han ten thousand a year." Mrs. Stunner delivered
this ultimatum with the tone of a just judge who will hear of no appeal.

"How can I know how much the gentlemen are worth?" said Sarah pettishly.

"It is your duty as a mother to discover it," replied the virtuous
widow.

"But how?"

"The visitors' book will tell where a man is from; you can easily get
acquainted with some old lady or gentleman from the same place; and--"

"What! and ask about them!"

"Nonsense! Speak of them, praise them if you wish, and let the others
talk: you have only to be an interested listener" (here I could imagine
Mrs. S. smiling grimly), "and you can soon hear enough. For instance,
commence in this way: 'Fine fellow, Mr. T. from your part of the
country.' As a general rule the old gentleman will then give you his
whole history. Another time you may say, 'What a pleasant young man that
Mr. B. is! but rather inclined to be wild, eh?' If he is you will soon
know it. You can also cross-question the man himself. Speak of a little
girl he has at home: if he blushes he is netted already, and lures are
useless. See how he eats his dinner: that is a good test to judge his
position by; not that a few _gaucheries_ will matter if he is very
wealthy--for a judicious mother-in-law can soon correct them--but for
every impropriety he should have a thousand added to his income. Such
things are so intolerable in a poor man!"

"I don't think Eva would obey me if I did interfere in her affairs,"
objected Mrs. Fluffy.

"Her affairs, indeed! It is _your_ affair. Of course you want a
son-in-law who can keep a comfortable house for you to live in. You have
brought up Eva badly, Sarah, and there is one thing I must tell you
about her--she is entirely too familiar and sisterly with gentlemen."

"She has a great many beaux," interrupted Mrs. F.

"It is one of her worst faults," continued Jane, not listening to her.
"If a girl gets into those sisterly habits with a man, it will never
come into his head to marry her. She may be his chief confidante; he
will talk of his lady-love to her, and she may end by being first
bridesmaid at his wedding, but nothing nearer. I don't approve of it.
One of my maxims is, that a man ought not be well acquainted with the
girl he is to marry until the ceremony is performed."

"Well, you cannot disapprove of Laura," said Mrs. Fluffy, trying to turn
the conversation. "I left her in her room reading."

"'Disapprove' of her? The