Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-12-28
Mary Grsy's Mother.in-Law.
A Christmas Story.

y
= live with YOU" remarked Miss Susan
Skinner, eontemptuously, giving hel
head toss which set all the little pink
bows on her cap dancing.
Pretty, plump, little Mrs. Grey opened
her brown eyes in mild surprise at hel
visitors tone.
"Why, yes. Miss Susan, mother
CREWS last child has married and moved
away from her, and now she is left quite
aloue- Henry always was her favorite,
and /, knowing it would please him,
suggested that she should rent or sell
the farm; and make her home with Us,
and she has consented to do so"
Humph! all the more fool you
You have got yourself into pretty f1
now, Mary Grey. She will never leave
you as long as she lives you can make
np your mind to that, and bid goodbye
to peace for the rest OF your days"
"Why, Miss Susan," said Mrs. Grey,
regarding her old neighbor with sur
prise, 81 don'tuuderstand you. / sm
sure never want mother to leave US.
and as for peace, what difference can
her coming make?"
"Oh, you'll see," replied Miss Susan,
noddiDg her head wisely, while her
knitting needles kept time to her shrili
tones with sharp cliek-click. You'll
see You will repent of your bargain
before month is over, mind what tell
YOU, OF ali the mean, conniving, med
dlesome women in the world, it is a
mother-in-law."
Mrs. Grey began to feel little
annoyed, "What do you know about
it9' she could not refrain from saying.
"Humph | you needn't twit me with
being an old maid, Mary Grey! l thank
my stars that I'm not tied to any man,
nor what's worse, to any mans mother.
What do know about moth ers-in-law 7
More than I want to. goodness knows
Why, there was my cousin Luclnd nda,
who was obliged to leave her husband,
and 60 home to her father, just on &C
count of her mother-in-law !; and Alice
Lawson, poor, little, weak creature, who
used to live in this very house, was so
imposed upon and Ill used by her hus-
bands mother, that they do say it killed
her: anyway, she died just three months
after her mother-in-law came to live
with her. Why, I know of lots OF such
cases, and, if woman isn't awfully
strong minded, her mother-in-law just
runs right over her and rules the house,
and, if she is strong minded, they are
continually iangling and quarreling, so
YOU see that, altogether, woman's best
way is to keep entirely away from her
mother-ip-law."
"But, Miss Susan, these are only ex-
ceptional cases." said Mrs. Grey 81
am sure there are good and true women
in the world belonging to this class.
"Wen, I'd just like to see one OF
them, that's all! [ SEQ it's no use
arguing with you, Mary; you're too set
in your own way; mark my words, my
dear, you will rue the day you ever let
that woman come into your house, said
Miss Susan, in tone OF settled conylc'
ton. "When do you expect Mrs.
Grey ," she asked, rising, and folding
up her knitting work.
ITO morrow evening".
$50 soon? Well, I'm sure, hope
YOU will be able to get along with her,
answered Miss Susan, with little sym
pathetic sigh.
Often during the remainder OF thai
day auS, the next, Mrs. Grey found her
self Wondering what her husband
mother was like. He had always seemed
so proud and fond of her, that she was
predisposed to love her; to regard he1
with that reverence and affection which
she had cherished for her own deac
mother. She thought how nice it twoulc
he TO have some one to whom she couic
90 with all her little troubles and ankle
fies, some one who would sympathiz'
with and counsel her; and how pleasan
it would be for Henry to have his mothe!
alwsys near him. where he could watei
over and care for her.
They would make such happ.
family; Henry and herself, grandma
and baby Harry.
Then, in opposition to all these pleas
ant thoughts, would come up, in spit
of her, the gloomy warnings and fore
bodings which Miss Susan Skinner ha'
uttered. Gould Henry's mother b
"meap, conniving, meddlesome," o
disagreeable in any waya No, thou
sand times no. And yet the sharpl
spoken words had left their sting, an
she could not drive the memory OF ther
from her mind.
When train time arrived, mamma AM
baby took their station at the window