Ah, alas!) And if ever a theatrical piece was much talked of and visited, we had a kind of pride in saying, with perfect indifference, that we never had seen it; and whenever there was a popular festival, and the crowd went towards Haga or the Park, it was quite as certain that our calesche--if it went out at all--would drive on the road to Sabbatsberg, or in some other direction equally deserted at the time; for all which, we prided ourselves on our philosophy.

Yet with all this in our hearts we really never were happy.
The daughters came out into society.

The parents wished to see them loved and wooed; the daughters wished it no less--but they were not handsome--were dressed without any pretension.

The parents saw very little company; and the daughters remained sitting at balls, and were nearly unobserved at suppers.

Yet from year to year they slid on with the stream.
The daughters approached to ripened youth.