The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1905-01-12
Johns Wife.

| SoFfI .
Mrs. Slrsnson poured fresh cup OF tel
and passed the wafer to her guest. "Ml
son is my son TIL he ge,s him wife, bu
my daughters my daughter the whole o
her lie, she quoted.
Ihsve always considered John devoted
son, remarked the guest. suppose, though
that mother-in-law-
There Ia goes ssid Mrs. Stransor, with
a pathetic gesture Of her small white hands
| suppose you think that bullied the cir
when We visited them and made the usus
trouble between her and John. Well die
not. To tell the honest truth. | do feel I
little hurt because she didn't seem inclined
to take me seriously. She considered me
| suppose, mere butterfly Of a society wo
man. little creature to be petted and spoil
ed. she a very capable and thoroughly
domes tlcated Young womsr, Is my daush
ter.in.law, dear.
That's Lice, commented the guest.
Yea, isn'ti.y Oh, John fairly bursts
with pride whenever be looks at her. She
makes him comfortable, I'll say that for
her. But 1t was trial for me. DON'T you
think that ssmovar ia perfectly adorable
I've been waiting all the afternoon for you
to say something pretty about 1t. And it
goes 30 well " ith the Dresden I've been
noticing lately that n'hoiy seems to have
Dresden nowadays. I'm hopelessly old
fashioned, suppose. I'm an old woman,
Clara--and my son doesn't love me.
Tut, tut said the visitor. You don't
look a day over thirty.fve, 60 cheer up.
Mrs. Stranson smiled. She really did not
look very much over thirty-fve-not more
than ten years at the most. Well, she said
It was q1ite absurd how worried myself
over the line Of conduct should adopt to.
wards Johns wife. knew by heart all the
traditional weaknesses Of the mother-in.lsw
and made up my mind that | would not
enter her house In spirit Of criticism.
wasn't going to assume an air OF lofty sup.
eriority. II | saw anything that seemed to
me to be going wrong | was going to over
look 1t serenely. II John seemed uncom'
Portable meant to ignore that and not
overwhem him with sympathy. ! wasn't
goiog to efier her any advice or show her
any Of my improved little methods Of doipg
things, didn't.
That was very noble and. seli.denyirg Of
YOU, said the guest.
Wasn't III Clara, ! felt like an absolute
fool in the binding white light Of that
girls eapsbllty. Her house seemed to run
Just like clockwork. Everything was neat.
ness al d order. Ard she had maid-oh,
words fail me to describe that maid After
the long, lopg series Of incompetents that
have to look back upon II WAS hesrtbresk.
log to see how perfectly she did her work.
To tell the truth, thought the order and
every ything else was directly attributable
to the maid at first. | said to Anne one
morning suppose you have to pay her
enormous wages, but really che would be
cheap at any price.
John spoke up then, Mother, he said,
we pay that girl 81 week. When she
came into the house three months ago she
was, honestly, the most raw, awkward.
untidy piece Of humanity that ever wore
petticoats, but Anne took her In hand and
trained her. She would train anything. |
really believe she will train me In time.
looked at her-at Anne, ! mesn-and j
was reluctantly compelled to believe that
John spoke the truth. Heavens II couli
only get her to train my Matilda
Matilda seems to do very well, said
the guest, looking around the pretty little
room.
I.s very kind Of you to say 80. You al
ways were nice, Clara, but own thoulj
tremble II Anne should come and zee the
way things aren't busted. II she does and
gives me notice enough I'm going to. have
the house burn down for purposes Of exp'a
nation aud engage Il nioe suite OF spart-
mtAhh AZ uobNi w Nuitilhih u,i ~ y :
dear, / hsven't tod you half. | was tell.
iug her about some Of Johns little bsby
ways
Aba interrupted the friend.
Well, said MH. Stransop, 10 some con
fuu n, really bad to 10 selfdeiense. She
WAS tellirg ms Il bis presen,-day ptco.
liari,it, Ia,t a. II ] didn't know them as
well as she did, because he had been away
from me 10 California for nit6en years I
- had TO 20 back to early history
where she might be presumed TO be lgnor-
ant. Bot, no.
You don't man TO Say hat she pretend
Cd TO know John n a baby
S3t exactly that. Bu. she knew so much
about babies ia general. was stricken
fpseehles. She knew THE capacity Of their
lis,le tummies Al varying ages; III, ir nor.
nal weight; the eject cf peppermint, cat.
nip, iImewsier, psregoiis and The res. Of
n; the ages 81 which the biesfed dafiirgs
are 6f,l conscious Of touch, Tearing, taftr,
sight and smell, arc--oh, there wasn't any
,hlpg abe didn't know about them
Ny love, sald, where on earth did you