The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-29
MODEL MOTHER-IN-LAW.
NAT. PRIME rs THROWN INTO
ECTAsl BIZ HER VISIT.
She stayed Four Weeks and was the Pet
OF the Household-But There Is
Secret-.she il Rich.

keep up with them you cannot ran 10 no
tice how many evil things they are con-
tfnuaily saying about mothers-lh-ia"-
Being a close student of human nature,
became interested in rhe problem, ana
endea vored TO collect some facts with the
aid of which [ might refute some OF the
sallies that are constantly hurled AZ our
adopted mothers. / found one fact very
nrevalent among the masses, namely,
that the men who ere so bitter against
the dear ones are not even married' ana
have never experienced the great pleasure
of being thrown in contact with theih.
Moreover, find in nine ca 5es cut OF Ten
that If a man ard his mothe:-ln-i la" 10
not get along, 1t is Inc man ldule. me
term mother-in-law Is fact becoming a
SYNONYM FOR amiability, sweetness Oh teul-
nor and chsrity. IL there Is any SEM
biancc OF truth in the doctrine oi u"i'S-
migration OF souls, then our motheIs-i,, ~
law Will surely haunt cdlth "b"' "
tie FOL ms OF doves. ,, - -.
some weeks ago my wife receiver d re-,
ter stating that her dear molnSI WV.
soon be down 10 spend some I'M. VIZ
us. This rews put me IN the Dese ~ 81, 80
- and alnc u made me feel young AGAIN
| had contemplated a trip 10 thS inor4
tains, but knowing what - rlch ~
Was in store for me, Mls'ly ptt e,,.,.,,,
TO STAY at home and reap its iull Deis" =,
NV friends invited me TO ON thsni
the camping trip at the seaside ~. "
gave me great pleasure To say thtnl "~ -,
we Immediately began 70 MAKE .'o
greatest preparation for weEOntins az
Gii laCv | stayed home ~ I'm tne JIM
tour davs. decorating, arranging, ana set-
ting things in shape. AS the ti,l' 80
the arrival grew nearer my spfiso g.
higher and my smiles became NOR -
Quent and extensive. we sem ~ ~ ,s.oNlJ
he at our home. and begged them TO cc"'g
and have the pleasure OF meeting net.
cancelled every engagement thaI hdu,
and made mp, my nina hot 20 "t there
Al last she came-we were at the dcpOl
To meet her. ard we fairly showerea the
kisses upon her rs she anghleu Hon
the train. At that moment, couiq 10 ,, ,v
shouted it TO the world: Ihls IL ny
rrcther-in-aw. behold her In her maJes-
ne Glory" We escorted her back 10 the
house with d perfect shower OF, ~"
words Nine and ninety times did IN,
quirc after the old lady hedi.' IL IT.
as many times express anxiety ana sVHe-
itude concerning her pulmonary trouD.e.
She fairly beamed upon me IN her graz,
tude and called me dear boy, anu saiu i
so many nice things ABOUT me thal L AIlI
lust as / used 10 when my teacher Wouiu
pat me on the head at school. ana say
that [ was a nice little fellow. rms treat
was richer than Christmas or fOurlh %
July. or Saint Patrck's Day, or any OF
the great DAYS that are mentioned III tAe
calendar IL would have been very APP
propriate II 1 had cent up quantity Ol
fireworks on this occasion. but II was
against a certain town ordinance, so
gave up this rash idea.
| know that there are many people VINO
Will sneer at this, and laugh in tnelr
sleeves: and / will frankly admit that
I am letting my enthusiasm get the neat
OF my Judgment, but when o man IS ior-
mo Il & ri. l-I
Ike NINE he is 10 be excused lot such an
The markets were fairly Quilted TO
please the CID lady. She mad only 70
make a wish, and in an instant II Wouli
be a reality. she had only 10 sigh ana
my entire tine anC purse would be al
Der feet
The first evening after tea, I got out
a big book of old mother-in-law JOKES
and read them 70 her, and she lausHei
heartily over them. and remarked very
wittily that the eXaggerativs powers or
some men were indeed remarkable IN
deed they We're, AMI besides she sdlu lltt
the only reason why people maze so
much sport out OF this subject, and ban
tered IN about TO such an Xrent, was De-
cause the subje IS Of the darts were 80
gOOd-natuied and amiaDle that they ICON
Jokes better than anyone else. ndu
never received the matter in that light
before. but that was certainly so-there
was not the remOtost shadow or a uoupt
Of II. Then We had mutual admiration
society for some minutes. told Ma
that she looked ten years younger than
when we were married eight years ago
and she said that had developed into
very handsome. middle-aged man. lhen
we both complimented my wife, and or
course we retired happy-and this ended
the first day Of the visit, which l would
call as the politicians do when they nave
barbecue. "a red letter day or our
married life o, that our mother-ln-iaw
o.. al
would married life be zone grand sweet
song
That night ] went to bed and dreamed
that wicked and hideous goblin came
and captured my GEAR iilV'heI-il-i w.
and carried her home to his care, Ia the
bags to make soft soap out OF her. ana
I aWOke iH q cold sweat, trembling IKE
an aspen, bur when | found that II was
"a dream | reio!ccd and was glad. Ia the
morning | told her Of IT, and she laughed
that sweet. mOtherly laugh Of hers, ana
babe me dream no more. How comfort
ing they are vi On they choose 10 De,
and mine always does choose.
That day / remained at home all day.
There were oceans OF correspondence ~
be attended 20 at TIE Office, but ! could
not tear myself away from TINS seen
OF true domestic felicity. TIC tempt"-
lions to bask I'm the light OF dear ma =
amilcs overcame me, and / had 10 remain
where she was. il was Ike i0lling IN -ne
sunshine OF an autumn day-like being al
lowed 10 sit IN some flood Of divine rays
and drinking the nectar Of the gods. Ae
raltry tokers. avaunt, you nave missed
your calling
our MIA" remained wiah us four
weeks. II WIS her original intention to
spend only two weeks with us, but we,
/ especially, would not hear Of such
thing When at the end OF that time she
started 10 leave. I hid her baggage, and
pretended 10 know nothing about a. ]
bcaged and entreated SO hard that she
consented 10 double her time with us. /
was so overloy,d when ! heard this. that
I came dangerously near imblbinS toe
much Of the ardent.
As 4 said, she was with us eOur weeks
and during that time she did none or
those things that are imputed 10 her
bv those mcrciicss jokrrs. She did not
saw that / was the greatest nOnenuty On
earth: che did not tell her daughter that
She had carried her ducks to poor mar
ket: she did not say that We Were ex-
fro,,acant. she did not say that we were
not raising cur children properly; sire
dil not advise ms to DO away with the
cook and save money; She did not bore
ms with telling US how she used to do
o,hen she began housekeeping, she did
not advise me 20 give up the club and
| stnp smoking: she did not object 10 my
nlling my pipe and blowing the smoke
| ali over everybody. She did none OF these
| things. on the other hand. she gave me
acres OF mOtherly advice she told me
how TO save money and yet nave good
time: she compl.mented ms upon being
GOOD managers: she said the children
| were the hest she had seen without any
| that we might do those things that we
uabie hints I'm cooking, ana 10 sum up
all. would require volumes
on the whole. IT was one OF the nap