The Republican journal., 1877-01-11
From Harper's Bazar.
Sues Mother-in-Law
nY ROSE TERRY COOKE

'Oh, NANNY. 1t he only was an orphan
| would say yes tomorrow; but hate
hats the idea OF a motherin-law.'
~ on might poison her, my dear" dry
ly remarked Mrs. De Groot, stately ole
lady, with snow white hair, and any
amount OF Mechlin lace about her throat
and wrists over her soft black silk dress
But really, you dreadful old dear, you
know it will be awful,' sighed Sue, pass
ing her little hands wearily through the
dark tringes above her forehead
My dear" said Mrs De Groot, you
are speaking in Il very ill-bred way; but
let that rest. have no idea that you will
ever be troubled with Mr. Grey's mother
You will not marry him. A girl who is
daunted by mother-in-law does not love
the son enough to marry him"
Sues pretty face flushed. Poor little
soul, she had never yet known Wha. love
was; but she liked Mr.. Grey well enough
He was a rich, kindly. pleasant man whom
asked her to marry him. she did not know
why she should refuse. She hated to hurt
his feelings; and suddenly she remember
ed his mother. disagreeable old lady,
who ruled and reigned over all her family
and only did not tyrannize over John
because he lived the life of a bachelor in
the city and boarded at a hotel.
But here was reason for Sue, and hel
mothers words sank deeply into her con.
sciousness. She gathered courage to say
no, and year after found herself absorbed
heart and soul, in real love affair. and
accepted Harry Tempest, q young but ris-
ing lawyer, with kind, generous, frank
nature. and a dark, handsome face, with.
out remembering that he had not only a
mother, but a widowed mother, who lived
with him, and could not possibly be ig-
nored or set aside, since Harry was an
only child 1t is true, Sue had never seen
her, for during her six months acquaint-
ance with Harry, Mrs. Tempest had been
at the West nursing sister who was at
deaths door with consumption; and il
Harry had not said much about her to
Sue, it was that other and more absorbing
themes naturally occupied them.
Mrs. De Groot smiled when Susan laid
her fair head in her lap and recited to her
the tale of her engagement. for she had
seen the end from the beginning, and had
shed her own tears privately. She had
other children besides Sue; but this was
her darling, her baby, her pet always
and such Il pang as mothers know went
through her heart when she saw the inev-
table separation approaching, but she had
the courage and the goodness to smile
and sympathize when the girl poured out
this genuine passion, and threw herself
with bushes and tears, into the arms that
could never fail her while they were in
stinct with life.
After the confidence was done with and
Sue had quieted both tears and joy, Mrs
De Groot bethought herself of the last
time there had been such an affair, or the
likeness of it. on the carpet, and said, with
the quaintest smile and accent, at once
gentle and mischievous, elias Mr.. Tenn
pest mother, Sue ?'
''Oh yes She isn't here now. ! never
saw her. She is in Chicago with her sis.
ter"
"What are you going to do about her ?'
asked her mother
'Oh. nanny. | never thought about
her; and she lives with him. How sorry
! am But | guess she will be nice"
"She may be very nice to Henry, my
dear. SO was Mr.. Grey's mother to him ,
lin sure she can't be SO disagreeable
as old Mrs. Grey" pouted Sue, who was d
little spoiled to tell the truth.
"Susan," said Mrs. De Groot, with con.
siderable gravity, 81 want you to look this
thing in the face. You are a young girl
going to 4 new home. with new people
whom as yet you know nothing about
Now take a little bit of advice. Look al
yourself, not al Mrs. Tempest, when yol
come to live together. You know yor
have had an easy life, with nobody to
thwart your plans and purposes. Now be
gin to see if you are really lady, OF only
a pretense."
You think ought to bear everything
do you, nanny. and never peep or nut
ter ?"
mother-in-law as one lady should another
Don't recriminate if she talks at you, tol
that is vulgar--ill- bred in the extreme
Don't give up your just position, either
with your husband or in the family. Re
| spect yourself. Sue, and you force respec
from Others"
"Oh dear wish there weren't any
mothers-in-law in the world!'' peevishlv
calculated the girl.
Then ] should be exterminated will
the rest" smiled her mother.
"But you are so different, nanny"
81 had an awful lesson, Sue, when
was Young. You know your uncle Ton
married Posy Schuyler when he was
very young man, and she was only seven
teen-jLst my own age. You remembe
her picture in the library at the Hills p
"Oh yes, that lovely delicate little crea
ture with hair like spun gold, and grea
dark eyes, and such bud of a mouth, hal
smiling. like Il pleased baby's."
THAT is her very counterfeit She wa
the loveliest creature | ever saw. He
father died before she was born, and he
mother only lived for the baby, and. from
the hour she came, just worshiped her
She was named Euphrosyne, after he
fathers mother, but she always called her
self Posy, and grew up with that nam
attached to her. | never saw such atfec
lion as Mrs. Schuyler's for that child;
amounted to passion. She never trustee
her from her sight; she woke in the nigh
to look at her; she was frantic with ter
ror if illness threatened her. She had al
artistic nature, but its sole exercise wa
inventing dresses and ornaments for Posy
| remember beng at the Hills as child
and going into Posy's room-a large air,
room, with two great windows lookin!
Southwark; the walls were white, with
deep cornice of every spring flower, paint
ed to the life by an Italian tresco painter
the white carpet was strewn with rose
and violets, the white-wood furniture dec
Grated with honeysuckles and clematis
painted by Mrs. Schuyler herself in cling
ing wreaths and tendrils, with clusters Q
roses and ivory bloom, and wide blue bios
SONS looking just fit to pick; there wer
curtains Of white soft woolen stuff, loope'
up in creamy folds by an enameled fer
leaf on either side; and everything els
TO the lily of pearl shell which held he