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 told her, and then bime-bye we got to talkin' about Le Flam agin, for that wuz the name of the dissipated young chap she had mentioned, and I told her I approved of her stand, for if a man couldn't reform durin' the enchanted days of courtship what could you expect when married life and its disillusions should take place, late dinners, cleanin' house, etcetery, etcetery, and inflamatory rumatiz, ulcerated teeth and colick?

But I sez to Albina Ann, "Why under the sun did you let him come to your house in the first place, if you knew what he wuz?"

And she said she always knew that he wuz a poor, miserable creature, but she felt that it would be breakin' up the sweet, heavenly atmosphere of confidence that had always existed between her and her only daughter if she said anything against Le Flam to her.

"You hain't spoke to her about him?" sez I, in wondering axents.

"No, Cousin Samantha; her heart seems to be so wropped up in him, and the cords that connect her soul to mine are so linked in with her girlish dreams, that I could not bear to ruffle 'em, the harmony between us has always been so heavenly."

Sez I, "The harmony would be liable to be ruffled a little if you should see her abused by a dissipated brute, and she and her children snaked round by the hair of their heads and turned out-doors, etc."

"Oh! oh!" sez she, puttin' up her hands, "don't pierce my soul with such agonizin' thoughts!"

"Well," sez I, coolin' down a little, "the best way to escape such agony is to use common sense in the first place. Why under the sun didn't you stop her going with him?"