The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-06-19
The Mother.in.I.aw.

From the National Baptlst)
II Ia the popular belief that where there
is good deal Of smoke there must needs
be some fire. And 1t may be pretty safe.
ly asserted that when there Is wide
spread prejudice against any class 1t Is at
least worth somebody's while to inquire
whether there Is not good reason for 1t.
That tho Jews are more prone 10 accumu.
lation than they are to the sermon on the
Mount; that the Irish are addicted to act
ing without prolonged deliberation, these
and thousand other popular theories,
though not exact in any scientific sense,
have yet basis Of Truth; and II becomes
every member Of these impugncl classes
to use all reasonable means for making
II az absurd to connect them with the In
furious imputations as It would be to ac-
cuse a scotchman Of unwise lavishncsS,
or a ChicNgoOn Of difIidence.
The mothcr.in-law labors under the
reputation Of being very uncomfortable
person-ot leaving behind her q pathway
Itrewn with tho wrecked happiness Of
homes. At first sight II might seem
strange. There Is no such prejudice
against the father.in.law, the Sister.in.
law, the brOther.in.law. All the Offensive
epithets in the premises nte laviShed on
he mother.in.law. Yet size might ex-
claim In injured tones, "Why L. this? Is
there anything necessarily criminal in
being motheF.in.law2 Ii Ia not my own
choice that hold this relation. The
Young people would get married, and that
involved my being mother.in-law."
A wise man has said, "Aman Is never
ridiculous by what he Is, but by what he
pretends to be-" Aud with equal truth we
may affirm, "a man Ia rarely offensive by
what he i, but by what lie claims" Is 1t
not because Of her claims that the mother.
in.law is--a mother.in.lawH
Here lisa young woman going to be mar.
tied, who has widowed mother. The
couple THAT IL to bc) talk the matter over.
lie can refuse her nothing. And when
she turns on him the softeSt Of blue eyes,
and in the sweetest Of voices asks, "Can.
not dear mother huvea home with us 7
prudence, the experience Of mankind, all
are fotgotten the fatal promise is made
and sealed with kiss. And truth requires
that IL be said, that the assent lsall the
more readily given because tho mother.
in.law elect iS really very amiable, eff.
cient excellent woman In her place, and
the daughter, the bride elect, Is sincerely
and devoledly attached to her.
Well, pas over an interval The
honeymoon ia over; the works Of prophecy
were fulfilled, "There shall be abundance
Of peace as long as the moonendufeth. The
family are In their nest. Gradually and
painfully 1t dawns on the young husband
that all is not bliss; that there are divid-
ed interests. lie finds 10 his surprise
that his home Is not his that his wife Is
not his; he has but part Of his wife and
Of his home. The hoped for half.hour
which he was TO spend alone with her,
renewing the fugitive delights and
snalched interviews OF earlier days, must
be shared between three and he realizes
that there is no conversation save between
iHo. A thousand little services that he
would gladly perform for his wife are
rendered by other hands, and he feels "A
though he was not needill to her. II
perchance the Mother.in.law IL an inva-
lid, then the whole house Is turned up.
side down, and this must be iotegone,
and that must be endured, for the sake Of
poor, dear mother" When children
come, he seatee darea to feel that they