The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-06-11
NJ, Son S
Wife

Somewhere in this teeming wor
here dwells a little girl who som
lay will be my sons wife. Perchance
indeed, she is but numbered amor,
the potentialities; in the land of tn,
unborn she may be shyly lingering
For the prospective bridegroom, albeit
he fills his mothers heart. exists only
in miniature. His joyous run is peril
Gus and uncertain. The little lire.
suits he wears call forth amazed
comment at their maturity. Nathless
two years is no uniting interval
twixt spouses. Ny sons wife may
we'll be fact accomplished. II is as
a babe, newborn babe lying Silly
In a cradle. that picture her.
And what is she like. this little
girl, | wonder; I. is little girl wLo
means SO mich to him; so dear to me ?
Does she lie there plump or puny,
brown or lily-fair, serene or wailful?
And the cot she lies in, Is 1t lace.be.
decked. beribboned, hung with cur.
tains Of fair white dimity? Or stands
1t bare and rudely fashioned OF the
twopenny banana box?
But be she pauper or princess, l will
not cavil. In memory OF that other
babe born in the stable. that other
babe worshiped of princes, I welcome
the daughterin.law Of the palace. OF
the barn.
Yet these things are but trifles. !,
too, am the worldly mother. For.
princess or pauper. l would have my
sons wife well-born. would have
her forebears people of honor, Of re.
tinement. l would have this. although
l know that each new generation
brings a new opportunity. Humanity
Is compound and not a mixture. The
elements fused together yield an issue
strange and unaccountable. While
there Is life there Is surely hope!
And yet-and veto little unknown
daughterin.law. may you have been
discreet In your choice Of parents!
May you. at least. have found a moth,
er who loves you: indeed. It Is the
common. foolish wont Of mothers.
May you have found father who 10
q gentleman to you. whate'er he be
called otherwise!
But the little girl In her cradle has
already arranged her past Blameless
or sinful. It Is already there. What
use Is It for me to speculate? What
use Is 1t for me to think Of her at all!
I trow she never thinks Of me. She
never thinks Of her possessions that
I guard so carefully: the silver tea
service at the bank In its soft tissue
wrappings; the family's sole diamond
ring. She does not think Of such
things: she does not care. Yet could
I show them to her. she would gurgle
joyOusly. In her baby eyes their
shine and sparkle would seem fair.
And perchance when she doth real.
lie her treasures she will no longer
prize them. For my sons wife may
be an artist, deeming crude valuables
distinctive Of the loathed Philistine;
or learned lady despising gauds and
baubles; or q little socialist happily
certain that In universal earthenware
lies the cure Of human Ill. Yes; me.
thinks my sons wife will be a social.
list. Daughter.in.law. l will respect
your scruples: will admire your no
BILE discomfort. You shall melt the sill.
yer tea service: you shall sell it. and
print therefrom pamphlets. many
pamphlets. to reform the wicked pluto.
crat.
But although my sons wife may
deem silver teapots worthless. al.
though she may consider pearls more
fifty cast before swine. yet there is
one possession am guarding that
she will hold very precious, one be.
longing that awaits her for which she
will surely care.
Then 1t is Of this that I shall tell
her. this one thing of importance. I
prate OF silver services when | should
describe my son. Tall see him for
his years. his two years, as he plays
on the sward before me; tall and ex.
ceedingly sturdy Ills eyes are brown,
but his hair curls goldenly little
girl. are YOU not glad with me that
his hair curls goldenly?, Strong he
iS and marry N.hoa, Ia h,,.As hin,