Ellsworth American., 1920-03-24
THE HEAD OF
THE FAMILY
By oTHLIA F. PFEIFFER

the house except two on the ground
floor. 1t was an old, but pretty place,
but 1t became lonely and gloomy dis
possessed of the bright, viyacious girl
who had made it home, indeed. Be
sides that, thrifty, economical wom-
an with keen business sense, Mrs.
Clayton reckoned on fuel and general
labor saving, besides having definite
purpose in view in behalf of the young
adventures 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 q little sur
plus. She was sure of two material
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
!n-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 wed.
ded couple. She visited them only once
a 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 1t or criticised or advised.
All the time, however, she was placing
a secure foundation to be prepared TO
win them more fully and assist them
when the hour of need arrived. Pa
tiently and lntelligently she awaited
that juncture. and was not surprised
when one day Myron came to her with
a serious face. She welcomed him.
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 as 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 at hand to decide for
us knotty questions as they come up.
Honestly, mother, l get homesick and
lonesome for you. Can't you arrange
TO come and stay with us permanent
iyF Lucille will be happier, and |
would feel as If there was a stanch,
sensible pilot at the helm who would
steer us clear of the rocks we run up
against every once in while"
What are the rocks, Myron?" in
quired Mrs. Clayton gently.
We'll, we are both extravagant,"
confessed Myron desperately. Come
to reckon up, we find that we have
lived way beyond our means and are
in a sort of tangle. Lucille does her
hest in running the house and / don't
waste any money outside of home ex-
pCnseS, but somehow we have been
getting behind. In fact, there is-there
is deficit. In wOrd-come and help
MS gel 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 1t 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 onen-
ed up in Its original CHEEKY homellke-
ness and he was to contribute Il sGt;eu
amount for sustaining ii. A program
was mapped out where Mrs. Clayton
was to be the directing force, and the
happy husband ana whe 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 Myron had retrieved the
extravaganza of the past under the
skllful guidance and cooperation of
mother"
They were all seated in the porch