The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-03-29
The MOther-in-Law.

told 'em ! wus goin tn marry the German
gentleman that had boarded to Aunt Sa-
rahs all summer. They wus opposed tn
furriners, you see, but when they knowed
him they couldn't help ownn up that he
wus real pleasant, and the way he learned
American wus enough tn amaze a sea sar-
pent. Why, 'twarn't six months before he
spoke it jest as perfect as eour folks did,
cen almost, only fur "the." He couldn't
never say the" and never won't, but his
grammer couldn't find no fault with my
self
And jest about then he perposed tn me
and | married him.
Well, twas sort of funny tn be called
Mis- Schimmelwizer Chats the nearest
ever hev come tn my married name yet.
When | write | alters sign myself "Nep-
tany," as formerly, but nobody objected.
had jest the shiniest little house-most
everything was vanished soft you stuck
tn it passing eff you warn't keerful, and
the lumferkins was gorgeous. But ntu
the midst of this here paradise came sar-
pent WAL, so it kinder seemed tn me at
fust.
'Twas a letter sayin that Paul's mar wus
a-comin tn live with him. Seemed to me
letter intu American. Sez |, II want tn
known That wus all | could say. AS fur
him, he wus wild with joy. | expected to
See him turn summersots.
"Now | half all dat heart couldt vshp
he said, dat best beloved und ever de-
voted of moders und dis dearest of vivesl''
didn't want to hurt his feelings, so
tried to grin; but it wasn't easy.
$50" he said, Eve shall be a 'appy party
She will teach you tn cook sauerkraut und
make noodle soup"
'That'll be real nice" SEE |, trying not tn
heller right out, though tears would come.
"Ah, We feel de same" he said, getting
out his handkerchief. See, weep also.
And We will ave of music. All, she plays
ON de violin. All, beautiful-dot accom-
plished moderl'
Now, didn't know jest what he meant
by 'wiolin," but l said, well, like
tune myself, whatever it is on" and | let
him talk on till he had tn go tn the store.
Then | jest sot down and give up Moth
ers-in-law amt pleasant prospex anyway,
but furrin ones. seq | tn myself must
be even wuss, and all my peace and happi-
ness seemed tn me tn be flynn Jest as fast
as it could up chimney.
Next day wus Sunday. and we went tn
church, and the minister's tex wus about
bearin the burdens that wus Civ you tn
carry, and he preached beautiful; and
comm out, SEE | tn myself well seein
what awful packs some has tn carry about,
ought tn be willin tn take my easy one
so III jest list my mother-in-law pig
back and get along the best kin with her.
And I'd orter, fur Paul is real good and
deserves it, and a man that loves his mar
will love his wife" And thought what
wicked thing it wus fur wife tn sot
herself against her husbands mother, that
he'd suffered fur him, and cared fur him,
and carried him in her arms, and sot up
with him when he he'd Group and measles,
and like as not saved up and wore old bun.
nits IT, give him schoolin, and walked
out on Pauls arm feelin real good and
sC.ristian, and made fopover fur dessert.
Bs was goin away for a few days. The
trm he'd sent him tn buy fur them-which
wus step-and his salary wus to be
raised-which warn't tn be despised eff
mars-in-law, however worthy, wus cumin
and we parted as feelin as eff we wus
steddy company; fur, with so many blow
ups and collisums in all the newspapers.
who could be sure we'd ever meet AGAIN.
Oh, may he come back safep' seq tn
myself as l watched the retreatin cow
catcher Even hevin a Dutch mother-in-
law Is preferentiable tn bein widder,"
and went home calkeratin tn put things
TIL rights, and invite mar and Mirandy and
I-iZer Jane tu come and pay me a visit
And had got things pretty slick, and
wus just polishin off the front windows
with shammy, when somebody hollered
tu me from down below, Say, ladyr' and
when turned my head, so as tn see him
good, there wus man lookin up at the
house and SEE he, Excuse me, lady, but do
you know OF anybody that's expectin a
Dutch ladyi'
When | heard that, l wonder that |
didn t tumble out of the window, wus so
skeered and upset.
wait minute" SEE |. "pu cum
down" And down | went.
There he stood.
Lady, excuse me" seq he again. ''I'ye
been drivin Dutch lady and her trunk
around the hull mornin, fur I've got a
mother myself and hadn't the heart tn
leave her In the street, especial as | see
that she Wus Deset tn get herself run over,
as they mostly are. She's Jest off a Ger
man steamer, and she's lookn fur her son
so the man that put her aboard said
and she's lost paper she he'd the direc-
tion writ on, but think it was somewhere
about here"
Yes, SEE |, Il guess it must be. Pm
expectin my mar-in-law from Germany"
swell, am thankful" SEE he. she's
jest around the corner and Ill fetch her
up."
So he went away, and expected tn see a
cab drive up, but instead of that in a min
ute he cum leadin dray horse, and on the
dray wus big blue trunk and bundle,
and ON the trunk wus-I scursly know
Rhat-looked like a dirty ball of knittin
wusted as much as anything, or two or
three old stockings raveed out and punched
together, but it was belern out loud and
sayin suthin despurt in Dutch, and claspin
its mitts-red mitts it he'd onto it-and |
made out 'twus an old lady. And when
the drayman had h'isted her down and
tried TO make her understand she he'd orter
pay fur her ride, but couldn't, so l paid.
quite willin as far as that went. He lugged
the blue box and the bundle to my fiat, and
l. auin