Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-10-29
MotherS-in-L Law.


Our current light literature in all ils de-.
partments furnishes hits at mother,.in.aw.
The fashion had It's origin ia England. The
American wittici.ms are mere limitations.
What foundation there may be for the-e
slurs on large class Of English women.
wo do not know. That thev are unjust 10
America we arc sure Aud yet every week
one reads something which the writer man.
ifestly thought to be smart, which, ns 10
reaches the eyes Of hundreds Of the most
Sc f-sooriicing OF our women, must give
them pain, becau-o It ie an unnecessary and
unjust aspersion Of their whole class. Some.
times the form Of the Joke is to put in'o the
mouth Of the son-in-law some severe hit at
his wife's mother. II is noticeable that IT.
is never the husband, mother. but always
the wife's mother, that gets the blow
1t is time 20 pause and inquire into the
justice Of this Is there anything in the
nature Of the relationship 10 necessitate au
antagonism between a woman aud her
daughters husband ? or, 10 point Of fact, do
these women conduct themselves in such "a
way as 10 justify these hits2 In very
large majority Of instances. So far rs the
husband is concerned he has 10 thank his
moiher-in-law for what j. beautiful. attr TO-
tive aud profitable for him in his wife, thr
nan married the girl whom this woman
raised. Now. if mothers-iu-law are such
hideous things-so base, so mean, so i'm
pertlnent-that a visit from them is to be
dreaded, how is it that such hags are the
mothers Of such angels, aud that such hate
ful women have been able to train other
women to be so charming?
Whenever, therefore, man slurs his
mother-in-aw simply in virtue Of her hold.
ing that relation to him, it would seem TO
imply something wrong in his own charac.
ter or conduct No true gentleman would
give his wife any treatment he would not
be perfectly willing to have her mother
witness. Ordinary delicacy should cause
gentleman to be as careful in speaking Of
his wiies mother as Of his own.
As human nature is constituted, it is al
ways safer that when young couple marry,
the wife be taken to IA distance from her
home, and not TO that of the busoand's
parents Then they cling to each other,
each looking TO the other for help aud
pleasure. 1t is the wife who is more in
danger Of trouble from her motber.iuLaw
A man has to dread trouble more from hi,
own mother than his wifrs, aud yet we
have to see the first arrow Of witticism shot
from womans bow ag.inst her mother-in-
law II is his mother who is apt TO tor
ment the young wife with intimatious Of
now she did when she was first married
But none Of these disagreeable things
happen where a man truly marries woman,
and She truly marries him, and the parents
on both sides have correct ideas Of the sane
tity which belongs to this unity. Even a.
things are in society, how many mar.
ried man is indebted to his mothcr-iu-
law for taking thousand burdens from
his wife's shoulders and his own It is the
who assists in securing the
new house procuring the furniture, arrang-
ing 1t in its place, suggesting many an ex-
pedient for comfort from her own expert.
ence, and putting the machinery Of tb4
household IN working order. To her the
husband owes many an hour Of his wife,
society, which otherwise would be absorbed
by domestic drudgery; and when the little
children come, it is the wife'- mother to
whom they seem nearest and dearest. Its
she that nurses them most tenderly in the
most trying portion Of their lives. Ii il
she who spends so many a wearisome hour
in the nursery, that he aud his friends may
have his wife's company in the paror or at
The place of public amusement A thou.
sand touching stories Of devotion upon the
part of the wiie's mother could be told, but
we do not intend TO be pathetic.
Whenever We hear man making dis
raraging iusinuation with regard to his
we always feel like saying
10 him, Sir, you never would have been
anywhere if your father had never had
nother-in.law. .'-Harpers Basar.