The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-02
EVENING STORY
Like Mother Used to Make.
(By Fanny Gray.)

Nathan Leach was a spoiled only |
son when Lena Clark married him.
His mother had shaved for him all his
life, and but for the fact that his was
a naturally sunny, unselfish nature, |
his upbringing would have spelled |
ruination.
On the whole, however, he was a
pretty good sort, and Lena, who had
married him with her eyes open, had |
little cause for complaint. Naturally, |
he had imbibed the idea that it was
woman's place to do all she could to |
please man, especially to cater to his |
stomach; for mother" had always |
striven to crafty his appetite, and |
many time, when scarcely able, had |
shaved over a hot stove to get up a |
meal that should please him and his
farmer father. She was always cook |
ing some special dainty for him and
tempting him with appetizing dishes, |
until folks used to say that Nathan
Leach's wife would have a hard time
with Nathan always throwing mothers
cooking at her.
Now Lena was something of cook
herself, and rather proud of it, tho
she did yield the palm to her mother
were first married, Nathan had COM
plimented her highly; but, after a
| time, he had become more critical, and
unconsciously fell into the habit of
comparing his own table with his
| mothers.
| Lena took it good naturally: always
| had a ready answer and so friction
was avoided. But the habit grew I'M
| til it became a very pernicious one,
| and Lena woke up at last to realize
| that she never served a meal that did
not bring forth some comment or
criticism.
And she realized. also, that it was
but habit, for on some of the occa-
sions when complaint was 1oudest her
table was best provided.
She turned the situation over and
over in her mind, wondering how she
could meet it. It was unjust to her,
and sooner or later, would mean I'M
happiness for them both. Nathan GER
ta1nly needed lesson. How could she
bring home to him his unfairness and
prove to him that his criticisms were
unwarranted?
Finally she hit upon a plan. Ma
thans mother was pretty good sort
after all. And, altho she had been
weak and had spoiled her son, she
| recognized the fact and regretted it,
Knowing this. Lena decided to go to
| her for help in her trouble.
the older woman entered into her plan
most readily. Mother and wife in
conspiracy against son and husband
few days after Lena's conference
with Mrs. Leach, Nathan received a
letter from his mother, who lived sew
eral miles away, stating that she would
arrive on the next day to pay them a
visit of a week.
Lena expressed her pleasure and
they planned to give her as good a
a. hoy yn1I1d he he
first time she had made them so long
g visit since they had set up house
keeping, and would really be quite an
| event.
i The next morning, at breakfast, aft
er a slightly adverse comment on the
coffee, Nathan began: 81 do hope
you'll be real careful, Lena, about the
cooking while mothers here. She's a
right smart hand at it, is mother, and
/ L shouldn't want her to think 1 wasn't
havin' as good victuals as she used to
set before me-"
'.An right said Lena, "Tn try to
see to it that your mother gets cookin'
as near like her own as possible.
Don't you worry any"
Mrs. Leach arrived. Many nice
things w-re planned to do to give her
a good time, and it looked as if the
visit would be a success. To be sure,
Nathan, like every other farmer, was
around only at meal times and the
two women had the house to them
selves the rest of the time until even
ing. Dinner the first day passed off
very we'll, but afte1ward Nathan took
occasion to say, when he and Lena
were alone, Say, Lena, if there's one
thing mother can cook it's beefSteak,
and that we had today wasn't up to
the mark-not by a good deal"
THAT so?'' said Lena quietly. We'll.
I didn't see anything the matter with
it. Your mother ate her share all
10
%oh. she'd Seem to. You know
that But I tell you it was over
DONE
!, Lena didn't answer, and Nathan
, said no more then. But similar scenes
took place during the whole of his
mothers visit. Possibly he criticised
a little less openly than he had been
doing at the table, but Lena had to
listen to complaints and comparisons
till it was a wonder how good-natur-
eddy she bore it.
Sometimes in the presence of both,
he would refer to the things mother
used to make" half jokingly, or ask
Lena to get the recipe for this thing
, or that 1t was really surprising how
both women kept their tempers in the
face of a situation that would seem to
threaten trouble between them.
On the last day of Mrs. Leach's stay,
Nathan came in at noon to find Lena
lying down on the sofa and his mother
: ready to take up the dinner and serve
him. In response to inquiries, Lena
, made light of her indisposition, and
even ventured the statement that she
was feeling so much better maybe she
, would come to the table.
II Your mother got the dinner, Nath-
an she said, as Mrs. Leach was TAX
ing up the beefsteak and vegetables
, Il am sure you'll enjoy it,
, you bet I will agreed Nathan,
. drawing up his chair. Seems just as
: if I was at home again.
Everything came in for praise
Never was steak SO exactly right, po-
. tatoes couldn't be more mealy, and as
: for the hot biscuits and rhubarb pie
well they were nerfect