The First Lessondetails

This handsome young lawyer belonging to one of the “best families” in aristocratic New Haven had for some years been in search of a wife. His search was conducted after the manner of Cœlebs and it was exceedingly funny that one who sought a pattern of perfection dressed “in every creatures best,” a model of classic beauty, with the wisdom of Minerva joined to the beauty of Venus, should be led captive at last by plain Molly Smith. Just a rather pretty school-teacher, with no great amount of talent or education, at least not more than dozens of young ladies whom the fastidious gentleman had known. Moreover his parents objected decidedly to his marrying a school-teacher, and planned a match with Ida Brener, whose father had once been a shoemaker, but having made a fortune through the government, built a splendid home on Hillhouse Avenue, and set up a coat of arms.

And one night after a skating frolic on Lake Sattenstall, as they walked home together in the moonlight, Molly told her lover very firmly and quietly that she would never marry him until his parents welcomed her to their home as a daughter, and released him from all obligations to her.

Will disapproved of her conclusions, and settled the question by a decided statement that he would wait as long as Jacob waited; but as for giving up because his father had taken a foolish whim into his head, he’d none of it.

And so the diamond remained on Molly’s finger, and when she met Ida Brener trailing her costly silks through the mud of Chapel Street, she laughed slyly to herself at the supercilious frown with which Mademoiselle the cobbler’s daughter, swept by “that poor school-teacher.” (p. 358)