The herald., 1894-03-11
Ill ABOUT MOTHERS-IN-LAW,
How They Car Become Desir-
able to SOns-in-Law.
an Unmarried Womeu's Union
Should Demand Emancipation.
some Novel Ideas as to the Defects
which Now Cause Unhappy Mar
riAgsa and Obnoxious Moth
In Law.
TBY LADY COOK, NEE TENNESSEE C.
M ~


domain OF literature has been almost
exclusively possessed by man. If. now
and then, a woman ventured within its
sacred precincts, che WAS regarded as a
sort OF female monstrosty. She was
Gzpposed to have fret Invested herself
et aome of the most valued qualities OF
hsr SEX. The Wits dubbed her blue
stocking, the women called her strong
minded, to both she appeared hernia
phrodite. Her offenee was venial only
when she wrote in praise OF love or
man. Thus almost everyone, for in
stance, has read Lucy Hutchinson's
charming Memoirs" although written
30 long ago, because they are all in
honor Of her ueband. No one, how
ever, would have looked at them had it
been about mother-in-law. 1t seems
somewhat singular, and worth noting
that this same literature, which is the
expression OF male thought and senti-
ment, should so constantly agree in
holding mp mothers-in-law to scorn
and ridicule. Mothers are rever-
enced Stepmothers are much hat
ed. They are the incarnation of all
that is base and loRthsome. When they
do not mix the deadly bowl or whet the
dagger, they slay by slower methods.
In all cases they poison domestic life.
Bat the mothers-in-law hold medium
position. They are neither warmly
loved nor greatly hated, but are to be
severely avoided as antaeonistic to mat
rimonisl happiness. They resemble the
fly in the ointment, the rift in the lutte,
the pitisll in garden OF sweets. And
woe to the reckless bridegroom who
haTborH one
According to this, the first man was
the only one who had fair chance Uf
unadultersted bliss, having obtained his
spouse by q surgical operation, and with
out the intervention of q mother-in-lRw.
Eve assumed her wifely duties without
rreoaration or coaching. She knew
neither childhood nor girlhood nor edu-
cational experience. Yet she understood
exactly what TO do, and how to do it.
And she did it. But had Adam been
blessed with mother-in-law, Eve might
have avoided the one great mistake of
her life. For tsue mother would have
we'll and duly cautioned her against the
seductive destinations of the gentlemanly
serpent.
The whole of this Persian legend, as
q reverend gentleman publicly termed IL
esheEt tiwesE0 Is highlya narsS sSszss;,ivs, zs;.H
briet digression, we venture 10 dwell on
1t for a moment. Tho unity of the
woman with the man is derived from
the statement that she Was taken from
him, "bone of his bone and flesh OF his
fesh." Now, had she come from his
head, like Minerva from Jupiter, she
might have claimed superior wisdom.
Had she issued from his feet, she nigh t
have expected eternal subsection; or if
from his hands, to be ever his menial
drudge. But she was taken from his
side, close to his heart. fashioned from
corporeal arch and supporter. She
was thus designed to be his equal in
rank, to march with him shoulder to
shoulder, and to be his partner in good
and ill. We discern no necessary in
feriority. On the contrary, IL there be
any difference, it should be in her favor !;
for by the invariable law of progress ex-
hibited throughout nature, that which
is produced after 10 higher in the scale
than that which came before.
Milton, whose notions of marriage
were somewhat unorthodox, like those
OF most sensible people, very beauti-
fully describes this occasion. He makes
Eve tell Adam what occurred immedi-
ately after her creation:
81 first Awaked, and found myself reposed
Under . shade of flowers. much wondering
And what was, whence thither brought, and
how"
She next sees her image reflected in
pool, and starts from it, aRd then almost
falls in love with it:
"Thers had fixed
NraOA a
Had nota voice thus warned NE: What thou
geest,
What there thou seest fair creature, is thyself;
with thee IT comes and goes; but follow me-
And will bring thee where no shadow stnva
Thy coming and thy soft embrace
The invisible angel leads her to Adam.
but she thinks him "less fair. less win
ming soft. less amiably mild than that
smooth wat'ry image" aud begins to fly,
Adam following, cried aloud:
"Return, fair Eve,
whom ay'st lhOuf Whom thou ny'st of him
His flesh, his bone; TO give thee being lent.
Out OF my side to thee, nearest my heart,
bubstantial lie, to have thee by nv side
Henceforth an undivided solace dear;
Part Of my soui seek thee and thee claim
Ny other half"
Her story told, she
"Half embracing leaned
On our FIRST father; half her swelling breast
Naked met bis, under The flowing gold
OF her loose tresses hid"
And that same night, in the shsdiest
bowers Of paradiss,
with 1owers, garlands and sweet.smelliup
herbs,
Kspousod W. deckcd first hAr nnptisl bed.
Auc heavenly ctAssss the hum enaean sung
What day ne genial ansol to our are
Brought her, in naked beauty more adornes
More lovely taan Pasdors. Shom the gods
Endowed with all tn .ir & fLs"
After these glowing pictures OF artless
love and primal innocence, how great
are the isil'usions whia5 we see every
whore around no. From paradise. with
all it's wealth of beauty ,nJ prafusion Of
natural Inquiries. to The hidsoue eoualor
and want of city slur7, is fearful
stride in tho journey OF humanity. Here
many al the unhappy daughters OF our
common mother sre dwelling, irowsy.
nnc!een, debauched. wrecked in mind |
aud body by the force Of their cruel en-
yironment. Do we blsme the gcrst OF
them II they are coarso and depraved. I
nnht TO be woman, much leas wives and
molhers2 God forbid. Nol we cav. a /
thousand tines, No! Their sorrowe are
:heir own; their Sins are aociety'e. AS
we'll ask the river why it flows, as de-
mand OF them why they live impure
ives Rather let as pity them with an
4nhnite charity, and do whatever we