The Washington herald., 1911-08-18
MEN HOLD GRUDGE
FOR WIFE'S MOTHER
Mrs. PIunkett Discusses Sub
ject with Mr.. Plunkett.
By DOROTHY DIX.

by DOROTH1 DlA.
''Did you read about that man at Yonk-
ers who rushed back into blazing
house at the risk of his life to save his
mother-in-law?" inquired Mrs. Plunkett
of her husband
Huh" snorted Mr.. Plunkett, did he
get her out?'
"Yes," responded Mrs. Plunkett
Served him right, too," exclaimed Mr..
Plunkett. Some people haven't got
enough sense to know when they are
well off and to let good enough alone.
They will go out of their way to hunt
up trouble If they can't find it any other
way"
For my part" responded Mrs. Plum
kett, II think it was perfectly grand
and nohle thing for him to do, and when
the Browning Society meets this fall 1
am going to have it pass a resolution or
thanks and appreciation for the one man
that honored his mother-in-law.
Amy man who would deliberately save
his mother-in-law from sudden death
deserves a Carnegie hero medal" said
Mr.. Plunkett cynically.
He deserves to have a statue built to
him." retorted Mrs. Plunkett, warmly.
YES" sneered Mr.. Plunkett, "a statue
surmounted by the figure of a jackass."
No" said Mrs. Plunkett, the figure
of an angel, though, of course, man
angel wouldn't look natural, as nobody
ever saw ONE
Giving Her Advice.
well. old lady," said Mr.. Plunkett
soothingly, anyway, you take my advice,
and when you get to be a mother-in-law,
If you are ever in a fire, you tie the
blanket to the bed post and shin out Of
the window and save yourself, for 1 tell
YOU that you can't put any dependence
on your son-in-law running any risk to
rescue YOU He'd be mighty apt to stand
off at one side with his hands in his
pockets and the-Lord' d's-will-be-done ex-
preston on his face
MAY be so,'' said Mrs. Plunkett; men
certainly are deceiving creatures, and
there isn't anything they are SO two
faced in as about mothers-in-law. When
a man is counting a girl he honeys
around her mother so mild that butter
wouldn't melt in his mouth, and then
the minute he gets the girl he is like
jug of vinegar, whenever his Wlte
mother is about, and II she dares to ex-
press an opinion on any subject he takes
il as a mortal insult that nothing can
soothe but going out and getting drunk
Il don't know why a man should just
naturally hate his mother-in-law, unless
he can't forgive her for having suffered
and toiled and sacrificed and spent sleep
a. wife for him. 1t isn't much Of a COM
plinlent to a woman for her husband to
hate his mother-in-law. 1t looks like he
had it in for her for having provided
him with a wife.
"One would think that IL a man had a
spark of love in his heart for his wife
that he would think that the woman who
had taken care of her when she was a
baby who had nursed her when she was
sick, who had worn old clothes that she
might have good ones, was woman
that he owed a debt of gratitude to
that would keep him hustling to pay to
the longest day he lived.
Like SOre-headed Bears.
But instead Of that most Of the sons
fn-law that I know think it too great a
strain on them to even be polite to their
wives mothers, and when mother-in-law
comes a visiting them they go about
about looking like early Christian
martyrs, and crosser than sore-headed
bears.
"And it certainly does set wife to
wondering 1t the reason that her hus-
band entertains such a grudge against
her mother isn't because he wishes that
she had smothered certain girl baby
in the cradle.
'Mothers-in-law are always butting in
and trying to run a man." said Mr..
Plunkett, squirming in his chair.
well, 1 have seen a lot more sons
in-law butt into their mothers-in-law's
dining rooms about meal time and into
their mothers-in-law's bank account
when they needed money, than 1 ever
saw mothers-in-law interfere in their
sons-in-law's affairs, and the funny part
of it is that the very man who lets his
mother-in-law support him has got more
to say against mothers-in-law than any
body else
II wonder" said Mr.. Plunkett, filling
his pipe and speaking in a musing tone
OF voice, II wonder why the good Lord
saw fit to make in-laws, and snakes
and mosquitoes and such-like pests?"
WELL" commented Mrs. Plunkett
there is one time when a mother-in-
law is welcome at her son-in-law's, and
that's when the first baby comes Then
she doesn't look like an afiiction. She
looks like ministering angel, with
soothing sirup in its hand"