Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-02-01
His Mother-ln-Iaw.

Numberless have been the Jokes,
witty and otherwise, which have been
from time immemorial hurled ut the
helpless mother-in-law.
Her daughters husband, now that
he has married her daughter, ,aEes
toward her a very different tone from
that OF his counting days, when it
was impossible for him to propitiate
the old lady, as he calls hernow, and
when he promised Fanny that come
what would, mother should always
ind n home with them.
1t is curious to note the difference
n sentiment with which the married
man regards his wife's family, us
compared with the effusion OF his
:ourting days. Then the very dog
and cat We're dear to him, as some
thing pertaining to her He re-
spected the door-mat He revered
the front gate. The bell-pullwas not
ike other bell-pulls, for through its
mysterious agency she came to the
1oor to greet him with a smile. Then,
ler mother was such charm
'ng lady. She made such delicious
oils, and such translucent Jelly. She
.ontrived sosadmirablv for him to he
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 widow, and she came to his
home to Tive with her daughter, every
thing changed.
He 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
littleconnubial 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
iretted 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 worst thing
that could be done.
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 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 hewent the same
hot and uncomfortable way, and it
seemed as if there was u pile-driyer
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 quenched his thirst
then his mother-in-law came brayely
to the front, and physicked him, and
poulticed him and smeared him with
linimeHt, 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 we'll: 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 q great
many of them, and when we come to
think oft, we are satisfied on the
whole that she is unjustly dealt with.