The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-01-25
My MOther-in.law and I.

My MOther-in.iaw and I.
''s'o you are going to marry Johi
Wheeler, are you Chat, and move righ
into the house with the old folks ~ sale
my uncle Peter, as he came in suddenly
one morning, long ago, and found me bur
led in the pretty mysteries of flawns, ant
laccs, and knots, and bows of ribbons anc
the glow ON my cheek as red as the hear
OF the sweetest rose in the wreath on m,
white silk bonnet.
"fes, | suppose so,' said | bendn.
over the heap of dainty rutfling to hide IN,
embarrassment.
"Well, child, give you joy of you
new mother-in-law," said he, peepnl
round so as to see what my busy hand
were doing; 'and, Chatty, if you haven
hard life before you-thats so; my
heart aches for you, little niece and | dc
believe if that old termagant does no
treat you like human being, I'll slir
round into the grove back of the cottag,
with my shot gun hunting quails, and II
make mistake and shoot her ha ha I!
and that jolly old uncle Peter Whitaker
leaned back in his chair and laughed righ
mcrrily.
| laughed too,a minute, and then grow
ing serious, | said
"Yon know, Uncle Peter, it is AL ole
saying, that u motherin-law and daugh
ter-in-law are natural enemies Now dc
you really believe that there is II mother
in-aw in this world whose heart has no
a tender place in it somewhere which may
be found-that she may be touched ten
derby, lovingly, il one can only find tn,
right key p
"Well, don't know, sis. | en- airaic
Granny Wheeler is an exception. Whcl
| lived on the Downing farm, joining
Whceler's, | did think never saw hcl
equal she thought no one knew anything
but herself My wife couldn't get along
with her, and you know Soihi's way is
kind, and gentle and torbearing. felt
sometimes as though it would be real
satisfaction to me to make mouths at her
and go yeh ych, She nsed to make me
feel very ugly, and spiteful, and dcvilish
as though would enjoy calling her hard
names. Oh, she had an eye like an old
Norway rat--so sharp, and bright, and
cunning"
"Why, that's energy, Uncle Peter,
said |, beginning to feel that | must stand
up for Johns mother.
"Fiddlesticks ~ said he, shutting his
tobacco-box with a click, and slipping it
into his pocket and rising to leave.
We'll uncle" said |, 'as Mrs. John
Wheeler, Jr., we'll be good friends, won't
we and you'll come to see Chatty, and
she'll visit you; and if she should make
any discoveries, she'll tell you"
"Yes," he replied, signing "and if you
find out really that Granny Wheeler has
drop of human blood in her veins, let me
be advised of it."
Forewarned, forearmed DO you think
reader, there was cloud no bigger than a
doves wing even in the beautiful summer
sky2 thought one little minute serious
ly, my hands outspread midway in the air
between my heap of foamy LAGOS and my
forehead aud somethine-perhaps the
good angel who has never yet deserted me
for au something made me say with
brave smile whose twinkle found in
my eyes, at will be just as ! make it
Just as l will it :"
Then those grand old words came surg
ing unto me, full Of hope and strength, ,sn
anthem Of eaultation,
Unto hyseli be true.
And 1t must follow, as the night the day.
Thou canst not then be false TO any man"
The wedding was a quiet affair We were
ma ricd by the gray-haired old pastor who
had dandled me on his knee in babyhood,
and whose raven locks | had pulled 10 my
hearts content in whose sharp black
eyes had thrust my thumbs, and whose
pockets | had often searched to find some-
thing good for little girls. Ola the
ministers | had known. he alone was the
one to ofhciate on this important occa-
sion.
We moved into the same house with
Johns parents, and tried to take the
Pi"'S VI oauShhtl' vi COuTsc ulu mol
find everything as | would like to have it
but l made due allowance for the manner
in which we had been brought up. Moth.
er treated me kindly enough, but as though
had no judgment, and could hardly be
trusted alone with anything that required
care or thought 1t seemed that she re.
garded me as Il child, to be looked after
and made comfortable. Sometimes, if |
felt ready to cry out, l would say, "For
his dear sake" and dry up my tears and
make myself happy. Little trials, tina,
hurt like the little thorns Of the thistle
met me every day, but | had shod my feet
in anticipation of them.
tried not to draw auy comparison.
between my two homes, but they would
come up to me.
One of the adornments with which
Mother Wheeler beautifed the walls Of
her rooms was eat aud kittens cut oul
black cloth and pinned on a white back.
ground. ! grew very tired of the round.
headed cats, and cautiously suggested the
removal, but her, "0h no, Ike to see
thsu" silsnced me. l did want the