But Grandma Cobb went on to explain. "Yes, my daughter seems to look
upon Robert Browning as if everything he said was written on tables
of stone," said she; "and last night she had a letter from Mrs.
Addison Sears, who feels just the same way. My daughter had written
her about Harriet's love affair, and this was in answer. Mrs. Sears
dwelt a good deal upon Mr. Browning's own happy marriage; and then
she quoted passages; and my daughter became convinced that Robert
Browning would have been in favor of the match,--and that settled it.
My daughter proves things by Browning almost the same way as people
do by Scripture, it seems to me sometimes. I am thankful that it has
turned out so," Grandma Cobb went on to say, "for I like the young
man myself; and as for Harriet, her mind is set on him, and she's
something like me: once get her mind set on anybody, that's the end
of it. My daughter has got the same trait, but it works the contrary
way: when she once gets her mind set against anybody, that's the end
of it unless Robert Browning steps in to turn her."
Louisa and I were heartily glad to hear of Mr. Browning's unconscious
intercession and its effect upon Mrs. Jameson, but we wondered what
Caroline Liscom would say.
"It will take more than passages of poetry to move her," said Louisa
when Grandma Cobb had gone.
All we could do was to wait for developments concerning Caroline.
Then one day she came in and completely opened her heart to us with
that almost alarming frankness which a reserved woman often displays
if she does lose her self-restraint.
"I can't have it anyhow," said Caroline Liscom; and I must say I did
pity her, though I had a weakness for little Harriet. "I feel as if
it would kill me if Harry marries that girl--and I am afraid he will;
but it shall never be with my consent, and he shall never bring her
to my house while I am in it."
Then Caroline went on to make revelations about Harriet which were
actually dire accusations from a New England housewife like her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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