The Van Buren press., 1875-07-27
MISCEUL ANY.
My Mother in Law.

axe my ADVICE, sad Uncle lSraet t(
me, when | told him that pretty SUSIE
Hoyt had consented to be my wife--takt
my advice, and get as far away from youi
motheri in law as possible. speak from
experience. Taking it up and down, I've
had my share of matrimonial happiness
hnt the majority of the differences OF
opinion between your aunt and myself,
attribute entirely to the influence and in
reference Of my mother in-law BY the
way, who is Mrs Hoyt? | don't remem.
Der hearing you speak of her"
She ceased to be Mrs. Hoyt when SIT
sic was five years old, and became Mrs
Gardiner Hoyt, as far as can learn.
left her nothing but Susie. Gardiner left
her a lawsuit
'Oh widow again p
Yes; and, Uncle Israel, she is not Or e
bit like the traditional mother-in law.
She is little morsel of blne-eycd wo
man, as gentle and sweet as Susie her
self
They all are Butter would scarcely
melt in the mouth of Mrs. Bond before |
married her daughter, Julia, and--well,
you have heard her discourse
| had. Cold chills of apprehension
crept over me, as imagined Mrs. Gar
diner assaling me in like fashion Upon
the strength of my uncles mother in law,
| went at once and secured house at the
very extremity Of the city suburbs--a
gem of a Gotta 9a..fd INIT 4',: i-,von-sorr, .,
! ,nsIav raNen Jim's old hat out OF 7
saw er :"'ow and put Il 1,,s the smoo moe
told her where we were to live, and there
was piiiful tone in her low voice when
she said, It's very far from heres but
she made no other remonstrancc, and l
hardened my heart, and furnished the
house Directly opposite was band
some residence, with wide grounds, a
lovely country mansion within easy dis
tance of my business, for which longed
but waited for fortunes wheel to give a
turn in my favor to purchase it.
After we were married and settled IN
our cozy little cottage, Susie and | often
would sit on the porch, and talk about
the happiness of living in the house
coveted, and which was for sale, though
rented and occupied. Sometimes Mrs
Gardiner would come over to spend the
day, and Susie would tell Of her castles
in the air when my cotton speculation
made us rich
was doing small business at thai
time, in wholesale leather store, being 8
Junior partner; but | had invested every
spare dollar could command in joining
company to buy some thousand acres O
cotton in Louisiana, growing. We fell
certain of realizing an immense fortune
when our cotton was ready to pick ano
put into the market, and every letter from
our agents in the south. gave us new hope
So we furnished the new house in imagi
nation, and looked forward to ewning i
some day.
But, in all this time, l 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 grounc
that she who had been my Susic's con
slant companion for nineteen years, un
derstood her disposition and peculiarltie'
better than i, who worshipped the eart'
upon which she trod, etc. But honestly
| could never say her advice was not goot
and Susie was quite willing to admit tina
/ understood her perfectly.
SO nearly year glidcd by, and my blue
eyed mother in law was just as lovahl'
and gentle MS before the marriage. My
heart smote me sometimes when sb'
spoke of the loneliness of her home with
out Susie, but thought of Uncle Israel
and was firm. 1t was IN the fall OF 1857
when appalling news reached the compa
ny of cotton spectators, and we looked
each other bankly in the face. Instead o
the bales of cotton, we had expected
coming to be coined into gold, we reoeiv
cd news that our agents had employed
inexperienced hands, had irrltated tn
seedmen, who would have been glad t'
get the work, and so mismanaged TIL
whole affair, that our cotton was worth
less. There was no one to go but mysel
and my home affairs held me. SUSIE wa
not we'll, and did not wish to leave her
vet there might be something saved II
competent agent went to Louisiana.
While hesitated and lamented, Mrs
Gardiner came to the rescue.
You must CO. she said, and lcav
Susie in my care. l will stay here wit
her, and you can return as quickly a
possible. Hannah will come, too
Hannah was family servant who ha'
been Susic's child nurse. | engaged
nurse recommended by Mrs. Gardiner
and with heavy heart set my face south
: ward. 1t is not necessary to enter int
the details of my business worries. For
month | was detained, trying to get som
return of the money we had Invested an
failed utterly Then heart-sick, starte
for home. In the great cities the yello'
1 | a-A,lal .ha,,, in ~,