The National tribune., 1884-10-02

little woman tried hard to maintain her COM
posure, but it was not until after she had had
good cry on my shoulder that extracted
from her, by degrees, that mamma had been
"going on at her So telling her that she
did pretty nearly everything wrong, that
she felt quito discouraged and miserable.
| comforted her as best | could. The din
ner, for the first time since our marriage,
was a failure, and Mrs. d. did not inn
prove matters by remarking, in her sweetest
manner, that she feared all along it would be
so. If dear Rosie had only taken her advice,
and hadn't done this, aud had done that and
had been leetle more particular about some
thing else, all would have been as it should be.
OF course, took my wife's part, and testified
with some warmth that mp TO that day the
cookery had always been perfection. Mrs. ID.
drew herself up and, for the remainder of the
meal retired within herself, from which dig
nified but constrained position it took three
glasses of my best Madeira to extricate her.
We had hitherto been accustomed to have
little music every evening, but we were de-
barred from that pleasure by Mrs ID. taking
possession of the sofa in the drawing room and
going to sleep Immediately after dinner 1t
struck me that if she objected to the sound of
the piano she might as well betake herself to
some other room, and / tried a few chords, to
see if she would take the hint and retire. but
she merely opened her eyes with the air of a
saint in the act of martyrdem, and family re-
marked that she feared one of her dreadful
headaches was coming on again. Of course,
under such circumstances, music was out of the
question, and my reading aloud to my wife,
which was another of our enjoyments, was
equally tabooed. In desperation ] limited to
Rosie that we had better return to the dining
room, but the sleeping beauty on the sofa Ian
guidly opened her eyes and said, Pray keep
me company my dears; assure you You don't
iStI rb me he or iyphip oh ie
a sign of undisturbed repose, we certainly
didn't. She continued to doze for the remain
der of the evening, but if by any chance
pressed my wife's hand, or ventured on any
other conjugal endearment, one eye of the
sleeper would slowly open and gaze at me with
an expression-I really hardly know what ex-
preston, but the effect was awful Nobody
who hasn't tried it can imagine the nameless
horror, the uncanny and Titch-hke fascination
that is contained in the steadfast gaze of sin
gle eye, particularly if that eye belongs to a
mother-in-law.
The evening came to an end at last and was
followed by several Others as Ike it possible.
My wife and l, who had been accustomed to
make sweet music together, or to sit, side by
side and hand, on the sofa, enjoying
the last new magazine, now sat in grim pro-
priety on opposite sides of the fireplace hardly
venturing to talk above our breath for fear of
disturbing mamma-in-laW, whose nasal ophi-
eleide kept up smooth droning burr occa-
sionally interspersed by rapid snorts, like corks
drawn IN quick succession. As we could no
longer enjoy our evenings at home, | deter
mined to make an effort to enjoy them abroad,
! and accordingly announced to Rosie at dinner
time one day that [ intended TO treat her to
the Ballad Concert at St. James's Hall that
evening Mamma-in- law, who no longer cared
for music when it could be had gratis on the
premises was Immediately seized with an in
tense desire to hear that dear Signor somebody
or other, and accordingly had to take her,
too / must own that she offered to pay for
herself but on my saying politely that | could
not possibly allow her to do so, she yielded
without a murmur An evening at the opera
had similar result and found that she would
| sit out lecture on the driest subject in the
| whole range of science, say protoplasm or cata-
plasm, or even go down in the diving bell with
us, rather than let US go alone. In the daytime
matters were little better myself was gen
orally out all the morning, but poor Rosie was
SO lectured, and instructed, and advised, all In
| the sweetest land most aggravating) manner,
that she began to look quite haggard and wor-
| ried. Our cook, really valuable person, with
| whom we had been much pleased, had given
| warning four days after Mrs Dimply's arrival,
/ stating unreservedly that two "missuses in
one house were one too many for her. And
cordially sympathized with her.
| The week or two had expanded into three,
| and the three into four, and still there was no
| sign of mamma-in-law's departure. Indeed,
she had begun TO talk of her room," and to
! make little alterations in the furniture, which
! betokened very heightened visit. now began
| to understand why she had taken such warm
interest in the upholstering of the spare-room
| / remember her telling Rosie that tastefully-
/ furnished spare-room gave such style !" to a
| house. began TO wish the spare-room at Jeri-
| cho or even further. But relief was at hand,
and it came from most unexpected quarter
| indeed. in a shape which at first sight seemed
| to threaten an aggravation of our grievance
I have no doubt disciple of Hahnemann
would claim it as grand exemplifeation oi
| homeopathic principles. 1t certainly was case
| of sinsitia similibus cstrantar. But the reader
| shall judge for himself.
To be c0ntinuedl