Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-08-20

wanted to Ospend an evening in com
Isanv, which was not seldom. Many
aI.u iIIauy lionel. hour did spend in
that dimIy-lighted room, listening TO
that low breathing, rather than trust
him TO theiaWk ward young girl, v no
prOfessed to fulfil the duties of child's
nurse. ] did great deal of sewing for
Maria, of whom became fonder than
| had ever expected to be.
James had a relapse of his intermit-
tent f1ver. His wife knew nothing
about sickness; | nursed him-I who
had never known fatigue when he had
needed anything n former years, would
surelynOt fail hini a9W. / sat up with
him night after night, aud showed the
cook how to prepare nice little dishes
for him, such as l knew he liked--that
is to say prepared them while the
cook look ed Oh. Whatever was want
ed now, up stairs or down, / was the
one TO plan and to do. At last began
to think ought to return to Fanny;
and seeing james fairly cOnvalescent,
/ sought the train for my journey
homewards. Sitting in the railroad
car, party of young people took pla-
ces in front of me, laughing and talk
ing with eager animation, principally
about persons knew nothing of, eX-
cept by name. Presently one of them
began to talk about my sons wife.
Il used to see a great deal of them at
one time, she said; but -
But what?' asked another.
%! well, they had a mOther-in-|aw
raging around lately, so / have kept
away
so lave L.
Here followed laugh of derision.
a mother-in-laWn exclaimed anoth-
er, that is hard; l do pity them in
deed
Bat 1 heard she is off now
Glad TO hear it. Have you heard
the new opera"
was the mather-in-law on whose ac-
count friends kept away. 1 remem-
bered the weary nights in that sick
room, the weary days, when, suffering
from the loss of sleep, 1 struggled to
keep my eyes open, that 1 might at
tend to various little household duties,
OF all this, which the raging around
which excited the risible muscles Of
those lively young people. 1 thought
of Fanny, her good looks, her intelli-
gence, her affectionate nature, and
found mself wondering what her fu-
ture was to be. But here we are.
There she was waiting to meet me,
dear child; but there was some one
with her, IL most Insignificant looking
individual, with very prominent eyes
and large whiskers. Why did my
heart sink with melancholy fOrebO-
ding?
How glad she was to see me again.
She introduced her companion to Ine
as Mr.. Jenkins; and whereas 1 was
all anxiety to be alone with her, Mr..
Jenkins with great flourish of polite
ness, walked all the way home with
us. Before could unite the strings of
my bonnet he told me that Fanny had
promised to marry him; 1 was thun-
derstruck, having in annoyance of his
presence forgotten my forebOdings of
half an hour before. l had read with
much attention, in various highly
lauded books, Of the great and impe-
rative duty of bringing upa girl to be
helpmeet for noble man-this dapper
little maniken! He seemed amiable,
but so utterly Insignificant! He had
uninteresting parents, and weak, plain
sisters, all of whom made perpetual
amusement of the engagement. My
pallor was given up to them entirely
that is to him and his sisters. L
seemed always de trop' when enter
ed, juding by the sudden silence which
followed the animated talk. My COM
ing was an interruption. 1 began to
sit up stairs; always walked alone.
Having avoided all society and all
acquaintanceship when my children
were young, that 1 might devote my
whole time to them, found myself
now friendless, and desolate. Friends,
like plants, must be cultivated. I
found no congeniality in either of the
two families with which my Children
were connecting themselves.
After two years they We're married;
and after a year of boarding aepired
TO the dignity of keeling house. After
looking at many dwellings one Was Sc
lected, one which required a great
many repairs, and now my services
were in great request; attended to all
the directions MIR. jenkins wished Civ
en- to the work men; / stayed in the
cold empty rOouas all day, when there
was nothing TO sit on, but an empty
candle box. L did the necessity quar-
reling with the plumbers, anh> bore
snubbing of the unholsterers;- and put
the furniture in the places IAthought
best, by degrees changing it to suit all
tastes. / washed all the china and
glass; and sometimes fancied. when 1
got dirty doing all this, that Twas hap
py. 1 had so long been accustomed to
work for those 1 loved that it was hard
to learn that there might be any re-
proach connected with it. / must do
Fanny the justice to say that she was
very kind and grateful to me.
On the last day, after having some
cold tea out of a pitcher on the corner
of d mantle-piece, l overheard Mr..
Jenkins, who had brought 8 friend in
to admire his new dwelling, say:
We'll, the carpets are down, the fur
niture is all here, and 1 think now
when weget our servants, and engage
baker and milkmen, and are entirely
rid of the mother-in-law, we shall be
ready to move in.'
Both children married, had my SOL
itary little house to myself, and very
solitary it was. tried to get up some
spasmOdic friendships with my neigh
bors, but being hollow, these forced in
timacies soon fell through. But l
ought not 10 complain; it is the way
of the world.
1 only wonder if, considering the
love we have for our children, young
or old, the world is not apt to be a lit
tie hard upon the mCther-in-law.
CURIosITY.-Nothing is much no.
bier than the desire for knowledge
L L.