Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-12-29

resigned, as if she had taken up her quar-
ters or the cosy sofa for the next year and
half.
Simson stares at the knitting in speech
less agony No doubt of it, the old lady Is
going to grant them the pleasure of her
company the whole evening.
Charlotte takes a chair near her mamma.
SlmSOn measures the room with rapid
pace, to aid him in hiding his-excessive
| JOY. He lights cigar; scarcely has Inc tax
ell a Whit when the lady began to sniff
and scent the air, while from under her
/ glasses she flashes glance at him and then
at her daughter.
Dear CharleyT pleaded his confuse
little wife, Mamma cannot endure
smoke"
"You assured me, Charlotte. that YOU
liked me to smoke, ne replied.
Il debut mammal she says, looking
at him so tenderIy, supphcatingly.
/ He is not quite decided whether to Sacri-
flee his cigar or mother-in-law. He slips
to the window, opens it with bang-but
| he only throws out the cigar.
With increased rapidity he resumed his
march, his blood boiling; an egg could
have been poached in it. Truly, this is Il
| promising beginning, not to be allowed to
! smoke in his own houseI
The Captains lady glances sharply at
him again, then at Charlotte, who does not
! appear TO comprehend until it is renewed
with decided impreSsiveness.
Dear Charley, mamma cannot tolerate
| that inceSSant walking back and forth; :"
she implores, with flush of distress on
her pretty face.
Please come and sit down here by me,
will your
SiInson bites his lips and grits his teeth
savagely, then eXclaims: ''Oh, of course :
certainlyZwhy not?" He bOunces into Il
chair with such violence that it groans at
every joint. Charlotte knows why he is so
vexed, and tries to divert him by every
conceivable device Of her gentle heart un-
til his brow is clear once more under her
tender influence, and he no longer observes
his mother-in-law's drawn-down mouth,
nor her searching glance, nor the hateful
click Of her knitting needles. By and by
Charlotte asked him, jestingly, what he
would like for dinner on the morrow.
The danes head is suddenly erected.
''ghild, yOa forget that we have already
decided on to-mOrrow's dinner, she said,
cGldlY. s.zs.-.,;r.-.---s s-.+--zss=e-s-5@
But, mamma, maybe Charles has some
favorise dish, the wife replied, shyly.
=, Ny child, in well regulated families,
speciaiz wishes cannot be observed, buF
must be subservient to rules, was the la
dy's answer.
Simson beat tattoo on the back of his
chair. He had disposition to ask her if
he was her guest, or vice versa, but he re-
Trained, saying, as he caught Charlotta's
irrPloTing glance, 4 shall not be home to
dinner. a particular friend has also in
'vited me to breakfast in the morning. At
all events, | shall not be at home.
The clock strikes ten. The knitting is
rolled together and Madame Boyer takes
her departure with stately bow. Simson
gives a sigh Of infinite relief Charlotte
throws her arms around him for moment,
and then runs and lights cigar for him,
saying, '.Dear, dear Charley, don't be cross,
don't be provokedr' Can cloud Of anger
rest on his brow after that? But his last
thoughts on going to sleep were of the va
rious stories he had heard about awful
mothers-iIl-law.
The following day he was enlightened
about the character of his mOther-in-law.
She was proud, domineering, sensitive and
preSuming. She is mistress, and evident
fy had an idea that Slmson was eternally
indebted to her for giving him her daugh-
between the two. He is anxious to spare
his wife, but the mothers presumption is
intolerable; but for Charlottes sake the bat
tie is conducted i'll silence. When he found
that ten o'clock was her hour for retiring
he set the clock an hour ahead. She soon
discovers this, and remains Until eleven
O'Clock. Simsou- acted as if he did not no
tice, it bat smoked so vigorously that he
nearly blinded himself
The old dame. accustomed herself to il
nObly. He replaces the furniture to his
liking. and every time he comes home the
chairs stand ranged against the wall again,
like a line of grenadiers on duty. At the
expiration of two weeks the old lady is
boss of the establishment. The servant
obeys only her. Charlotte is treated like a
child in her teens The old lady commands;
and the old lady knows everything better
than any body else. The young couple can
have no enjoyment without her. If Char
lotte desires to visit the theatre, the man.
ma stands unasked and uniBvited ready to
accompany them The woman has deter
mined to embitter his life. He has lost his
appetite because she is at his table. When
she turns those great, cold eyes on him the
victuals become acrid or tastelesS, as the
case might be.
He might be able to endure this, but in
his absence she endeavored her utmost to
turn his ife against him also. She ty-
ranized over the poor little woman terri
bly,.
He tries to convince Charlotte that it
would be for the happiness of all concerned
if her mother would live elsewhere. He
offers to pay all her expenses, anything
everything in the power of man, but Char
lotte is afraid of her mother, and cannot
be induced to eject or fOrsake her.
''If she expressed wish to leave us OF
her own accord, then | should gladly re-
concile myself to do with out her, the
wife declared.
Simson takes the hint, and Immediately
sets about the delightful task of making
possible: but she has her wits about her,
and enjoys her revenge.
She likes the room warm. As soon as
he enters every door and window is thrown
or ~, He is ready to freeze to death rath-
VI ~ tb =, endure his mother-in-law. The
ia ho,, ~otS out, but returns wrapped in
flu fl'r, 'e" Sbo orders in turn the very dishes
ba disl;tes i aboS. all Others, and is compen-
''sgu She ie' is taken I SICK The first day she is
forced 10 Keep ner Deu. ..t -. 81
self in heaven, to have the tn, ne alone wILn
Charlotte. He is so happy he sta. Ns ~ az li9ile
the whole day. The next morning H ~ ~
tor is called aside and anxiously asked ~"
his patient is.
''Do not be alarmed, my dear sir; your /
mother-in-law will be about again in a day
or two"
..You are mistaken, doctor, the poor
fellow exclaimed, ''you treat her case too |
lightly. She is i'll, very ill; IN fact she is |
out of her head. Oh, for heavens sake i'm
press her situation upon her; do not let her /
leave her room for at least week or two, |
or a month. She is sick, the woman is in
deed. Tell her So"
Some evil spirit must have whispered his |
joy to the old lady, for Charlotte was in |
such constant demand at her bedside after |
this that Simson got tired of taking his 1
meals alone and having no one to talk to |
evenings that he longed for her Gonzales
cence. He knows his mother-in-aw de-
tests the sound OF music, or practieing on |
any musical instrument, and he began 10 |
take lessons on Uhee eOrnet. Morning, noon |
and night, this abused instrument gives |
utterance to such terrific grDans and ear |
shifting shrieks that the neighbors threat |
en- TO have him arrested for disturbing the |
peace.
The old lady is furious but she studs
cotton in her ears, covers them with e,cr-
lnuffs, and scents herself so fearfully with
musk that the house is intolerable because
she knows the least bit of this perfume
makes him sick. The conflict becomes