Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-12-25
MOthers-in-LaW.

OUR current light literature in all its
departments furnishes hits at mothers
in-law. The fashion had its origin in
England The American Witticisms are
mere limitations. What foundation there
NAV be for these slurs on large class OF
English women, we do not know. That
they are unjust in America we are sure.
And vet every week one reads something
which the writer manifestly thought to
be amsrt, which, as it reaches the eyes OF
hundreds Of the most self-sacrifiCing OF
our women, must give them pain, because
it is an unnecessary and unjust asperslon
of their whole class. Sometimes the form
of the joke is TO put into the mouth OF
the sOn-in-law some severe hit at his wife s
mother. 1t is noticeable that it is never
the husbands mother, but always the
wife's mother that gets the blow.
It is time to pause and inquire into the
Justice OF this Is there anything in the
nature Of the relationship to necessltate
an antagonism between woman and her
DAUGHTERS band? Or, in point OF fact,
do these women conduct themselves Ill
such way as to Justify these hits? In a
very large majority OF instances, so tar as
the husband is concerned, he has to thank
his mOther-in-law for what is beautiful,
attractive and profitable for him in his
wife: the man marries the girl whom this
woman raised. Now, if mothers-in-law
are such hideOus thingS-so base, so mean,
SO impeTtinent-that visit from them is
to be dreaded, how is it that such
hays are the mothers of such hOuris, and
that such hateful women have been able
to train other women to be so charming?
Whenever, therefore, a man slurs his
mother-in-law simply in virtue of her
holding that relation to him, it would
seem TO imply something wrong in his
own character or conduct No true gen
tleman would give his wife any treatment
he would not be perfectly willing to have
her mother witness. Ordinary delicacy
should cause a gentleman to be as careful
in speaking Of bis wife's mother as of
his own.
As human nature is constituted, it is
always safer that When young couple
marry, the wife be taken to a distance
from her home, and not to that of her
husbands parents. Then they cling to
each other, each looking to the other for
help anI pleasure. 1t is the wife who is
more in danger of trouble from 6er
mother-in-la.Y. A man has to dread trOu-
bic more from his own mother than from
Ills vie ; uipbuGI, anu gCt We HdNS W SCt
the first arrow of witticism shot from a
WOman's bow against her mother-in-law.
It is his mother who is apt to torment the
young wife with limitations of how she
did when she first married.
But none of these disagreeabie things
happen where a man truly marries a
woman, and she truly marries him, and
the parents on both sides nave correct
ideas Of the sanctity which belongs to
this unity. Even as things are in society,
how many a married man is indebted to
his mother-in law for taking a thousand
burdens from his Wife's shoulders and his
own! 1t is the mother in-law who assists
n securing the new house, procuring the
furniture, arranging 1t in its place, sug-
gcsting many an expedient for comfort
from her own experience, and putting the
machinery of the household N working
order To her the husband owes many
an hour Of his Wife's society which other
wise would be absorbed by domestic
drudgery; and when the little children
come, it is the Wifes mother 20 whom
they seem the nearest and dearest. It is
she that nurses them most tenderly in the
most trying portion of their lives. 1t is
she who spends so many a wearisOme
hour in the nursery, that he and his
friends may have his wife's company in
the parlor or at the place Of public amuse-
ment. i thousand touching stories OF
devotion upon the part of the wite's
mother could be told, but we do not in
tend to be pathetic.
Whenever we hear q man making a dis
paraging insinuation with regard to his
mother-in-laW, we always feel like saying
to him, "Sir, you never would have beer
anywhere if, your father mad never had {
m0ther-in w."-HarDe1' BGzar.