Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-02
DOROTHY DIX TALKS
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| Tell him that you will wait until he can
| build n nest of his own for you, but that
| you are wise to the fact that no two women
| can love the same nam, and try to run
| the same house without coming to hate
each other, and that you are not fool
hardy enough to undertake an experiment
that only a. couple of she angels could
pull off.
Having put a prudent and likable dis
tance between you and mother-in-law,
put the good thought on her. Keep your
mind fastened on her virtues instead
of going on still hunt for all of her faults.
Suppose she is overilowing with an in
satiabe curiosity that makes her go
poking and prying into your cupboard
and gabage can, and ask you what every
thing cost. Just remember that the old
have no interests in life except through
their children, and that the smallest thing
that concerns her John is of more import
ance to his mother than the rise and fall
of nations.
Suppose mother-in-law is queer, and
crotchety and narrow. Keep in mind that
she didn't have your advantages when
she was young, and that, after all, there
must be'somethlng very noble and fine III
the woman who has raised up boy to be
the sort of gentleman your husband Is.
For it's a boys mother who grounds him
IN his principal of truth, and honor, and
honesty, and chivalry
Then apply to mother-in-law an emolu-
ment made of equal parts of love and
appreciation. It's wonderful how it
works, and sOftens up the most stiff
necked old lady. Ask her advice, whether
YOU take it OF not. Get her to explain
to YOU her method of rearing children, and
putting up fruit, and making pie crust.
Let her see that YOU admire her, and
have an affection for her, and that YOU are
grateful TO her for having bestowed on
you the greatest gift one woman can make
another good husband
Follow this treatment up with small
doses of sympathetic understanding Let
mother-in-law see that you realize that it
is bard for her to have some other woman
come fast in the hea of the son who has
been all the world to het for twenty-five
or thnty years.
Above all make her know that YOU
do not mean to take him {, ON he, En-
courage your husband to 90 to see his
mother, and leave them alone together
often. There must be so much a mother
wants to say to her boy only. After MI
when man takes unto himself wife he
doesn't cease to he a son. YOU know. though
a great many silly brides seem 10 think 50.
If mothct-in-law shows signs of develop
ing using temperature, and begins 70
talk wildly about your using your best
china every day. or buying a new gown,
quiet he1 down with.a little Of the bromide
of a soft answer instead of getting huffy
about it; and telling her 20 mind her own
business. Later on you II know just how
she felt when YOU see your sons wife
wasting the money he has tolled so hard
to make
Apply these remedies for the mother-in-
law trouble ad lib, Us the doctors pre-
scriptions say. And especially apply
larger quantities Of love. and patience,
and sympathy to the situation.
II the shock Of finding out that she,
really has daughter-in-law who wants to
be friends with her, and who shows her
some affection and appreciation doesn't
kill mother -in-law with surprise, you will
have the old lady so hvpnotized she will
eat out OF your hand and believe YOU
TO be the marvel OF the ages