St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-07-28
THE MOTHER-IN-LAW.
Why We Should All Unite to Sing Her
Praises in Voices Unstrung.

why We Should All Unite to Sing Her
Praises In Voices Unstrung.
Not day passes that we do not find
in the columns of our exchanges many
sarcastic filings at one of the most useful
of human institutions viz, the mother
in-law. 1t has always been an occasion
of surprise and of chagrin to us that
men of seeming intelligence and heart
could so debase their manliness as to
jeer at and sheer at one of the worthiest
classes of womankind. We expect
low, coarse wit of the negro minstrel,
and we are not amazed that within the
narrow limitations imposed by his lack
of intelligence and of delicacy the
negro minstrel should utilize the mother
in-law as the favorite butt of his vulgar
ridicule. But when we see this ten
dency exhibited by men who pretend
to more elevated purposes-by those
who claim to be in a peculiar sense
educators of the people and molders OF
public opinion-what wonder that the
spectacles excites our disgust and exc
Grafton.
A vast majority of men, speaking
from personal experience, would say
with us, we think, that the mother-in-
law is one of the most welcome, most
convenient and most blessed feature in
social and domestic economy. Surely
there is no good man that, thinking of
his own mother and of his own grand
mother, would not invoke Gods sweet
est blessings on the dear old lady who
is his wife's mother and his children's
grandma.
Shame upon us if we were to defame
this patient, kindly friend.
Has she not given us the woman who
makes life worth living? Has she not
always been ready to help us in every
struggle, to comfort us in every atfiic-
ton, and to tighten the burden of do
nestle cares? Has she not taught US
by her prudent counsels how to escape
many dangers and to avoid many en-
barrassments9 Has she not exempli-
fed in all her associations with us the
purity, the simplicity, and the patience
of her character, and the disinterested-
ness and fullness of herlov
Now when it comes to the katherine
law, we might sing in a different key.
How does it happen that these sarcastic
penny-a-liners do not devote their ques-
tionable talents to discussion of the
father-in-law-the cranky, wheezy,
gummy old gentleman who sits around
on the front stoop in the sun all day,
and snores like planning mill all night?
What does he do for the family? What
does he know about sick children? |
Have you ever seen him teaching your
small boy how to sharpen slate pencil !
with the bread-knife? Has he ever
linked new eyes on your little girls rag
baby? Did he ever put patches on the
knees of the boys trousers and keep |
the family darning cleaned up to date?
Has he ever gone into the kitchen and |
cooked meal of victuals whenever the |
hired girl founced off in a rage? Has
he eUer done any thing but solder around |
like a dog with a sore ear, and talk |
about his liver and complain of the de-
generacy of the times?
Yet you witlings humor this pesky
old varmint; why? Because you hope
to get value received when his will is
probated. Venal wretches that you are,
you tolerate and fatter this mumbling
nuisance while you execrate the dear
old saint who helps you to hold up your
hands against the world.
Always busy, yet always cheerful,
annoyed, yet always pa
tent, her useful life should have our
gratitude, our praise, our emulation.
she is content with little, and SO used
has she become to work that if she is
ever disposed to rebel it is against the
promise of rest in eternity. Chicago
Nea0s.