Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1875-07-22
MY MOTHER.IN.LAw.

MY MOTHER.lN-LAW.
"Take my advice" said Uncle Israel to
me, when I told him that pretty Susie
Hoyt had consented to be my wifc-"take
my advice, and get as far away from your
mothcr-i in law as possible. I speak from
experience. Taking it up and down, I've
had fair share of matrimonial happiness
but the majority Of the differences ofopin-
ion between your aunt and myself I attri-
butte entirely to the influence and inter-
ference Of my mother-in.l law. By the way
who is Mrs. Hoyt? I don't remember
hearing you speak Of her"
''She ceased to he Mrs. Hoyt when Su-
sic was five years old, and became Mrs.
Gardiner. Hoyt, as far as can learn, left
her nothing but Susie. Gardiner left her
4 lawsuit"
"Ob, a widow again."
"Yes; and, Uncle Israel, she is not
one bit like the traditional mother-in-
law. She is little morsel of blue.
eyed woman, as gentle and sweet as Susie
herself"
"Thcy sll arc. Butter would scarcely
melt in the moutl, of Mrs. Bond before
married her daughter Julia, and-well you
have heard her discourse.
I had. Cold chills Of apprehension
crept over me as I imagined Mrs. Gardi-
ner assailing me in like fashion. Upon
the strength Of my uncle's mother in-law
I went at once and secured a house at the
very extremity of the city suburhs-a gem
of a cottage with whole city between
it's white gate and my mothe.-in.law elects
residence.
l saw her gentle lips quiver when told
her where we were to live, and there. was
a pitiful tone in her low voice when she
said: 1T is very far from here;" but she
made no remonstrancc, and I hardened
my heart and furnished it. Directly op.
positc was q handsome residence, with
wide grounds, a lovely country mansion
within easy distance Of my business, for
which l lcnged, but waited for fortunes
wheel to give turn in my favor to pur.
chase it.
After we were married and settled in
our cozy little cottage, Susie and I would
often sit upon the porch and talk abou,
the happiness of living in the house GOV.
e!ed and which was for sale, though rented
and occupied. Sometimes Mrs. Gardiner
would come over to spend the day, and
Susie would tell her Of her castles in the
air, when my cotton speculation made us
rich.
/ was doing a small business at that
time in wholesale leather store, being
junior partner; but I had invested every
spare dollar I could command in joining
q company to buy some thousand acreas oil
cotton in Louisiana, growing. We fell
certain Of realizing an immense fortune
when our cotton was ready to pick an6
put into the market, aud every letter from
our agents in the South gave usnew hope
So we furnished the new house, in 1masi
nation, and looked forward to owning i
one day.
But all this time I could not truly fine
any reason to regret my connection will
my mother-in.law. 1t is true she otter
advised me, hurting my married dignit,
somewhat by taking the ground that sh'
who had been my Susie's constant com
panion for nineteen years un lerstood lel
disposition and peculiarities better than
who "worshiped the ground upon which
she trod," etc. But honestly could new
er say her advice was not good, and Susi,
was quite willing to admit that under
stood her perfectly.
So nearly year glidcd away and my
blue-e eyed mother-in-)aw was just as Iowa
ble and gentle as before the marriage. NJ,
heart smote me sometimes when sh,
spoke of the loneliness of her home with
out Susie, but thought Of Uncle Israe
and was firm. 1t was in the fall of 1856
when appalling news reached the com
pany "f cotton speculators, and we looket
each other blankly in the face. Ins,ea.
of the bales of cotton we had expected
coming to be coined into gold, we receiv
ed news that our agents had employed in
experienced hands, had irritated the seed
men, who would have been glad to &c
the work, and so nlismanaged the Who'll,
affair that our cotton was worthless
There was no one to 60 but myself, ant
my home affairs held me. Susie wa
not we'll and l did not wish to leav
her, yet there might be something saw
ed if a competent agent went to Louisj
ana.
While I hesitated and lamented, Mr.
Gardiner came to the rescue. ~
you must Co." she said, "and leav
Susie in my care. will stay here wit
her, and you can return as quickly as po,
sib!e. Hannah will come, too"
Hannah was family servant who ha
been Susie's child nurse. engaged
nurse recomthended by Mrs. Gardine
aud with heavy heart set my face soutl
T ward. 1t is not necessary to enter int
details of my business worries. Fo
. month I was detained, trying to &,
some return for. the money we had inves
ed, and failed utterly. Then, heart sick,
started for home. In the great cities Il
yellow fever ragged, and I avoided thel
in my route; but on my way from Ne,
Orleans to Memphis, at = little pla,
called Vaughen Station, I was taken vel
J; i'll.
1 Put off'thc train, bag and baggage,
! vas driven to : wretched little tavern, or
= T. .