Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-04-18
HIS FIVEMOTHERS.
Important to the Married How an Exem-
plary Man Lived Happily With Five
Mothers in Law


Sacramento Bee.
Most husbands and wives, if we may
credit all they say, find it difficult to
live in the same nous. with mother-in
law, but cold Sol B. Gas he was
called), of Boston, dwelt in
peace and comfort for several years with
five ladies bearing that relation to him.
When I first knew the old gentleman
he appeared to be about fifty, but was
IN reality sixty-eight, and had charm
ing wife, who was then twenty-six, and
two lovely children, a boy and girl,one
seven and the other five. His other chill
dren by his first wife were all married,
and some of his grandchildren were also
married, and themselves 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, was surprised TO see
FIVE Did ladies come into the room to-
gether and be introduced as follows:
my own mother, Mrs. B, senior;
my next mother, Mrs. Henry; my third
mother, Mrs. James any fourth mother,
Mrs. Williams; my fifth mother, Mrs.
john
"Mrs. B, senior" who seemed the
youngest of the old ladies, laughed aloud
at my look of CONSERVATION melodious
voice for one Of her years everyone
smiled but Mr.. B, who invoked the
blessing with the usual air and led the
table talk on in different topics. That
evening in the parlor young Mrs. B
gave us some music, and the old ladies
retired one after the other, the Gown mo-
Their" going last, when she was tenderly
assisted upstairs by her own son. On
his return Mr.. B said to me with a
smile of amusement:
~ see you are; as the ladies say, dying
to know what 1t all means. purposely
did not tell you that I have five mother
ln-laws, because Ike to see the effect
produced by my household on other peo-
pie. You, for instance, live so different
ly, alone; how do we appear to you?"
Harmonious and happy; but 1 have
seen you together a very short time.
What is your everyday experienced"
"Much the same; especially since my
dear wife came into our household. l
had all the dear old ladies when she ar
rived"
"But where did you get them all? they
cannot all belong to you"
eyes, every one OF them. l have four
mothers in law, and as my own mother
is my wife's mother-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 married my first wife, her
mother, who was widow, came to live
with US. She was good creature, and had
seen pretty hard times, having supported
herself and her child by school teaching
and sewing for several years, and she
seemed to greatly enjoy my comfortable
home-I was always thriving man of
business. So one day I said to her. Now
mother, there is no reason why you
shouldn't make your home with us al
ways while you live; you can bring your
own furniture, if you choose, or you need
not; the room you now occupy shall be
your own always, and besides what my
wife may do, will give you $50 year
for your clothes (that was an ample sum
for woman to have all to herself In
those timesl. You can teach if you wish
to, or do any thing else to earn money if
you wish to; you Will always be welcome
to our table and cur 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
mischief or quarrel with any one in my
house about anything. And if some
times you are displeased you must go to
your own room and poIt it out alone,
and only join us again when you feel
pleasant. For I won't be worried, and
least of all will have my wife worried
by anybody. Now, mother what do you
say9'
'She only said you are good man,
Solomon B, and the almighty will
reward you, and I thank you from my
heart. I will do my part
$50 never had any trouble with her.
We all lived together twenty years, and
then my wife had an attack of pneumo-
MIA and died all Massachusetts women
have weak lungs-and soon after my
mother was LETT widow and came to
me. Ny mother is only sixteen years
older than ana, and being so lively and
smart she seems quite like young SIS
ter to mother Henry, and they got on
easily together. But after & while, when
the children were all about grown, got
so lonesome that I coaxed a real nice
sensible lady, of Philadelphia, not hand
some, but just as good as gold, to marry
me. I told her all about my old ladies
and found that she had two mothers liv-
ing with her, her own mother and her
husbands mother. They had neither of
them any property, but she owned
house, and took boarders in If to support
them all.
"Well, I made the same proposition to
her old ladies that I made to my mother
in-law, and they both agreed. Then 1
went home, and soon brought my sec
ond wife and her mothers here. We had
some occasional pouting at first, but l
always held two points without yielding
Il was the master in my own house, and
I would never let anybody worry my
wife. So pretty SOON my four-in-hand
learned to travel smoothly on all to-
gether.
"Ah, me! 1 looked forward to a