The Lamar register., 1912-12-11
My Sons
Wife

indeed. she is but numbered among
the potentialities; In the land of the
unborn she may be shyly lingering.
For the prospective bridegroom, albeit
he nils his mothers heart, exists only
In miniature. His Joyous run is peril
Gus and uncertain. The little linen
suits he wears call forth amazed
comment at their maturity. Nathless.
two years Is no uniting interval
tw1xt spouses. My sons wife may
well be . fact accomplished. 1t is as
. babe. q newborn babe lying Silly
h . cradle, that I picture her.
And what is she like, this little
girl. wonder; this little girl who
means 10 much 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 it lace-be-
decked. beribboned, hung with cur
tains Of fair white dimity? Or stands
II bare and rudely fashioned OF the
twopenny banana box?
But be she pauper or princess, will
not cavfl. In memory Of that other
babe born in the stable, that other
babe worshiped OF princes, welcome
the daughterin-law Of the palace. Of
the barn.
Yet these things are but trifies. I.
too. am the worldly mother. For.
princess or pauper, would have my
sons wife well-born. / would have
her forebears people of honor. of re-
nnement. / would have this. although
I know that each new generation
brings . new opportunity. Humanity
II q compound and not mixture. The
elements fused together yield an issue
strange and unaccountable. While
there IL life there is surely hope!
And yet-and veto little unknown
daughter-in-law. may you have been
discreet in your choice Of parents!
May you. at least, have found a moth
Or who loves you: indeed, 1t is the
common. foolish won't Of mothers.
May you have found father who IL
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 II 1t for me to speculate? What
use II II for me to think Of her at all?
I trow she never thinks Of me. She
never thinks Of her possessions that
guard 80 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
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
ize her treasures she will no longer
prize them. Sr my sons wife may
be an artist. deeming crude valuables
distinctive Of the loathed Philistine;
or a learned lady despising gauds and
baubles; or little socialist. happily
certain that In universal earthenware
lies the cure Of human i'll. Yes; me-
thinks my sons wife will be a social
ist. Daughterin-law. l will respect
your scruples; l will admire your no
BILE discomfort. You shall melt the sill.
ver tea service; you shall sell it. and
print therefrom pamphlets. many
pamphlets. to reform the wicked pluto
erat
But although my sons wife may
deem silver teapots worthless, al
though she may consider pearls more
ntly 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. It is of this that shall tell
her. this one thing of importance.
pirate 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-
oesdingly sturdy. His eyes are brown,
but his hair curls goldenly. little
girl. arc you not glad with me that
his hair curls goldenlyD Strong he
u. and merry. When he hurts him.
self he cries but seldom. Rarely is
~ vsxed. What else is there to tell
about himf All, see. he runs towards
me with his arms outstretched.
But perchance my unknown daugh-
ter-in-law will feel that fllial piety
concerns her not. Perchance she may
resent It. And yet 1t is a desirable
quality. All the things that / have
told her are desirable qualities; they
should tend to make q happy wife.
For two years this son hath brought
his mother more happiness than she
had ever known. Is 1t not, then. prob
able that ho will one day bring Joy