Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-11-07

''But where did you get them all, they
cannot all belong to your"
Eyes, every one of them. l have four
mothers-ln-law, ana as roy own mother is
my wlfe's mother-in-law, of course that
makes five mothers-in-law III our house.
Now, as my wife is just going to her little
ones nursery, will tell you about my old
ladies'.
"When 1 married my first wife, her
mother, who was widow, came to live
with us. She was a good creature, and
had seen pretty hard times. having sup
/ ported herself by school teaching and sew
ing for several years, and she seemed to
greatly emily my comforta BILE home-l was
always thriving man Of business. So
one day said to her, now, mother. there
is no reason why you shouldn't make your
iiome with us always Will you live;. you
Can bring your furniture, if you choose, or
you need not; the room you now occupy
shall be your own always, and beside what
my wife may do will give you fifty dol
lars year for your clothes THAT was an
ample sum for a woman to haye all to her.
self in those times). You can teach if
you wish to, or do anything else to earn
money if you wish to; you will always be
! welcome to our table and parlor, or, if you
prefer, you can cook for yourself in your
own room. Only one thing will exact
in return-you must never make any mis-
| chief Dor quarrel with anybody in my
house about anything. And it sometimes
you are displeased you must 60 to your room
and pout it out alone, and only join US
again when you feel pleasant. For won't
be worried. and least of all will have my
wife worried by anybody. Now, mother,
what do you say p
She only said, 'You are good man,
Solomon B, and the Almighty will re-
ward you, and / thank you from my heart.
1 will do my part
So L never had any trouble with her.
We all lived together twenty years, and
then my wife had an attack Of pneumonia
and died-and soon after that my own mo-
Their was left a widow AID came to live
with me. My mother is only sixteen years
older than am, and being so lively and
smart she seemed quite younger sister to
mother Henry, and they got OH easily to-
get.er. But after while, when the chill
dren were all about grown, got so lone
some that coaxed real nice sensible la
dy, of Philadelphia, not handsome, but
just as good as gold, to marry me. I told
her all about my old ladies and found she
had two mothers living with her, her own
mother and her husbands mother. They
had neither Of them any property, but she
owned house and took boarders in it to
support them all.
Well, made the same proposition to her
old ladies that 1 had made to my mother
in-law and they both agreed. Then went
home and built an addition TO my house
and soon brought my wife and her mothers
there. We had some occasional pouting
| at first, but always held two points with
out yielding-I was the master in my own
house and would never let anybody worry
MY wife. SO, pretty soon, my four-in-hand
learned to travel smoothly together
"Ah, me! l looked forward to a happy
old age with that dear wife, but in two
years she was killed by a railway accident.
l was with her on the train and was badly
hurt, lying for weeks in state of uncon-
seriousness. When recovered my dear
wfe's grave was green. felt so bad and
my health was so poor that did not care
| for a woman again until all my children
were married and l was left alone with my
| four old ladies. Then L met pretty little
! romantic. widow, who was 80 sorry" for
me! She wrote poetry and painted pic
| lures. and was dying all the while of con-
sumption-that scourge of our city; and 1
| thought as she had struggle to take care
| Of herself and her husbands mother,
| would smooth her passage to the grave.
| $50 married her and her mother-I
mean-well, you know what I mean. I
treated her mother-in-law just as | did the
ether old ladies, and that wife lived seven
years after all. made her so happy that
she adored me, and we had the sweetest
baby you ever saw! Oh, what lovely
! creature that child was-a little angel
She lived only three years, and then faded
away. But have several beautiful pic
lures OF her, painted by her mother"
And did you have no trouble with that
mother-in-law ?'
mot while her daughter-in-law lived;
she was always taking care of her sick
child and grandchild. But when Emma
was gone and all seemed quiet again. the
| old lady wanted to marry me!''
| "What! Emma's mother in-law ?''
| h0n
still, and she knew it; about my age, and
| no relation whatever; so she set her cap at
| me''
And that made a commotion in the
| house?'' .tf
| "Well, yes. Yes, it did. I never knew
my mother to get into real rage till then.
She was mad She told me to go right off
and get a young wife-the younger the
better! Then 1 got mad l stormed
away at all my old ladies together; threat
ened to break up Housekeeping and turn
| them out upon the world, away from the
pleasant home which they had enjoyed so
long that they really believed to be theirs.
! Finally declared would have them III
it, to fight like Kilkenny cats, while l
would live at hotel in the city. And
| kept my word. lived at one hotel after
another, but always went home on Satur-
day nights to go to church the next MORN
ing as usual, ard take my old ladies for
drive in the afternoon as usual, so that
the neighbo1s should not be gosslpping
about us.
How good they were to ne, then! They
lived together like a nest of kittens! But
my mother assured me that peace would
not last long if lived at home without a
wife; so when | met pretty little orphan
! girl who had not q relative in the world