The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-05-11
Marks MOTHER-lN-LAW
A Story with a Moral for Married
Men.

Men.
''Confound her" cried Mark Howell.
bursting into the parIor where Mrs.
Ward, his married sister, then on a
visit 10 him, was sitting, quietly sew
ing Confound her. she's always in
terfering!"
His sister knew well enough of whom
he was speaking. He was speaking of
his mother-in-law, also on a visit at the
Howells'
Mark" said Mira Ward, looking up.
''you ought to be ashamed of yourself.
l an older than you l have been, in
some respects, mother To you; and,
therefore. speak plainly. And | must
say that think you .alk scandalously
of your mother-in-law."
Why can't she mind her own bust
ness?' he said, wrathfully Here she's
been talking May over about the new
nurse for Johnnie. The one | like, I'm
told, won't do at all; and it's all, / do
believe, because the girls young, and
has pretty manners Instead, they're
To have some sour old thing as prim as
drill sergeant and as ugly as L Chinese
idol
II confess am on the side of your
MS sister answered.
quietly. The girl you fancied was en-
urely unfit to be put over Johnnie
He'd wind her round his finger And I
don't believe she cares for anything but
dress and admiration"
This rather staggered Mark. who
had been accustomed to regard his sis
ter as the perfection of wisdom. espe-
cially in housewifely matters He
lpnl-aA h1arl- -
rallied
May To put long stockings on Johnnie,
when there's nothing preItier than to
see his fat chubby legs
Nor anything more unho althy. /
pity the poor little legs on a cold day"
Unhealthy Half the children in
town go barelegged-"
And the consequence is that half
those who go barelcgged catch colds
and fevers from which some never re-
cover. You are fond of your bay mare.
Mark; but you are careful in sharp
wind to have a HORSEPOWER put on her;
while You never think of covering MP
poor Johnnie's legs, no matter how bit
ter the day. Do you suppose your child
is stronger than your horse?'
But it hardens him." said Mark, .
little staggered, nevertheless.
why wouldn't exposure harden your
mare? No, Mark, you're wrong in
both cases, and your mother-in-law is
right"
Mark Bit his mustache and growled:
but a fellow doesn't like anybody in
terfering between himself and wife,
you see. Mays mother is very nice,
l..
her own affairs"
But are not these her own affairs?
JolInie is her grandchild She natur-
ally wants him to be well brought up,
and be healthy; and SO in advising your
wife about a nurse, and persuading
her to cover Johnnie's legs, she is only
keeping within the strict line of her
duty. You ought to be thankful that
there is somebody with greater expert
ence than May, to tell her what to do.
No young mother can learn everything
at once. Besides, Mrs Barker has
never, so far as l have seen, forced her
opinions on May. Has she?''
No" said Mark ''She doesn't nag
if that's what you mean. But she talks
May over"
And naturally. Come Mark, be
prejudice"
Il do"
Not entirely. think. For example,
in both these instances Mrs Barker
only advised what was best Now ]
have been here a fortnight and l have
never known her tn advise May wrong.
More than that, she hardly ever gives
advice at all unless she Is first asked
for it -
Its not only in these two things; it
is in plenty OF others" retorted Mark,
going back to the old ground as OBJ
stinate people do ''She always takes
a different side from me, and always
gets May to go with her and against
me. Confound herr
Now, Mark, don't be silly. Don't
quarrel with May, too, and for no bet
ter reason than that she Is led, in
many things, by her mother Isn't il
natural? l often think how unjust
men are to mothers-in-law, as a class.
You took May from a home where she
had lived for nineteen years. and in
which the great authority in all mat
ters not only on dress and health, but
everything, was her mother. She
looked up to and believed in her mother.
as all good children should. You and
| looked mp to our mother, aud hope
Johnnie will look up to his Now,
though all families hold TO the same
general principles of morality, though
all believe II is wrong to lie. or steal,
or covet a neighbor's goods. there is
the very greatest diversity of opinions
between different families on the
minor points of life This Is natural
1t is natural. too, that daughter
should mold the same views as her moth
er about these things, and that, even
after marriage. the influence of the
home atmosphere should hang about