Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1920-05-28
Copyright, 1920, Western Newspaper Union>

| Copyright, 1920, Western Newspaper Union}
When her only daughter Lucille
married Myron Bradley and went
away to live in a rented apartment
her mother closed up every room in
the house except two on the ground
floor. 1t was an old, but pretty place,
but it became lonely and gloomy dis
possessed Of the bright, vivaciOus. girl
who had made it home, indeed. Be-
sides that, Il thrifty, economical w0m~
an with keen business sense, Mrs
Clayton reckoned on fuel and general
labor saving, besides having a definite
puGpOse in view in behalf of the young
adyenturers on the sea of matrimony-
The marriage of the twain seemed
ideal. They were deeply in love mutu-
ally, Lucille was patient and devoted,
Myron had never paid attention to any
other girl. They seemed absorbed each
in the other and no token Of cloud
threatened the fair sky Of love.
The path of Mrs. Clayton had not
been one of roses in holding on to her
little home and bringing up and edu-
eating Her daughter. Her husband had
died when Lucille was only eight years
of age leaving little except encum-
bered property. His widow had
thought and worked hard to get rid OF
Indebtedness and acquire a little sur
nj Of tpEn
points when Myron Bradley welded
Lucille. These were that she had train
ed her daughter to full obedience, TO
accept her counsel, and that Myron
really liked her. The policy adopted
by the wise mother was to win and
hold the love and respect of her SON.
in-law She realized that, lonely as
she was, denied the constant company
of her only child, she must not betray
her sentiments nor infringe upon the
new relationship.
Mrs. Clayton set about eliminating
herself from the life and struggles,
the ups and downs of the newly we'd
ded couple. She visited them only once
Il week. She preached to Lucille fond
attention to Myron on all occasions
and treated her son-in-law as If she
trusted him implicitly Experienced and.
observing person that she was, she
secretly followed the course of the
marital life those two led, but never
mingled in it or criticised or advised.
All the time, however she was placing
4 secure foundation to be prepared to
win them more fully and assist them
when the hour of need arrived. Pa
tiently and intelligently she awaited
that juncture, and was not surprised
when, one day Myron came to her with
4 serious face. She welcomed him.
q "I've come to see you about Lucille
and myself, mother" said Myron. "She
is the dearest little wife that ever
lived, and love her more and more
every day Of my life
"That is us it should be-" encour-
aged Mrs. Clayton, "and with that for
the basis you cannot fail to gain hap
piness and peace"
Yes, but, you see, we are young
and inexperienced and make many
mistakes. 1t would be different if we
had you right ut hand to decide for
us knotty questions as they come up.
Honestly, mother, | get homesck and
lonesome for you. Can't you arrange
to come and stay with. us permanent
ly? Lucille will be happier, and 1
would feel as if there was stanch,
sensible pilot at the helm who would
steer us clear Of the rocks we run up
against every once in a while"
"What are the rocks, Myron?" in
quired Mrs. Clayton gently.
"Well, we are both eXtravagant,"
confessed Myron desperately. Come
to reckon up, we find that we have
lived way beyond our means and are
in sort of tangle. LUCILLE does her
best in running the house and l don't
waste any money outside of home eX-
penses, but somehow we have been
getting behind In fact, there is-there
is deficit. Ina wOrd-come and help
us get on the right basis"
Mrs Clayton was too diplomatic to
assent to the first impulsive notions
of her son-in-law. Dearly as SHE would
love to be with these, her children,
she realized that it would be, at the
best, an experiment Myron got down
to details and Mrs. Clayton grasped
them in their full practical sense. Be
fore he left she had solved the
problem, not Offering the suggestion,
but leading him to the only point she
would consider. as partaking in their
affairs.
Myron was delighted to give up their
apartment and. come to live at
home" The old house was to be open
cd up in its original CHEEKY homelike-
ness and he was to contribute stated
amount for sustaining it. A program
was mapped ont where MRS. Clayton
was to be the directing force, and the
happy husband and wife settled down
into their new career under mothers
fond protecting wing"
Within six months Lucille had been
trained into the cleverest of house
keepers, and AIyron had retrieved the
extravaganza of the past under the
sllilful guidance and cooperation of
Smother.' @-
They were all seated in the porch
one Saturday afternoon when the
postman brought a letter containing
the circular of some down town store.
ucilla received. ii and nnSSpl II to