Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-16

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band that her mother was coming to
pay a visit he assumed an attitude
he believed was suggestive of despair.
Then he laughed tragieally.
There it goes" he said, with n
gesture of farewell. There goes our
happiness. We're not going to have
another peaceful moment. She'll be
like all the rest of them. She'll try
to run everything"
Howard did not really dislike his
mother in-law. His notions of moth
ers-in-law had been imbibed from the
comic papers.
against this inhospitable speech. She
sympathized with it. Their happi-
ness, she knew, was so perfect that
the entrance of an outsider into the
family circle would be sure to mar it.
Mother was all right, but why must
she come at this particular time!
Why couldn't she wait a year or two?
Really, she had no time to enter
tain visitors. Every moment was
occupied with entertaining baby.
All, thai baby! Really. the most
beautiful, precocious, interesting,
promising child in the world. Was
it strange that his mother should
worship him. or that his father should
be a slave to his slightest whim2 He
had been born into this family mon
arch. He ruled with the divine rlgnt
of kings
Nevertheless there was no way Uf
staVing off the inevitable, and IN due
course of time mother-in-law arrived.
Things turned out just as Howard
predicted. She had no sooner estab-
lished herself comfortably in the
house than she began to run things"
1t is true that he did not always find
this interference Objectionable. For
instance, when she insisted on his
wife preparing poached eggs, of which
he was extremely fond, for break
fast, he was secretly pleased. 1t WIS
Mrs. Howard who objected to that.
She said nothing, but she realized bit
terly how completely her husband S
prophetic gift had been vindicated.
And then there was that other day,
when mother-i law interfered. The
outcome of that incident was terribly
humiliating. And yet, at the end of
ii they had had to thank mother-in-
law. The baby had been sick all day
Mrs. Howard had been terribly wor-
ried. The doctor had been sent for
and had found nothing wrong, but
when he went away the baby was
still crying. 1t was not until night
when the wailing of the baby threat
ened to interfere with the sleep of
everybody that mother-in-law took a
hand. Then she looked the baby over
quite calmly, examined him, I'M
dressed him, and finally produced a
safety pin which had been irritating
his anatomy. After that she gave the
baby warm bath and he went to
sleep. But Mrs. Howard didn't. The
episode ranked. The finding of that
pin seemed a personal reflection.
Meanwhile the great day was APP
preaching when baby should cele-
brato his first birthday. Mrs. How
ard had summoned q dressmaker to
make the xoGnsster A new dress for
the occasion. Secretly she and her
husband rEmlnaged the stores for
presents. Mother-in-law remained
quietly at home. Her lack of excite
ment on the eve of such an important
occasion seemed little less than sacri-
lege. She seemed interested in get
ting acquainted with the dressmaker,
but on the evening before the great
day she found time to do a little
shopping
incidentally mother-in-laW also found
time to drop in and visit the dress
maker at her home. She found her
with her two children, a boy and a
girl. She had been describing the
great preparations for king baby's
birthday celebration, and her boy,
listening eagerly, brought her account
to a close with a question.
why, mother" he said, "Esther's
birthday is tomorrow, too. Why
don't we ever have birthday par
ties?''
The problem seemed to be too much
for mother Her silence, the tears in
her eyes, the evidences of poverty that
crowded the rooms in which she lived,
made mother-in-law thoughtful. She
left the dressmaker's in that mood.
When she reached the Howard home
she found the fond mother and father
unwrapping their Votive offerings to
the monarch of the family. There
was rocking horse, a large doll, a
toy engine, a train of cars and a
dolls house. King Baby ignored him;
but when mother-in -law presented
her present, a cheap celluloid rattle,
he grasped it in his chubby hands
and gave the nearest imitation of a
laugh of joy which he was capable.
My poor children said mother
in-law, addressing the father and
mother, did you buy these things?
They're too old for him. He doesn't
understand them"
Now" went on mother-in-la 81
have a suggestion to offer. "Your
dressmaker's little daughter has 3
birthday TOMORROW. Let's give all
these things to them. They are old
enough to appreciate them. That
child has never had a birthday party
in her life. Let's get up a party for
them"
She sketched the history of the fam
lily as the dressmaker had told it,
When she had finished there were
tears in Mrs. Howards eyes.
That party is one of the most de-
llghtful in theS Towards memories.
The joy of the children, their ecstasy
over their gifts, their appetites at the
big dinner that mother-in-law pre-
pared for them, and the gratitude Of
the mother will live for them forever
After they had gone the three en-
tered the room where baby lay sleep
ing. There was a smile on his face.
and he clutched his celluloid rattle to
his breast.
80 you see,' said mother-in- law.
softly, were all happy. There are
many degrees of happiness"
After mother-in-law had gone to
bed Howard and his wife sat down
before the big fireplace. Finally How
ard broke a long silence.
Your mother" he said to his wife.
is clever woman. She knows how
to manage things"
Y eS, replied his wife, and peo-
pie"
THE HERO"
-Vltagraph
Maude, a charming girl, who is
having her very first masculine
caller, is greatly impressed with
Percival, who Is fat and greatly i'm
pressed with himself. SO enamored
is she of Percivars charms that she
scorns her brothers college chum.
who is homo on a vacation. She
pins her faith to Percival under the
delusien that he will fulfill her mag
azine requirements OF heroism.