Omaha daily bee., 1912-01-26

home would be Ideally happy II II wasn't
for the Interference OF my mother-in-iaw
. / attend 10 my husbands bookkeeping and
stenographic work. being at his office
all day and then hustle home in the even
ing to prepare the meal, and after am
ner do my Homework. Sometimes II Is
nearly midnight before ] so TO bed, YET
my mother-in-law styles me an extrava-
CANT wife. because have a washwoman
every two weeks to do the washing and
ironing, which she thinks should do
even though / am at business all day.
when am sick she has no sympathy TOT
my suffering. but worries about the extra
expense | am causing her son.
Another woman writes that her mother'
in-law has simply taken possession OF
her home. and runs it 10 suit her own
fancy, and that she has no authority IN
Il. stu another, that her mother-in-law
makes her life intolerable by her constant
fault-findlng and abuse, and that when
mother-in-law heaps all sorts OF insults
upon her. her husband. stands supinely
by without taking her part.
So the stories go. and the burden OF
each Iamentation is .'oh. how happy
. could be IL il were not for my mother
in-law." and l suppose that with equal
truth mother-in-laws could exclaim: ON,
how happy could be were 1t not for
my daughter-in-law."
To my mind, there Is no other situitaon
in life more pathetic than that engen-
dered by the in-law proposition, for out
Of il two perfectly good. conscientious
women can manufacture more heartburn
ing and suffering in minute than NAL
ice can invent in a week. Talk about
jealousy, IL you want TO see the green
eyed monster in his most fearful aspect
watch a wife and mother fighting over
the poor unfortunate man. who is help
! lessIy trying to do his duty by both Of
them. .-
/ You might think that some pity for
him, some consideration for his happi-
ness would stay their hands, but not so.
II is a fight 10 the finish, in which no
! quarter is given. and IT never ends this
side of the grave. 49,
Whose fault is il that this perpetual
warfare goes on in practically every
home where a mother-in-law and a
i daughter-in-law are brought into con-
tact? Both women are to blame. The
young wife is to blame because she
enters into matrimony with chip on
her shoulder instead OF carrying an
olive branch in her hand. She's out
looking for trouble, and she finds II
arplenty. She takes no pains to con-
ciliate her husbands mother, or to
make a friend Of her. but goes out oil
the wa to be aggressive and to resent
her every suggestion as an attempt Of
the older woman TO boss her.
Not until a woman has sons OF her
own does she realize the anguish That
tears a mothers heart when she sees
her son preferring another woman to
her. loving another woman better than
her II young wives understood this
surely they would not resent 50 keeniy
a sons few attentions to his mother
after he is married, nor would they
Haunt their monopoly Of their husbands
so brazenly in their mother-in-law'
faces. s
/ know OF one young and tactfui
woman who married a man between
whom anu MS HtotHeE theiS SASteu d
peculiarly tender bond Of devotion
This wife at once assumed the same
attitude Of affection to her mother-in-
law that her husband occupied. She
deferred to her, cultivated her society,
and even goes to the pains OF making
little opportunities for mother and son
70 be together alone 20 that they may
have heart-to-heart talks as they did
before she came into the family The
result Of this is that the mother-in-laW
never speaks of the daughteT-in-iaW
BY any other title than angel
This plan will work. and commend 1t
TO other dsughter-in-laws. The best way
10 get along with your .mother-in-law Is
10 make a friend Of her. and you can do
1t IL you viii try, bectuse there Is no