Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-04-22

pretty teeth, and quote her mother; and
pretty rig their mother is running
them, to be sure. Two girls ought to BIZ
abundance for the work in that house
but they have three. My sons wife
never asked ing advice about it, but, be
tween ourselves, I'm going to give Tom Z
talking to- ETC., ETC., ETC., etc. Now
when all this and the etc., too, is be
tween herself and her fifteen cOn6den
tial lady friends-some of them mothers
in-law also-and immensely relieved tG
find that it is not all Paradise outside
their garden, it is not to be wondered ii
things are made lively for Tom.
But Tom is like bull in a net. He
does not exactly know what's the mat
ter; but something il wrong, and wher
he talks to Blanche, Blanche does not
know, only cries; and Tom can't stand
crying, and breaks out in denunciation
of mother-in-law; and in her hear
Blanche joins, meaning hers, while he
means his; and SO the plot thickens. II
the world could not bear two suns, nor Asia
two kings, as His Majesty Alexander the
Great Of Greece told His Imperial High.
ness Of Persia long ago, just as little
can one house bear two such mothers.
in-law.
Now, there is nothing wanting here
but little good sense and good temper
Let the young people alone till they have
tried things and found out for them.
selves. Too much cookery spoils the
broth. Blanche will, by and by, feel a
little pride in running her own house.
Tom will learn, by and by, that Blanche
must get advice from some more expe-
rienced woman, and to whom should she
go but her own mother? He won't he
vexed when he sees the dependence on
grandma OF that cherub. in whose
small, puckered, red face the loving
Blanche has already seen dear Toms
very image" And now, at least, the
girls are all needed, and there's no more
to be said of Toms mother; and Blanche
has now something to talk of to her
mother-in-law, and Tom, junior, whose
waking employment seems to be mostly
to feel for his eyes with his little, Grim
son, doubled-up fists, is an unconscious
mediator between them.
Now, is 1t not hardship that little in
felicities should mar the reputation of a
whole class? Why should traditional
drollery be allowed to blind US to the
patient, good, unselfish women who often
take up the burdens of life again in the
marriage of their children? Who has
not seen the mother-in-law on duty as
sick-nurse? How often she is the guard
ian angel that hovers around, and wards
off danger and misery! How often her
bosom is the pillow on which child
seeks repose again, when the dream of
life has gone by contraries, and the poor
heart wakes up disenchanted and broken
How often the mother-in-law is the one
link connecting the family with respecta-
bility, comfort and sympathy! How
often a widowed Ruth has dwelt in
safety with her mother-in-law! How
often the widower has blessed God that
his wife's mother remained when his wife
was taken! If it is sometimes otherwise,
the fact is to be traced to error and folly
on one side or the other. He who mar
ries wisely must think beforehand that
he must sustain some kindly relation to
the family of his wife, and he who is not
willing to bend little and make things
pleasant, and allow for the tastes and
feelings of others, is not yet fit to be a
good husband or a wise father.-Home
Journal