The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-04-15
A M0ther-in-lAw'S
Experiment.
Z r = + = = + + = + = +

Copyright. 1905. by r. c. McClure.1
When James I:urt"n married he in
| vitcd his mother u-law 4" live with
him and his wife Sl" accepted. Both
promised To refrain from Quitting In.
When the first born came Il hundred
new complications arose AS a young
husband he had never before had an
infaut in his arms and had never real
~ seen above Il dozen = the nuisanccs
Mt close range but he tCit that he need
ed no advice from grandma. When
he Sc, out with spoon and castor oil I"
doctor the Kid for n dozen things ut
once the mother-in-Iaw had t" make.
few renlarks-she just had to-,
There were occasions when the fa
ther would carry the sIualling yOun.,-
stcr about head up. head down. ove''
bis shoulder and under his arm an>.
pay no heed t" the protests of his
wife or the looks Of the motherin-iaw ".
There were other occasions when he
would fling it into the lap of the old
lady and expect her to walk the floor
with il for half The night In return
walking into the store with an iron
Jaw. but somehow she could never ask
for arsenic or strycl,nine. The words
always stuck and she ended off by
asking for soda water with SMrSalM-
rill4 strip. There were happy hours,
1,nv 1Is,n ~
mother in-law and Son-in-law sat down
and told each other that II surely must
have been the work of Prov i1cncc to
bring them together They almost
held hands over it. They felt n Just
pride in realizing that they were the
only mothcr-in-law and son-in-Iaw on
tnc face Of the wide earth that ever
lived In the same house and loved each
other.
4 crisis must eventually come in the
happicst family. One came in this.
1t came one day after the mother in
law had carried IN u ton Of coal and
beaten two carpets. On the same day
the son-iD- law had discovered that the
old lady was In the habit Of coming
downstairs ut midnight and cooking
herself Il late supper There were no
words over either circumstance. On
the contrary. they sat and smiled ut
each other and purred like two kittens.
She was informed that but for her
presence in the house life would have
held little or nothing for the man be-
fore her. and she rcciprNated by say
Ing that she never knew what that
cOmplncency and cOntcntment meant
until she made her home with him
1t was a feeling hour. The fountains
Of the deep were broken up. and
neither felt ashamed Of the tears in
their eyes nor their quivering lips.
Next morning both were missing. On
stand in his bedroom and on the
bureau in her bedroom the distracted
wife found epistles The one from the
husband read:
II invited my mother -in-law to pass
the rest Of her days with me and con-
tribute t" our happiness l had always
held to the theory that the wife's
mother. particularly II she had an iron
jaw and mind Of her own. could rem
der the little woodbinc cottage Of her
On-in-law 4 paradise on earth. Men
opportunity came I tried It, There
was to he no butting in on the other
side. It was to he one long. happy
day. 1t has been. I go to my reward
simply because ! can't send her to
hers. Ever since her first week in the
said woodbinc ] have never for an
hour been clear Of thoughts of MUIR
der. They have always been thoughts
Of numbering a mother-in-law In i'm
aginatiOn: I have given her nine diff
ferent poisons: five times | have dis
membered her with the ak: eight times
have I stolen upstairs at midnight to
choke her to death with my strong
fingers. hate hired chauffeurs to
try to run over her. and l have re-
moved the steps from. the cellar stairs
In hopes to precipitatc her to the re-
ment and break her back
I'm conclusion let me say" the state
ment went on. as she refuses to die
for me l have decided to die for her.
We have grown to be too happy The
deadly monotony has come. and
haven't the strength to endure it. My
cold body will he found hanging in the
wood shed. Love to you and the kid
and any number of best regards to The
dear old lady. I know she will mourn
me-"
The letter Of the mother was equally
Interesting
when you read this. my dear daugh-
ter" she began. 1.-The body Of your
mother will be found at the bottom Of
GMy's mill pond. have been think
Ing of taking this step for long time.
I have been too happy with my son-in-
law. That happiness has begun to
pail. Think Of having son-in-l law
and yet be bound by the most solemn
promise not to call him a brute. a vii
lain and a wretch u dozen times day.
Think Of how have had to keep my
hands of him when | fairly ached to
wash them in his blood! Think Of the