Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-18
His Five M0thers-in-Law.
A TRUE STORY

ne same mouse with mOther-ln-l9w, but
I'D Sol. B (as he was commonly called) |
If Boston dwelt in peace and comfort for
several years with five ladies bearing that |
relation to him.
When first knew the old gentleman he |
appeared to be about fifty, but was in real |
ity about sixty-eight, and had q charming |
wife who was then twenty-six, and two
lovely children, a boy and girl, one seven
wife were all married, and some of his
were also married. and them.
selves had children older than Mr.. BIS
two youngest.
On the first day of my visit at his pleas
ant home, not many miles from Boston, as I
took my place at the dinner-table with Mrs.
B., I was surprised to see five old ladies
come into the room together and to be in
troduced to each one of them in succession
as follows "My own mother, Mrs. B,
senior; my next mother, Mrs. Henry my
third mother, Mrs. Jones my fourth mother
Mrs. Williams my fifth mother, Mrs. John"
"Mrs. B--senior" who seemed to be
the youngest of the old ladies, laughed
aloud at my look of consternation--a me-
lodious laugh for one of her years-and
every one smiled but Mr.. B, who in
voked the blessing with his usual air and led
the table talk on indifferent topics. That
evening in the parlor young Mrs. B.
gave us some music, and the old ladies re-
tired early one after another, the "own
mother going last, when she was tenderly
assisted up stairs by her son. On his re-
turn Mr.. B said to me with a smile of
amusement,
al see that you are, as the ladies say.
dying to know what all this means. |
purposely did not tell you that have FIVE
mothers-in-law, because always like to see
the effect produced by my household on
other people. You, for instance, live so diff
ferently, all alone, how do we appear to
you Z"
Harmonious and happy; but have seen
you together only very short time. What
is your everyday experience ?"
"Much the same, especially since my dear
wife came into our household. l had all the
old ladies when she arrived"
"But where did you get them all they
cannot all belong to you ?"
"Yes, every one of them, l have -four
mothers-in-law, of course that makes five
mothers-in-law in our house. Now as my
wife is just going to her little ones nursery,
| will tell you about my old ladies.
"When l married my first wife, mother
who was widow, came to live with us.
| She was good creature, and had seen
pretty hard times, having supported herself
by school teaching and sewing for several
years, and she seemed to greatly enjoy my
comfortable home-1 was always a thriving
man of business. So one day said to her
Now mother, there no reason why you
shouldn't make your home with us while
you live; you can bring your own furniture
if you choose, or you need not the room
| you now occupy will be yours always, anc
besides what my wife may do will give
yol fifty dollars a year for your clothes
Chat W as an ample sum for a woman Il
have all to herself in those times), You cal
teach if you wish to, or do anything else t.
earn money if you wish to; you will Away
be welcome to our table and parlor, or, i
you prefer, you can cook for yourself il
your own room. Only one thing | will ex
act in return-you must never make an,
mischief or quarrel with anybody in m,
house about anything And if sometime
you are displeased, you must go to your room
and pout it out alone, and only join u
again when you feel pleasant. For | won
be worried, and least of all have my wifi
worried by anybody Now mother, what d.
you say?
"She only said, You are good man
Solomon b -, and the Almighty will re
ward you, and thank you from my heart
| will do my part
$50 | never had any trouble with her. w,
all lived together twenty years and then m.
wife had an attack of pneumonia and diet
and soon after that my own mother wa
left widow and came to live with me. NJ
mother is only sixteen years older than au
and being so lively aud smart she seemed
quite like a younger sister to my mothe
Henry, and they got on easily together. Blu
after a while when the children were al
about grown, got so lonesome that coaxe'
a real nice, sensible lady from Philadelphia
not handsome, but Just as good as gold, Il
marry me. / told her all about my oil,
ladies', and | found she had two mother
living with her, her own mother and he
husbands mother. They had neither o
them any property, but she owned hous
and took boarders in it to support them all
swell, made the proposition to her oil,
ladies that had made to my mother-in-law
and they both agreed Then | went hom
and built an addition to my house, and sool
brought my second wife and her two moth
ers there. We had some occasional pouting
at first, but | always held the two point
without yielding-I was the master in m
house, and would never let anybody bottle
my wife. So pretty soon my four-in-han,
learned to travel smoothly together.
"Ah, me | looked forward to a happ
old age with that dear wife, but in two year
she was killed by railway accident.
was with her on the train and was bad
hurt, lying for weeks in the state of uncor
sciousness. When l recovered my wife
grave was green. | felt so bad and m
health was so poor that did not care for
woman again until my children were Marie
and was left alone with my four old ladie,
Then l met pretty little romantic widow
who was $50 sorry" for me. She wrot
poetry and painted pictures, and was dyin
all the time with consumption-tha scourg
of our city and thought, as she had
struggle TO take care of her husband
mother, would soothe her passage to tn
grave.
$50 | married her and her mother.
mean--well, you know what | mean.
treated her mother-in-law just as did tn
other ladies, and that wife lived seven year
after all. l made her so happy that sh
adored me, and we had the sweetest bab
you ever saw Oh, what a lovely creatur
. that child was--a little angel She live
only three years and then faded away. Blu
have several pictures OF her, painted b
her mother"
"And did you have no trouble with tn
' mother-in-law 2"
mot while her daughter-in-law lived sh
} was always taking care of her sick child an
grandchild. But when Emma was gone an
all seemed quiet again, the old lady wante
to marry me-"
"What Emma's mother-in-law
ayes. She was handsome woman sti