Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-12-20
His MOthar-in-law

Numberless have been the Jokes,
witty and otherwise, which have been
from time immemorial hurled at the
helpless mother-in-law.
Her daughters husband, now that
he has married her daughter, takes
toward her very different tone from
that OF his co'rting days, when it
was impossible for him to propitiate
the old lady, as he calls her now, and
when he promised Fanny that come
what would, mother should always
find home with them.
1t is curious to note the difference
in sentiment with which the married
man regards his wife's family, as
compared with the efIusion of his
counting days. Then the very dog
and cat were dear to him, as some
thing pertaining to her. He re-
spected the door-mat. He revered
the front gate The bell-pull was not
like other bell-pulls, for through it's
mysterious agency she came to the
door to greet him with smile. Then,
her mother WAS such n charm
ing lady She made such delicious
rolls, and such translucent Jelly. She
contrived so:admirably for him to be
alone with Fanny, and that they
might not be disturbed by Fanny's
little brothers and sisters.
But when the march of events made
her a widow, and she came to his
home to live with her daughter, every
thing changed.
lie had never before noticed how
sharp her nose was. He had failed
to observe that she always wore soft
soled shoes; and had habit of put
ting in an unexpected appearance.
When he and Fanny were having a
little connubial set-to about the dress,
makers last bill, or the way the
housekeeping money went. And she
always sided with Fanny.
But when the children came along
in due season, then his mother-in-law
fretted him most severely. She
wanted to name all the babies after
her folks and Fanny was sulky and
unhappy if he resisted. She believed
in homeopathy. She trotted the
babies-he thought churning them
up in that way was the orst thing
that could be done. 49,.
She ordered the meals. She gave
him hash for breakfast. He detested
hash. She had the Sunday baked
beans warmed up for Monday. He
despised warm over baked beans.
She and Fanny joined the sewing
society. He looked upon the sewing
society as a priestly device to win
women away from their homes, and
didn't care a picayune whether the
heathens baked or boiled their mis-
siOnaries.
But by and by, when Fanny fell
sick with fever, and he went the same
hot and uncomfortable way, and it
seemed as if there was Il pile-driver
set up inside his head, and the man.
moth Kentucky Cave was small COM
pared to the vacuum in his stomach,
and the water of the Rio Grande
would not have guenched his thirst
then his mother-in-law came bravelv
to the front, and physicked him, and
poulticed him and smeared him with
liniment, and bathed his head, and
got him on his legs again-and now
he thinks there is nobody like her.
And there are thousands of fami-
lies where the mother-in-law is unwel-
come, and where her presence is I'M
desired when all is well; but when
sickness and sorrow come, she is the
mainstay, and everybody is glad OF
her help.
So let us cherish our mother-in-
law; for we cannot have a great
many of them, and when we come to
think of it, we are satisfied on the
whole that she is unjustly dealt with