Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1891-01-31
A MOTHER-LN-LAW.
How Fault-Finding Husband
Was Trapped by Her Aid.

How q Fault-Flnd1nG HUSBAND
Was Trapped by Her Aid.
II wouldn't have believed it Of you,
Rachel" said Mrs. Ednonstone, plain
lively. "No, l wouldn't, not unless Betsy
Tacker had told me; and Betsy, she
never told lie no more than George
Washington did"
why, mother, what are you talking
about?" questioned Mrs. Thomas Ed
monstone, untying the elder lady's bon
net strings and relieving her Of a splint
basket, a black silk bag, waterproof
cloak and an umb brella.
"And I've come to see if it's true"
added the old lady.
''If what's true, mother?"
'That you said you wished there
wasn't no such person as m-mev" fall
tered Mrs Edmonstonc.
Mother. you know ! never could
have said such thingI" cried out
Rachel
well. it wasn't exactly that; but
Betsy Tacker heard you say you wished
there was no such thing as mother
in-law."
"Ohv' cried Rachel, with hysterical
little laugh. II plead guilty. l did say
that. But oh! motherl it was under
such strong provocation, and l never
meant you. How could l. when you
have always been SO good to me?"
II knew it couldn't be true" said
Mrs. Edmonstone, settling herself in
the easiest rocl<ing-chair and nodding
her cop 9,r,ugs coIilIoruauly BuJ now
came you to make that extraordinary
speech, Rachel, about mothers-in-law
in general?"
u %1>, e.
"He was SO aggravating!"
Thomas always was aggravating,"
said Mrs. Edmonstone, stirring the cup
of tea that Rachel had brought her.
And what was it about now? The
breakfast cakcs?"
''Oh, you rcmcmb bcr about the break
fast cakes. don't you?" said Rachel,
with merry 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
wasteful, extravagant proceeding to
buy shirts readymade," explained
Rachel. "He said the linen was poor.
and the work regular slop-shop style,
and he declared You always used to
make his shirts at home, every stitch,
before he was married"
$50 did," acknowledged Mrs Ed
monstonc, with a groan. But that
was in the old times, before You could
buy such good article as they have
now"
"Ycs, but Tom doesn't make any al
lowance for difference in times and Gus
TOMS" sighed Rachel. "He wanted
homemade shirts. and homemade shirts
he would have!"
And you made emp"
"Ycs, l made them"
you were great goose" reflective
ly spoke Mrs. Edmonstonc.
"And-and Tom swore dreadfully the
first time he put one on
81 don't in the least doubt it,
"And he said they set like meal bags,
and that they twisted his neck around
as if he had just been hanged. and
grasped him on the shoulders like po-
liceman! oh, | can't tell you what he
didn't say!'
Bless me.' said Mrs. Edmonstone.
'.IIc told me his mothers shirts set
like glove, and fitted him perfectly
and why couldn't turn out a shirt like
those? And it was then, mother dear"
suddenly flinGing her arms around the
old lady's plump, comfortable neck,
that | lost NV head, and told him
wished there wasn't such n thing as a
mother-in-law in the world! And Betsy
Tacker sat in the sewing-room altering
over my dolman in the spring style, and
l suppose she must have heard me-"
Don't mind it, my dear" said Mrs
Edmonstone.
"No, | won't, protested Rachel. But,
oh, those shirts! I've been ripping them
apart and sewing them together again,
and rounding off a gusset here, and talk
ing in a plait there, until I've got SO
that dream of 'cm at night; and the
more try 'em on the worse they fit,
and the more unreasonable Tom be-
comes. My mother never made such
work of it as this. says he"
Thomas forgets." observed Mrs. Ed
monstone, severely.
And am sure, if things go on like
this" added Rachel, pushing her short
brown curls off her forehead, .'it will
end in a separation on account of in
compatibility of temper"
No. it won't, my dear" said the
rlothcr-in-law. Here get me the pat
tern and some shirting muslin, and a
pair of scissors
"What are you going TO do, motbcr?"
eagerly questioned Rachel.
I'm going to make Tom shirt. But
don't you tell him, Rachel Well see
! whether it is Tom or the pattern that
has altered"
OT,cc more the mischievous light came
into Rachel's bright blue eyes.