The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-07-19
My Son S
Wife

day will be my sons wife. Perchance,
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 fills 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
twixt spouses. My sons wife may
well be fact accomplished. 1t Is as
a babe, a newborn babe lying Silly
in a cradle, that picture her.
And what is she like, this little
girl. wonder; this little girl who
means so much to him; so dear to me2
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. will
not cavil. In memory Of that other
babe born in the stable, that other
babe worshiped of princes, l welcome
the daughter-in-law of the palace, of
the barn.
Yet these things are but trifles. l.
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-
finement. | would have this, although
/ know that each new generation
brings a new opportunity. Humanity
is a compound and not 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
daughter-in-law, may you have been
discreet in your choice of parentsl
May you, at least, have found a moth
er who loves you; indeed, 1t is the
common, foolish wont Of mothers.
May you have found a father who is
gentleman to you, whate'er he be
called otherwise!
But the little girl in her cradle has
already arranged her past. Blameless
or sinful. 1t is already there. What
use is 1t for me to speculate? What
use is 1t for me to think of her at all?
| trow she never thinks of me. She
never thinks of her possessions that
! guard SO carefully; the silver tea
service at the bank in its soft tissue
~ 90 MIL u,c onIA III 10 nnd
ring. She does not think of such
things; she does not care. Yet could
l 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 a little socialist, happily
certain that in universal earthenware
lies the cure of human i'll. Yes; me-
thinks my sons wife will be social
list Daughter-in-law ! will respect
your scruples; | will admire your no
BILE discomfort. You shall melt the sill
yer tea service; you shall sell 1t, 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, 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-
ceedingly sturdy His eyes are brown,
but his hair curls godenly. little
girl are you not glad with me that
his hair curls goldenly?) Strong he
is, and merry. When he hurts him
self he cries but seldom. Rarely is
he yexed. What else is there to tell
ABOUT An ctt, hV idho tC"o 10
me with his arms outstretched.
But perchance my unknown daugh-
ter-in-law will feel that filial piety
concerns her not. Perchance she may
resent It. And yet it Ia a desirable
quality. All the things that / have
told her are desirable qualities; they
| should tend to make a 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 he will one day bring Joy
unto his wife? Little daughter-in-law,
| pray that my son may give to you
as great peace, as great comfort
as he hath given me. pray, although
In truth the prayer is more for my
sons sake than for yours, since you
are yet a stranger to me-Oh, may my
son come unto his wife as unspotted
as he came to me. May he be pure
in heart when he enters upon his sec
ond birth, the birth of the new dual
lifel May he always, and whate'er be-
fall him, never cease in seeing God!
And so farewell, little girl. Fare
well, for in the surging crowd l can
not find you; cannot hear your voice;
do not know your face. To all my
eager questioning, to all my hopes,
my prayers, my fears, there Is but
one answer-silence.
Meanwhile, | have my son.-Mrs.
Israel zangwill in Westminster Ca