The
father's part has to come first, and teach the child's part. Now, if I
might guess from what I know of the old lady, in whom probably it was
much softened, her father was very possibly a hard, unreasoning, and
unreasonable man--such that it scarcely ever came into the daughter's head
that she had anything else to do with regard to him than beware of the
consequences of letting him know that she had a lover. The whole thing, I
allow, was wrong; but I suspect the father was first to blame, and far
more to blame than the daughter. And that is the more likely from the high
character of the old dame, and the romantic way in which she clung to the
memory of the courtship. A true heart only does not grow old. And I have,
therefore, no doubt that the marriage was a happy one. Besides, I daresay
it was very much the custom of the country where they were, and that makes
some difference."
"Well, I'm sure, papa, you wouldn't like any of us to go and do like that,"
said Wynnie.
"Assuredly not, my dear," I answered, laughing. "Nor have I any fear of
it. But shall I tell you what I think would be one of the chief things to
trouble me if you did?"
"If you like, papa.
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