The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-12-05
EXPERIMENT..

lively. No, / wouldn't, not unless Betsy
Tacker, the manly maker, had told me; land
Betsy she never told a lie no more than
George Washington did,
"Why mother what are you talking
aoout?' questioned Mrs. Thomas Edmon-
stone, untying the elder lady's bonnet
strings and relieving her of asplint basket,
a black silk bag, a waterproof cloak and
umbrella.
"And I've come to see if it's true" add
ed the old lady.
III what's true, motheI?"
THAT you said you wished there wasn't
no such person as m-me!' faltered Mrs.
Edmonstone.
Mother, you know that | could never
have said such a thing" cried out Rachel.
"Well, it wasn't quite exactly that but
Betsy Tacker size heard you say you wished
there wasn't such thing as a mother-in-
law"
aOhl" cried Rachel, with a bystericall lit
tie laugh, Il plead guilty. l did say that.
But, oh mother. it was under such strong
proyocation, and | never meant you. How
could I, when you have alwaJs-always
been SO good TO me?"
81 knew it couldn't be true, said Mrs.
~Edmonstone. setting herself in the easiest
rocking chair and nodding her cap strings
comfortably. But how came you to make
that extraordinary speech, Rachel, about
mothers-in-law in general9:"
at was Tom. 'said the young wife.
''He was aggrayating!'
Thomas always was aggraYating," said
Mrs. Edmonstone. stirring the cup Of tea
that Rachel had brougt her. "And what
was it about now? The breakfast cakese''
sob. you remember about the breakfast
cakes, don't you?" said Rachel, withmerry
mischief sparkling in her eyes. mo, it
wasn't the breakfast cakes this time; it
was the shirts"
THE shirts
well, you know he said it was such a
wasteful, extrayagant Proceeding to buy
shirts ready made" explained Rachel.
"He said The linen was poor, and the
work regular slop.shop style, and be de-
clared that you always used to make his
shirts at home, every stitch, before no
was married.
$50 l did" edged Mrs. Edmon-
stone, with a groan. "But that was in
the old times, before you could buy such
a good article as they have now.
ssNo. b,+ t., Jn.- ,aaI-o 49, ILL.,
ance for difference in times AND customs
sighed Rachel. .sHe wanted home made
shirts, and home made shirts he would
have"
'tAnd you made emp
"Yes, | made them?"
You were a great goose" refeetively
spoke Mrs. Edmonstone.
''And-and Tom swore ditadfully the
first one he put on"-
Il don't in the least doubt i"
''And be said they set like meal bags,
and that they twisted his neck round as
if he had just been hanged. and grasped
him on the shoulders like a policeman!
Oh, l can't tell you what he didn'tsay",
BLESS met said Mrs. Edmonstone.
''Hs told me his mothers shirts setlike
a glove, and fitted him perfectly-and
why couldn't l turn out a shirt like those?
And it was then, mother dear" suddenly
finging aer arms around the old lady's
plump neck, that l lost my head, and
told him | wished there was no such a
thing as = mosher-in-law in the world! And
Betsy Tacker sat in the sewing room
altering over my dolman in the spring
style, and l suppose that she must have
beard me-"
Don't mind it, my DEAR" said Mrs.
Edmonstone.
"No,I won't" protested Rachel. But, oh,
these shirtsl I've been ripping then apart
and sewing them together again, and round
ing of a gusset here and taking in a plait
there, until I've got SO that | dream of
them at night, and the more | try'em on
the worse they mt, and the more unreason-
able Tom becomes. MY mother never
made such work OF it as this. says he"
tom foIgets,'' observed Mrs. Edmon-
stone severely,
And I'm sure fittings go on like this, :"
added Rachel. pushing her short brown
curls off her forehead. It'll end in a sep
aration on account of incompatibility of
temper.
mo, it won't my dear. " said the mother
in-law. 'tHere, get me a pair of scissors. !"
What ale you going TO do, mother"
eagerly questioned Rachel.
I'm going to make Tom a shirt. But
don't you tell him, Rachel. Wen see
whether it's Tom or the pattern that has
altered
Once moie the mischieyious light came
into Rachel's bright blue eyes.
Il wish all the world was mother-in-
laws" She cried g~leeiully. why, why,
didn't | think of this before?"
',One can't think of every thing child"
said Mrs. Edmonstone consolingly.
Thomas Ed monstone welcomed bis mo-
,her cordially when he came home from
business
I'm SO glad you've come, " said he.
1--WE can have some Of the nice old fash