Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1875-07-17
My Mother-in-Law.

-" take my advice and get as far away
from your mother-in-law as possible. !
1 speak from experience. Taking it up
and down, I've had fair share of mat
rimonial happiness, but the majority of
the differences Of opinion between your
aunt and myself attribute entirely to
the influence and interference of my
mother-in-law. By-the-way, who is
Mrs. Hoyt? I don't remember hearing
you speak of her"
"She ceased to be Mrs. Hoyt when
Susie was five years old, and became
Mrs. Gardiner Hoyt, as far rs / can
learn, left her nothing but Susie. Cur
diner left her q lawsuit. +" aJs rsa 'ar
sob! a widow again p s...t .it
Yes; and, Uncle Israel, she is not
one bit like the traditional mother-in-
law. She is a little morsel Of blue
eyed woman, as gentle and sweet as
Susie herself. ..a a ..5.5 T..
They all are. Butter would scarcely
melt in the mouth of Mrs. Bond before
I married her daughter Julia, and
we'll, you have heard her discourse.
I had. Cold chills of apprehension
crept over me as I imagined Mrs. Gar
diner assailing me in like fashion. On
the strength of my uncle's mother-in-
law,iI went at once and secured house
at the very extremity of the city suburbs
"a gem of cottage, with whole city
between its white gate and my mother
in-law elects residence. ''- ..'.. -.'
saw her lips quiver when / told her
where we were going to live, and there
was pitiful tone in her voice when she
said, 1t is very far from here" but
she made no other rremonstrance, and I
hardened my heart and furnished it.
Directly opposite was handsome res
idence, with wide grounds, a lovely
country mansion within easy distance
of my business, 20 for which longed,
but waited for fortunes wheel to give II
turn in my favor to purchase it.
After we were married and settled i'll
our cozy little cottage, Susie and l
would often sit upon the porch and
talk about the, happiness of living in
the house I coveted, and which was for
sale, though rented and occupied.
Sometimes Mrs. Gardiner would come
over to spend the dsy, and Susie would
tell her of her castles in the air, when.
my cotton speculation made us rich.
1. / was doing O small business at that
time, in wholesale leather store, being
Junior partner; but had invested every
spare dollar could command in joining
q company to buy some thousand acres
of cotton in Louisiana, growing. We
felt certain OF realizing an immense for
t,.v. n'xx1, dxy ta
and put into the market, and every let
ter from our agents. in the South gave
us new hope. So we furnished the new
house, in Imagination, and looked for
ward to owning it one day.
But in all this time 1 could not truly
find any reason TO regret my connection
with my mother-in-law. 1t is true she
often advised me, hurting my married
dignity somewhat by taking the ground
that she who had been my Susie's con-
slant companion for nineteen years,
understood her disposition and pecul-
iarities better than I, who worshipped
the ground upon which she trod, &c.
But honestly ! could never say her ad-
vice was not good, and Susie was quite
willing to admit understood her per-
feetly.
So nearly year glided by, and my
blue-eyed mether-in-law was just es
lovable and gentle as before the mar
riage. My heart srnote me sometimes
when she spoke of the loneliness of
her home without Susie, but ! thought
Of Uncle Israel, and was firm. It was
IN the fall OF 1867, when appalling news
reached the company of cotton speou-
lators, and we looked each other blank
ly in the face. Instead of the bales of
cotton we had expected coming to be
coined into gold, we received news that
our agents had employed inexperienced
hands, had irritated the seedmen, who
would have been glad. to Get the work,
and 90 mismanaged the whole affair
thatour cotton was worthless, There
was no one to, 60 but myself, and my
home affairs held. me. Susie was not
well aud I did not wish to leave her,
yet there might be something saved by
a competent agent going to Louisiana.
| While I hesitated and lamented,
Mrs. Gardiner came to the rescue.
| ..You muss 60" she said g and leave
Susie in my care. ! will stay here with
her, and you can return as quickly as
possible. Hannah win come, too"
Hannah was family servant who
had been Easie's child nurse, en-
gagged nurse recommended by Mrs.
Gardiner, and with heavy heart set
my face southwark. Itisnot necessary
to enter into,the details OF my business
worries. For o month, was detained,
| trying to get some return Of the money
| we had invested. and failing utterly.
Then,, ;heart-sick, I started for home.
In the great cities the yellow fever
ragged, and ! avoided them In my route;
but on ms way. from New Orleans to
Memphis. at little place called Vaughsn
Station, I was taken III. '4s''R =
Put off the train. bag and baggage
! was driven to, Yrstchsd little tavern