Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1862-03-21
Written for the Delaware Gazette
FHE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW.
By MRS. T. STONE.

silver bars over farm and village, and lighting
up the level road which ran westward to Clark
Vile John Neil led bis horse from the barr
yard, the gate closing after him with creak 0
iron hinges, as if to say ''you are going {
courting, Master john smile playing upor
the finely curved mouth hidden in the warn
folds Of scarf, perhaps on account of pleas
ure near.
4 The home he had left was a pleasant one
be felt that as he gallOped along, yet it was
lonely. lie was sole master of the fertile acres
long known as the ~Neil Farm" bOt when hi:
father died, when no face met his eyes at the
fireside save that of his mother, the Loneliness
became dreariness
Mrs. Neil sat in the corner knitting and
gazing into the glariDg fire, seeing, yet not see
ing. A grandchild, who had lately come to
visit her, munched an apple in the opposite cor
Rer. a kitten rolled i'll soft ball slept upon
the hearth-rug, but no sound was heard save
the click of the knitting needles and the steady
tick of the clock. Perhaps the little seven
year old OWNED the thoughts of her stately
| grandmother, for she stopped eating long
enough to ask where's he gone to grandma ??
and Mrs. Neil answered musingly, with eyes
! uAGO ufOl tuC 10 scC ZMdEid AlOOFG.
The child threw the half eaten apple into
the fire, drew long breath, and then said, 81
] 'spect she'll be awful glad to see i'm" Do not
the honest wOFds of childhood go to the heart?
"Anna do you go to Sabbath SCHOOL," in
quired the grandmother.
"Yes, maam,"
"Can you remember what your teacher tells
you?
Oh! l d'no-last Sunday she asked us what
charity meant. an didn't know, an Jany Ross
said it meant to give TO the poor folks, an Miss
| Dean said yes, an it meant that we mustn't
| feel mad at any body, cause the Bible said we
must judge as we was judged, or somehow So
dno,"
"As ye would be judged" said Mrs. Neil to
herself. The angel troubled the waters; she
stood on the shore, but entered not therein.
That Maria would soon be her sons wife she
felt certain. The death of her only brother
had recently deprived her of her chldhood's
home, and it was years, not months, since the
night John rode along the then unknown road
and stopped at a strange door, She could not
say they were unacquainted with each other
or that they were too young, but she could say
she did not like her, and did say 50 the next
day when he told her of his wedding day, and
hoped Maria might be as her own daughter.
You know l do not like her. she said very
politely, and very decidedly.
Il knew that all the time" and he might
have said, "Maria knows it, too" "but You
never saw her a dozen times in your life"
She connted mentally as she poured The
coffee, but turn it as she would, could get nc
higher than seven.
So, John was married, and Maria went Aoac
as John called il, feeling like an unbilden guest
The house had two mistresses-a simple i'm
possibility. The old smiles fingered on John :,
face, and Mrs. Neil, seuior, could not but ac
knowledge in her heart that it was more cheer
ful than before Maria came. Maria consulted
her wishes very often, yet always maintaining
her position as Johns 1rye, not a servant.
Upon an occasion Of some ladies calling tC
see Maria, her motheT-in-law remained in hel
own room, saying little bitterly to herself
] young people do not want my comPauy.."-
One of the ladies called Maria Mrs Neil and
her husbands mother old Mrs Neil. Call mt
Mario" said that lady, pleasantly, 'Fmother il
better used to being called Mrs. Neil than L.
"Moihcr" heard it and setit dowpen the
credit side Of her daughters actions. By the
time two years had passed the good began t.
overbalance the bad. Her opinions did not co
iucjle with Maria's, but the latter perfectly
agreed With John, as every true wife docs. bu
John and bis mother did not always thinl
alike. When she looked over the past year;
she found a little to her astonishment that sh;
; had not always been pleased with her owl
daughters, She. liked to see everything i!
: perfect order, but somehow her Susan peve
could fix the rooms to suit so she rearranged III
furniture, dus ted the mattel, and gave the cur
Jains an extra twist that OokFfway tire awk
ward stiff look. ~ =
She began TO think Maria 9.pattern ofneat
ness; she nerer dropped grease s1hor spilled ash
, es, and her facultySc Inakings something a
once pretty and usafll, Mas truly wQ1derful.-
y As to her cooking, iffher best daEs yea, nev
3, er could the elder Mrs. Neil make such nic
! bread, and such delicious pies She Tesfll en-
ioyed her society, too, for Maria was as wei
informed in the scientific as in the culinary dc
parlmcut.
You are some acquainted with Mrs Hodge:
are you not, Maria?"-
"A little" -
Did you know Chat she aud her husband ar
= = unbelievers, if not really nidels?'
: u was told they were infide!s, yet once wa
: wicked enough to envy them. worked in th
wollen factory near there during the first yea
!. of their married life, ana my way home oblige
: Iame to pass their house. One night | was al
], usually tired, and when | came to their irheel
! lul home could see tbem both, in the nice CT
n zy ro6mi they, the ngfdels, | said to mysel
: have happy home, whila I, Il child of God, hay
no place TO call home.
: Ibid you indeed, Maria?'
u "Xes; 1 envied them for, moment, but
= remembered that / coutI losksfQrward TO
home not made with mortal hands,
: You have home now, Maria,' saidsh'
morhcr-in1aw, with gush of affection thi
: carried away tho last of the. 'metes and beams
!, ''doesn't this seem like home ~ you?"
" ait does, and, mother, want to TASK you
) question. Isinew before was married thi
you did not want me to become your daugI
ter, but loved my husband, and his mothe
too, and hoped that the time would come whit
she wopld change her dislike into affection
lS Mother, am any nearer to you than thu
lg was?"
/ you fill daughters place in my hear
IN Maria"
lg "Well, WE'LL" cried John, striding into t
r room just then, what a sober looking couE
'iF of women you are. What's up?"
We Nothing" said Maria, smiling, though 4
= tears fell fast on her sewing. "only mother b
he just told me that she loved me as her oy
ut daughter"
~ John, good son and husband that he WI
Is; kissed his Wife's forehead, shook hands wi
to his mother, and dashed out of the room, ar
Is as he went along, they heard i'm singing, t
IN mellow tones bore upon the breeze,