 have had mine wounded BY
you tonight" With this she went dowr
stairs with heavy heart to welcome one Of
her old friends She had invited the Church
Society to meet at her house this evening, and
this beautiful young girl, that should have
scorned to speak and act as she did, was out
of patience because she had to leave her
young friends so often to go to the door; and
indeed she hardly condescended to speak
to those she admitted, although they were old
and dear friends of The family. whom she had
known from her babyhood up.


o could she have known how much more
winning and attractive she would have made
herself if she had met each with a bright smile,
a pleasant how do you do" and shake of the
hand how much more ladylike it would have
been to have taken her young friends into the
parlor where the older ladies were, and bave
Joined in pleasant cheerful conversation with
them, and have started cheerfully to the door
at the first tinkle of the bell to conduct her
mothers friends 10 the parlor, and have
brought forward the easy chair for her mo-
thers guests, and enquired pleasantly after the
health of each, and have told them how happy
her mother was 10 have them meet at her
house and that she herself was always happy
to meet with them. We say could she have
realized this and have acted accordingly, in-
stead of tossing her proud head every time
she admitted one of them, making herself mis-
cradle by displaying her ill manners, she
would have made herself many friends and
would have saved her mother many bitter tri-
ais. .....- .........-.... - E


And yet we do not think that Jennie Saun-
ders was altogether to blame we think that
mothers in this particular are great deal in
fault. They are too apt to indulge the feel
ing in their children that they cannot minge
in older society they are too apt to deal
lightly with them for manifesting disrespect to
elderly persons they are altogether too care
less in training the young mind with jealous
care to be respectful to those who are ad-
vanced in years to look with respect and ad
miration at the silver shreds that begin to
show themselves in the hair, aud in teaching
them that it is glorious privilege for them to
mingle with those who are their superiors in
not apt enough to take young
daughter by the hand and say to her, Come
my dear, go with me to-day or this evening to
see one of my old friesds ;" or, F." Ny daughter,
l am lonely tonight, stay at home and spend
the evening with me-" Too apt to let them
think that they must shut themselves in emo
ther part of the house, when there is two or
three of them together, and that she must nos
interrupt them aFth her presence. In all those
things Mrs. Saunders had been renliss while
the young mind was forming, and soon she
had no authority over her way-ward daughter;
and although in after years Jennie Saunders
was rewarded, we say she was not altogether
TO blame.


After speaking SO thoughtlessly to her moth
er, she assumed bright smile to meet her
friends in the sitting room. None of them
would have judged ffen her beautiful smile,
that but one moment before her face was dis
torted with a dark frown, and in her mothers
presence, in the presence of her who should
have had her kindest words and brightest
smiles.


Girls" she said, with a smile and shake
of her bead, as she entered the room, don't
you think old ladies are nuisance? Ma
wanted US to go into the parlor tonight with
them. We might just as well bury ourselves
at once; and so told her that we were not
going to do it,


Why Jennie" said Alice Gray, sweet
young girl who had accompanied her mother
tuCISs " ny OOuHACJ JOu W uOt IHCdl hudt
you say, am sure. consider my mother
one of the dearest and best friends have on
earth. How can you talk as you do when
your mother is so advanced in years."


Alice was girl of fine principles; she con-
sidered her mother dear companion, and
never had been guilty of winking or drawing
down her face, and nudging her friends, as if
impatient for her mother to absent herself as
soon as any of her young friends called to see
her.


Alice Gray" said Jennie, please don't
begin now. l know that you are sensitive
upon this subject, as have heard you express
yourself before; but really, girls, l do think
that old ladies' society is nuisance, and L
for one do not hesitate to express my opinion
" What do you think, Mr. Newman ?"
turning to one of the young gentlemen, ''come,
be on my side, and say that these old ladies'
societies are what 1 have just represented
them, wont You"


q" 1 could not express myself so Iasnly," said
Mr.. Newman, joining the group of young la
dies. Never having attended one of them,
cannot express my opinion. but | must beg
leave to stand on Miss Gray's side of the
question until can speak from experience
I'll express myself now, however, to this eff
feet, that consider Miss Gray right. 1 con,
slider my mother my best and dearest friend,
and always feel honored by being noticed by
any who visit her should be sorry to say
that old people were nuisance; because in
doing so L would be CHASING my own parents
with them, and Heaven forbid that l should
ever be guilty for one moment of considering
them nuisance e-z


!" There, that is the idea" said Alice Gray.
g In considering old ladies nuisance l should
have 10 consider my, mother one too, and
should never be happy for one moment if l
were to give way to such feelings, l love my
mother, and therefore l love her friends.