The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-05-03
For the New Orleans Sunday Creseentl
MOTHERs-IN-LAw.
" Strange all this difference should DO
Twixt tweedle- dunn and tweecle-dee y

"Pray, Judith, can you tell me the essential
difference between the mother Of the husband
and the mother of the wife IL has long been a
puzzle to me why a man is alike blind to the good
qualities Of his wifes mother and the faults Of his
own mother"
This, CRESCENT, was the inquiry of a dear little
friend the other day, and her eyes filed with
tears and looked like blue forgetme nots after a
shower. She is much attached to her mother
and very fond of her husband, who, entire.
nous, is little bit selfish; only man-like though
in that respect, sel6shness being, think, trait
somewhat peculiar TO that portion Of the human
race yclept " lords Of creation"
Now, Mrs. Chesterton, Hester's mother, is a
sweet. aniable woman, much beloved by her
neighboTs and friends; woman who conscien-
tioUsly tries to do her duty. socially and domest-
cally while Mrs. Hsrrisy, her mother .in-law, is
well described in this line:
"ou of breath purpose and very b.sy about nothing
She is one Of those meddlesome, prying, fussy
females you sometimes meet with who are full Of
theory and empty OF practice that is, they are
ever on the alert to tell you how to do your duty,
and very remiss about doing their own.
While her house is left to the attention OF SER
wants, her children running the Streets and her
husband in butt0nless and frayed shirt, Is left to
dine or take tea alone, she is spying In Hester's
kitchen and painting to see that she don't waste
little dripping, or burn too much wood, or give
out too much flour or sugar, and advising her TO
suet or dripping, instead Of butter, 10 making
biscuit, or to put chicory in the coffee to make il
go farther, and such little mean ways Of being eco
nomical, when she will give twenty dollars for
lace collar, or some other little trihe Of Dress and
not think that extravagant. Oh, no that Is for
show and fer herself Now, q first class cook
could not concoct rich, good food. with such sub
terfuges as old Mrs. Harrisly advises. She could
not please an easy master, If she had to scrimp
the ounces Of butter. and the number of eggs, and
various condiments; and as Hester's husband is a
regular Betty" and Apicius combined, she
must have pleasant time between the pair of
hcin nnlu mia fff Ia rvifa an1 -
hOusekeeper, not frst-class cook.
I've seen men receive every little attention en-
the part Of their wives every nicely 10 food or
pretty article Of dress, made with an eye singly
to their pleasure and comfort, with some remsrs
in regard to their mother, that was disparaging
to the wife, until I've felt tempted to box their
ears for trfing so with their wfe's feelings and
their own happiness, for when wife sees that,
do as she may, some one else ia just little ahead
in the estimation Of her husband, she loses heart
and will soon stop trying to please-snd men
have great deal of the animal fondness for per.
sonal comfort in their composition.
The other day Hester concluded to give Tom
surprise on his birthday, and make him a hand
some vest So, taking the money laid by for a
pretty spring dress, she went down town to a
merchant tailor's and bought rich, heavy silk
vest pattern and trimmings, went TO Toms tailor
and had il cut out, and took it home and made it;
and II was really an elegant vest when finished.
Hester was full of pleasure, anticipating Toms
surprise and qualification. When the eyentfuI
day came l went over in the evening to see Tom
receive the present. Hester gave it TO him with
kiss and said: Here, Tom, is a present for
your birthday. and made entirely by me-" Tom
took it up, and after saying by your leave,
ladies' threw of his dressing gown and tried i.
on il fitted splenddly. "Well, Hester. really
very nice, and pretty. indeed Who .hosod yUuE
Mother" (The bare idea.l ono, Tom, Ma told
me how to go to work, and did it all myself"
"Ah, you ought to have gotten mother to give
you an idea about it, she's great on vests"
Now I'd bet my head against an orange, that
she scarce ever put button on a vest much less
make one Poor Hester's look Of disappointment
was too much for me, and blunty said, You're
a fool, Tom Harrisly that can honestly say for
you" Toms look of blank amszement at my
outburst of temper was too much for my sense
of the ludicrous, and despite my sympathy for
Hester, threw me into fit Of laughter that
ended in laughing Mysteries.
1t seems to me that men might be little
more cOnsideTate, and not think their mothers
in-law all devil, and their own mothers all angel
for in neither case are they correct, and very
often the reverse is nearer the truth.
JUDITU.