My Mother's Objections

-L. " There is no use in talking; nothing on eartli will ever induce me to give my consent." It was my motber who epoke, and ] fat silent, vainly endeavoring to flnd some arfjuroent yrhioh sbould induce her to change her mind. Unless she 1 did bo, the case, I knew, was hopeless, i for Helen, prond, beautiful darling that ahe was, would never marry a man whose , family refused to sanctio'n the match. My mother was the best woman in the ■ world, too good for the world, I times thought - too good, at least; for the world in which I lived, and to which I ] had reccntly transplanted her from the quiet New England village in which she ■ had lived all her married life. If yon ■ know anything of the rigid spirit which ■ prevails iu those quiet spots of New j gland whero a stern Puritanism ridea rough-shod over all natural tistes and ■ stincts, you can, perhaps, appreciate the ■ force of my mother's objections to my ■ betrothed, Helen Lcighton ; otherwise, ; you must take my word for their cogency. ] "She dnnces; she gambles; she laughs ■ iu chureh." These were the grounds on which my ( mother's objections were based. I had ■ gued thein with her, point by point, many ! a time, driving her from them one by one, foreing her to acknowledge their , untenability. So f ar so good; but, as a ■ bit of whalebone springs back when the pressure npon it is relaxed, just bo sureJy did her mind spring back to the original point : "She gambles; she dances; she laughs in chureh." Dance ? of course she danced, like a wave of the sea or a bubble of the air. Thanks to my Puritanical training, I had no opportunity of learning the art until my muscles had lost their youthful fiexibility. Nevertheless, it was my delight to watch her graceful figuro and to catch the bright glances which from time to time she sent me as she floated past. Gamble ? She played cards, as everybodv does, which hardly constitutes gambling; but this was a distinction which my mother would by no means allow. " Carcls are cards," was her line of argument. ' ' It may be a shade worse to play for money, but, in either case, the principie is the game." As for her laughing in chureh, who would not have laughed, under the circunistances, I should like to know ? You see, her brother, Harry Leighton, was gifted with a naturalist's tastes and instincts. Bugs and beetles, worms and larvse, and all hideous flying and creeping things, were to him types of beauty in its divinest essence. Now, on that soft August afternoon, as Helen and Harry were crossing oue of our city parks on their way to chureh, his eye feil upon a specimen of the rare Dorcas brevis, which, by some miraculous means, had strayed thither. How was it possible for him to resist capturing such a prize ? As he liad come out unprovided with the collector's supply of boxes, murderous drugs, entomological pins, and such like. an empty envelope served to confine 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 j j turn of mind, proceeded to burrow under Harry's garments. It is in vain to endeavor to preserve a calm and docorous demeanor, with mysterious claws burying themselves in your skin in inaccessible places. "When to this is added the fear of injuring a rare and valuable specimen in your frantic attempts at recapture, and, also the dread of attracting the attention of cïergyman and congregation, Harry Leighton's state of mind may be imagined. As for Helen, at first slie had gazed upon her brother's 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, I ask, could any mortal maiden resist this, especially in a place where to laugh was to feel herself forever disgraeed ? The very sense of horror which she feit at the idea of her own untimely levity only hastened the explosión. A little halfsmothered rivules of laughter trickled out; shame and fright only made matters worse; the laughter became uncontrollable, hysterical, until the welcome sound of "Let us pray !" enabled her to hide her blushing, agonized face. Now I had again and again explained the cireumstances to my mother, bnt 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 would say, adding, as her ultimatum, " If ever you find me gambling, dancing, and laughing in chureh, I will give my consent; but, until then, it is quite useless to ask me." And, so say ing, my mother terminated the argument by sweeping from the room, leaving me to cliew the cud of sweet and bitter reflections. How my mother's objections were tobeanswered, I confess that I could not see; that she would ever ehange her mind of her own aecord, I knew her too well to imagine. Could I inveigle her into a faro-bank under pretext of a prayer-meeting, engage her attention. and then bet in her name, persuading her afterward that the act was the effect of her own volition ? Hardly f easible; and, even if practicable, how were the other niiracles to be accomplished ? My mother dancing ! my mother laughing in chureh ! Unless she joined the Shakers, I could not see how the first was to be effected. As for the last, monkeys might perch on sounding-boards and angle for clergymen's wigs, stray dogs might run amuck up and down the aisles, with sexton and Sunday-school children in full cry after them, bats might flap and clergymen blunder, but I was quite sure that never a muscle of mv mother's face woukl move. With a sigh I gave up the problem at last, and sallied forth, all unconscious that fate was working for me in a cas9 where I was utterly helpiess. TT. It had rained for a week - a driving Basterly storm, with oceasional interludes of heavy, foggy weather, low gray skies, and a danap, raw air. My mother's chest being weak, she was debarred from all out-door exercises during its continuance, and, sooth to say, the time began to hang very heavily upon her handR. Keading is all very well for a time, but, when you have all your life been a bustling notable housekeeper finding your highest pleasure in uew and recondite recipes, in scrupulous anc frequent cleansings and jjurifyings o your domicile from cellar to garret, your litcrary tastes are apt to rust. In a city boardmg-house there is little out lot for energy in any housewifely direc tion. Therefore it was no wonder tha my mother soon began to stray abou the parlors with a forlorn and hopeless expression, wistfully watching the various groups, each deep in the mysteries of cassino, Sancho Pedro, or BUoh like unwholesonie diversión ; for oarde ju ;lien happened to be a innnia with all of is. Suddenly, as I watched lier on that ?,special evening, I saw her whole taco light up as sLe paused beside a group of ;our who were collected around a small stand. Naturally I strained my eyes md ears to learn what could have proluced tliat look of placid and profound ■latisfiiction; lint my obscrvations were n vain, until one of this group, rising with an apology to the re&t, politely ofiereá his chair to my rnother. He, beng a coraparative straiiger among us, idow nothing of her peculiar idean, ivhich were no secret to the rest of the house. I saw the look of langhing dismay exclianged among those who were left; then, to myunboundedaniazemcnt, [ saw my mother subside into the oft'ered shair. In another instant I understood E "Dominóes!" I keard her say, iu a ;one of satisfaotion. "I have never played Üiem since I was a child, but I was very fond of them then. You secm to be playing some new game of whioh I lo not know the rules; but, if you will bear with my ignorance for a while, I make no doubt that I shall learn them 3oon." The others, with, I fancièd, a slight besitancy, began to instruct her in the laws of tíie gamo. Soon I heard terms flyiug freely - terms curiously familiar, but strange and uncamiy as proceeding from my mother's lips. A "iiush," a "pair," a "straight flush " - what could it all mean ? "Ichip!" cried my mother's voice. in tones of wild excitement ; but - ' ' Too late !" cries another voice. ' ' How many counters have you ?" "Twenty-five," replies my mother, blandly and unsuspiciously. Instantly a, 25-cent stamp is laid upon the table before her. She starts back, I eying it with wild dismay. A horrible suspicion creeps across her mind, and, looking around the table, she gasps, f aintly : "What - tohat have I been playing?" Amid a ah out of laughter the answer reaches her, brokenly, faintly, but, alas ! only too intelligibly: "Playing? Why, 'penny ante,' to be sure. The cards were all in use, so we have been playing poker with dominóes by way of variety." I must pass lightly over the tableau which followed, or my tale will be too long ; over my mother's apologies, remorse, tearful explanations ; over her indignant refusal of the money; her final acceptance of it under protest and its subsequent dedication to the cause of missions. All this I must leave to your imagination, and pass to the next scène. in. Georgië had succeeded at last in her efforts at persuasión. Georgië Lenox was my cousin, and my mother's j ite niece. She was married now - ried a year ago to Budolf Aronach, one j of the best fellows in the world, and Üiey had taken up their abode in Hoboken, that most Germán of American towDS. It was to the celebration of their wedding anniversary that my mother had, af ter much hesitation, consented to go. "It is to be a very quiet dinner," Georgië had said; " but Budolf has so many friends who must be invited, that we have decided to give it at the German Club instead of our own house, which is much too small." "lam afraid it will be a very gay and worldly affair," sighed my mother; " but Georgië makes such a point of it that, for her sake, I suppose I must go. But remember, Frederick, if I see any signs of dancing, I leave at once, for that I really can not countenance by my presence. There is a point beyond which I will not go." Of course I satisfied her with a cheerul " All right," and she made her preparations with a sort oí resigned equanimitv edifvine to behold. My motlier was a handsonie wonian still, in spite of her fifty years, with a all, finely molded ñgure, delicate, clear-cut features, unblurred yet by ime's rutliless touch, soft blue eyes, and heaps upon heaps of white ïair which glistened like spun silk above her low, broad foiehead. I was very proud of her as I looked at her that evening in her sweeping dress of black velvet, finished at throat and wrists with soft falls of crearay laoe. Dress and aces had been my present to her upon her last birthday, and she had accepted them with a mild rebuke of my extravagance, and wore them with an air of quiet protest, blended with subdued pride, which was charming. Georgie's flction of the "quiet dinner" nad hardly imposed upon my mother, I think. Neverthelese, I feit her cling closely to my arm, with a stifled groan, as wc entered the one long room whicli then composed the entire second Hoor of the Germán Olub-house, with its polished floor and brilliant lights, and the litcle curtained stage at the upper end on which her eye feil first. There was no danger to be apprehended from that quarter, however, as she soon found; but scarcely less alarming, from her point of view, was the array of many-colored glasses which clustered beside eaeh plate all the way down the three long tables. " What does it mean ?" slie murinured faintly. "Will they make me drink wine? Oh, Frederick, take me home." I should not have done so in any case, but it was already too late, for Georgië had caught sight of us, and hastened up, followed by one Herr Muller, a Germán of the stout, jolly, rubiound type, whom she introduced to my mother as the son of a Germán Protestant minister. My mother's face partially lost its look of bewildered dismay at this item of news, and she allowed him to lead her to her place without further objection. I am af raid that at this point my attention wandered slightly from my mother, for Helen was there, the darliug, more beautitul than ever in her uraperies of pale blue and paler salmón, with tea-roses and forget-me-nots nestling amocg the ripples of her bonny brown ba',r; mth her pure proud, face, and her olear, steadfast brown eyes, and the gentle, tranquil grace which, of all her oharms, was the one which had most attracted me. Of course Helen knew nothing of the state óf affairs betweeu my mother and me. She would have broken off our engagement ia an instant, even at the risk of breaking her own heart, had the faintest suspicionof it enteredher mind. Fortunately my mother and she were not likely to be brought into close contact for the prerent. Even had they been, Helen would probably account for my mother's indifference on the ground of her being still ignorant of our engagement, which was an affair of only a month's etandiDg. As for me, I thought it best to let things rest as they were uutjl fte W87 sljould be cleared, of ffbioh my inother's involuntary gambling hac already given me good hopes. The dinner was a thoroughly Germán añ'air. Servants, dislies, conversation, music, all were Germán of the purest lype. It was a little slice cut out of the very heart of Vaterland, and set down bod'ily in the midst of an American town. My mother did not understand a word of Germán, but Herr Muller spoke excellent English, and I was glad to see that my mother was gradually becoming more and more absorbed in the conversation. When she found that hor rcfusul to take wine provoked only a very mild surprise and remonstrance, her last scraple melted away, and I was scarcely surprised to see her wildly waving her empty glass, and chanting with the rest the musical " Hoch," which is the German version of our unmelodious cheer. To be suro, the toast which she elected thus to honor was, " Tothe health of onr American friends now present," but, as 110 doubt of the propriety of her prooeeding crossed her miad, it would liave been a pity to enlighten her. Now there was a stir around the table. The band, which had hitherto been silent, struck up a march-iike air. Each gentleman offered his arm to his partner and we moved around the room in a dignifled promenade, while the waiters entered to clear the tables and push them out of the way. Bound and round we went, my mother beaming with mild enjoyment as she leaned upon her partner's arm. Suddenly the measure changes; hand is linked in hand, and the long line winds and waves.weavingitself in and out in gracefui undulations. For an instant my mother, in confusión and bewilderment, yields to the impulse. Thcn a dreadful suspicion breaks upon her mind, and she turns to her partner with the frenzied question: ' ' What is it ? What are we doing ?" "Doing, madam?" repeats Herr Muller, looking bland but slightly puzzled. "We are dancing the Polonaise, to be sure. Do not be troubled; you do perfectly well, I assure you." But my mother waits lor no iurther mcouragement. With a gasp she wrests ïer hand quickly from the grasp upon it, md meclianioally retaining lier liold upn lier partnor, she whirls him, too, out }f the ranks, and drops, a limp, colapsed heap, upon the nearest chair. Helen and I disengage ourselves from ;he line and hasten up to her. But couïolation is in vain. She only raises her ;earful eyes to mine and murmura, "Frederiek, y our mother will disgrace mtii you and herself in her oíd age: First gambling, and now dancing. Oh, Frederiek, send me back to Nepoosuc before I sink further !" And coveriug her face with her hands she bursts into lielpless tears, while her bewildered partner looks on, unable to form the slightrst conjecture as to the meaning of bhis remarkable scène. Obviously therfe was but one thing to be done, and that I do, by hastily con9igning Helen to Herr Muller's charge, and leading my mother out of the room as quickly and as quietly as possible. IV. It is Sunday moming - the Sunday after my mother's littlo escapade at the Germán Club. The church bells are filling the air with church-goers throng the streets, and still my mother does not come. I have been waiting in the hall for fifteen minutes, and already the bell has ceased chiming and begun to toll. I grow uneasy at last, and am half way up the stairs, when I meet her coming down. What has detained her ? How can I teil? A string has come off, or a button would not fasten, or something of that sort. What do I know of the various but trifling accidents of a woman's toilet ? She was ready at last, however; had caught up prayer-book and muff, and hastened downto join me. The service had begun as we entered the church whioh my mother and I attended. Episcopalianism was not her favorito form of worship, but she had consented to go with me to that church, fearing, I suppose, that otherwise I would not go at all. Need I say that my choice had been decided bj the fact that Helen was a member (and a most vout one) of that church ? I coHsidered myself fortúnate in liaving been able to secure a pew exactly in front of that whick her family oecupied, and thither ■we directed our steps. It was situated well up in the middle aisle, and, as we entered later than our wont, my mother, who prided herself upon her punctuality, was somewhat flnstered by the tirne we reaohed it. "Dearly beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us," repeated the clergyman, in his full, rich tones. " Captain JinkB of the Horee Marines; I give my horse good corn and beans." Where on earth did it come from? Not words, you understand, only a tinkle of jig-a-jig-jig-jig, jiga-jig-jig, curionsly near and distinct, and curiously, horribly inappropriate to the occasion. I looked about in doubt and amaze; so did everybody else. Had a lunatic stray ed into church that clear November morning, or - Suddenly my gaze feil upon my mother's face - such a scarlet, agonized face as it was - as her trembling fingers fumbled nervously but vainly with the clasp of the prayer-book which she held. My eyes followed hers downward, and the mystery was solved. steadof a prayer-book, she had in her liaste eaught up a musical photograph album, which was of preoigely the saine size and shape, never discovering the difference until the fiendish thing began to rattle out its rollicking tune at this horribly inopportune time : " Captain Jinks, of the Horso Marines." " We have errred and strayed f rom Thy ways as lost sheep. " It was all a confused Babel of sounds. People stared, giggled, and wondered. My mother in wrath, and agony, struggled fiercely with her infernal machine, but to no end. The stopping part was out of order; the playing part was in horribly perfect condition. She thrust it into the prayer-book rack, and the contact with the hard wood sent forth the sounds with redoubled distinctness. She hid it in her muff, but no amoimt of f ur would muffle it. She threw it upon the seat behind her, where it rattled away as merrily as ever. She was just about to pit upon it, when a hand was extended frorn the pew behind us - a slender, delicate hand, faultlessly gloved m pale silver-gray. The hand closed over the bos, and in another instant we heard the sounds growing fainter and fainter, as Helen sailed down the broad aiBle, leaving a trail oi melody behind her as she passed. Just as, with a click, the air ehanged to " Champagne Oharley," the door closed behind them, and only the clergymnn's voice broke the stillness whioh settlec over the church. I looked at my mother. The expres sion of agony upon her face Eaded slowh to a look of intense relief. She turnee her eyes upon me, bent toward me to whisper sornething, and- broke info a perfectly audible laugh ! It was a laugh of sheer nervousness, without a partiële of mirth in it, but a laugh neverthelese, positive and uncontrollable. Laugh she must, and laugh she did until her face jrew scarlet and the tears poured clown :ier cheeks, and she was fain to hide her diminished. head behind her muff - laughed until, in sheer despair, she was obliged to fairly flee from the church ust as the congregation rose for the "Te Deum." V. My mother and I sat for a long time without speaking, on that memorable Sunday evening. She was calm and composed now, though tho traces of recent emotion still lingered upon her face. I would not be the first to broaclï one subject, the only one upon which I feit inctined to talk just then; so we sat silent in the dusky twilight, watching the leaping violet flames which quivered and flickered above the bed of glowing coals. " Frederiok," said my mothor at last. "Yes, mother." " Yonr Helen is a brave girl." ' ' I am glad tliat you think so, mother. " "Do you think," said my mother, slowly. "that she did it because I am your mother, or because - " "I think," said I, quiokly, "that if anything would have prevented her doing it, it would have been the fact that you are my mother." "And that you were present," said my mother, nodding her head sagaciously. "I thought so. Frederick, we had a conversation two weeks ago - " " On dancing, gamblirig and laughinginchurch," Isuggested, as my mother paused. "Frederick," said my mother, severely, " will you be kind enough to let that subject drop ? Because I was a cantankerous idiot and a self-opinionated bigot, will you leave me no place for repentance ? I have had new views of the fallibility of human nature since then, and I suppose I may take a woman's privilege of changing my mind." "By all means," I said, laughing, " especially as you have fulfilled the conditioiiS so admirably. " - Jlarper's Magazine.