Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1898-04-06

So when it became known that Ade-
aid Westcott was engaged to him her
MANY friends grew solicitous in warn
ing her as to the course she should
pursue in regard to her future mother
in-law.
when a mother had always had such
complete ascendency over a son III was
always a hard matter to make her rec
ognize a wife's right, and if this was
TO be done positive measures u be
employed from the first" So her
friends said, and her own mother gave
her some good advice in the same line.
while her sister Nell deplored the ne
cessity of having a mother-in-law int
reviewed all the traditions in regard
to those very undesirable personages.
With so much instruction Adelaide
became also imbued with very positive
notions on the subject. OF course he
was an only son and his mother a wild
ow, but she could never consent to live
in the same house with the elder wom-
an. If all was TO GO well she must be-
gin right. OF course Ned loved his
mother, but matrimony would put him
under new obligations. At her first OPP
portunity she explained it all to him
and insisted that they should keep a
separate establishment.
Ned looked panied. But he said:
II shall do as YOU say in the matter,
Adelaide, though l had looked forward
to a very happy companionship between
YOU and my little mother. She is not
hard to get along with, | know, and she
could have helped you so much with her
II --.I - NLa IanGakDlt
affairs"
But Adelaide showed him how Il
mother-in-law, by her very love and
preference for her son, might cause dis
sension between husband and wife.
Perhaps he was not convinced, but
he yielded b point and they were
married. All of Adelaide's friends con
graduated her upon her good sense,
and behind his back praised Ned for
his consideration in sparing his wife
the presence of a mother-in-law. But
he gave himself the satisfaction of set
ting up housekeeping within a block
of the mother he loved.
Sometimes at night, when he and
adelaide sat alone by the fire. he
thought of his mother and wished that
she might be with them, but on the
whole they were happy and no morbid
thoughts entered his brain, for he be-
lieved that in time Adelaide's own good
sense would triumph over the preju-
dices aroused by officious friends But
this was his mother wisdom.
There were times when the elder
Mrs. Chatterton wept n little that she
was denied the daily vision of her sons
joy. but she said nothing and kept her
tears to herself. Ned was very faith
full and dutiful, but she did not go
often to his house, because her pres
ence always seemed to put Adelaide in
n mood of defense, almost bordering
on aggression. The young woman
meant it to be understood. and plainly
understood, that she would tolerate the
interference in her affairs OF no
mother-in-law.
In the first glow of connubial joy
Ned had neglected his club, but as time
went on and the household began to
move in the accustomed routine he be-
gan occasionally to drop in and spend
a social hour with his man friends. At
first it was but once in two or three
weeks and only an hour or wv then.
Then he went more frequently and
stayed later.
Some evenings Adelaide was very
lonesome, and after awhile when he