Kenosha tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1855, 1855-02-15


ed since that, with malice prepense she
| trusted to disgust and force me to surrender
to her at discretion. The next morning al
breakfast she hoped for the fruits of hel
maneuvre.
We'll, Patience said she, will you sill
as the waiter, or shall I?'-with a motion
toward that coveted post of dignity, per
haps. but no sinecure. Now or never,
thought |, and slipping into the seat, with
determination to assert my prerogative
once for ALL
We'll, then, | must tell YOU says moth
er-in-law. Mr.. Perkins does not take much
cream. Tim don't take sugar, James don't
take cream, Will don't either, Tom has
milk and water, Sally has milk Jane drinks
water, John mustn't have coffee and you
are not to give Ruth any butter, Susy has
milk and water sweetened, and Lizzie
mustn't have hot bread.
We'll said l, having despatched Mr.
Perkins cup, what does grandmother
take?
You should have seen her eyes! There
were the scintillatiops of fourteen furies in
them. who? Oh, yes, understand |
oh, never mind me! I'm nobodyp-
And then she sobbed and snuffled, land Mr.
Perkins was in an unwonted state of ex-
element: and the children exchanged winks
and smiles and Sat still Aa if wo-
man with ten grandchildren in one lot, to
say nothing of their probable cousins, is
not entitled to the honored name of grand
mother.
So breakfast passed, mother-in-law re-
covered her serenity before the meal was
over. Husband-dear me, what word
that is for me to write!-husband went
about his business, and motherin-law I'M
dertook to invest me with the power of the
keys, cnlivening our progress through the
establishment with some very interesting
remarks. Mr. Perkins is very fine man
my dear, tho am his mother who says it
"a very fine; but he has a dreadful tenn
per and you must not let him get set against
you. He is very easy to please-but you
must be particular to get up his shirts care
fully, for he will storm like an earthquake
at a missing button. He is not at all diff
cult about his table, but things must be ser
we'd up right or he will not eat them.
am his mother and used to his ways. He is
very neat and careful, but he never puts
anything away, aud will keep person
picking after him half the time; and he
wants everything he calls for, brought to
him Just to a minute. He is not at all hard
to please when one knows him only it takes
all your thoughts to do it. but I'm used
TO that
This was pleasant Introduction, certain
", 10 nv marital duties. "Then there is
the children, +" she continued, "a nice family
as one need desire. But the Oldest that's
Timothy, has picked up some bad habits.
He will swear terribly, but he's asgood boy
for all that And James, that's the second
son, is fine lad and willing; but YOU must
not expose him to temptation, by leaving
loose money about Willy Isl healthy and
well doing boy in the main, but he likes to
creep into the store room. AS sure as he
eats handful of raisins, and he will do it
when he can, he goes into commissions. Tom
isauict, butdreadful mischievous sometimes.
And there's no harm in the girls, except
that they quarrel; as all children will, and
won't take care of their clothes; no children
do. And John, he plaques them almost to
death; and Mr.. Perkins has no government
over any of them, and you'll have to do it
all, my dear; but you mustn't be discour-
aged. Pm here, and if they don't mind,
lust turn them over to me-
DO you wish to know what | did? Go
marry yourself to a widower, ten children,
and a mother-in-law; place yourself, for,
eign substance, among three generations of
cognates and you'll find out. l, just nat
erally,' as they saw out west, went to my
room, threw myself on the bed and cried.
Tears won't provide dinner, know, and |
knew it then, but did not imagine that |
should fall at onceinto providing for ahouse-
hold, a stranger, and in a strange place
oh, how strange! don't know how long
laid there, half sleep and half sob. Pres
emily heard
'Mother!' screamed in childish treblc;--
'Mother' growled in the hobbledehoy ac-
cent-'Motherr whined-' MotherP shout
ed-'Mother" piped--'Motherp Mother
'Mother!'
WHO is that wretch Of MOTHER | said
argrily, as | bounced from the bed to the
glass, and then laved away the traces ofmy
tears. who is the wretch, and why don t
she answer did not dream that I could
be meant. What is the matter?' | asked,
opening the door, and running out to find
seven or eight of the Perkins young fry sit
ting on the stairs. Who calls?'
It's all of us said the oldest, as spokes-
man for the whole Grandmother said we
were to call you mother
But she did not tell you to set up such a
horrid concert, did she? If she did, | forbid
it. Call me mother and I'll try to be one.
But never shout the word again, or call me
at all, when you are near enough for me to
hear you speak in your natural voice Come
to me when you want me. Where is your
Grandmother"
She went out and said she would not be
in till dinner, and there's no dinner getting
ready and nothing to eat, and we're all hun
cry
60, then, and eat anything YOU can find