The Washington herald., 1920-07-02
By DOROTHY DIX
Copyright. 1870.
wheeler Syndicate. Inc.
Excellent Advice

/ fIIi complaint yields to gentle means
when drastic measures fail. So try
| II. young wives. you who are up
against the tear-soaked problems
! CT the ages-that Of maintaining
! peaceful relationship with your hus-
bands mother
t;egin by giving mcther-in-1ow alb
! sent treatment. Never go TO live
with her. So shall YOU keep friends
/ by keeping of each others lit
! tie peculiarities. When young
man pops the question to you. and
! incidentally mertiC ms that he Is CO.
! ing to take you to live with mother.
and that she will love you like a
/ daughter. say Nay. nay, Augustus"
I to him.
; Tell him that you will wait until
he can build a nest of his own for
! you, but that you are wise to the
fact that no two women can love
the same man, and try to run the
same house without coming to hate
each other. and that you are not
foolhardy enough to undertake an
experiment that only a couple of
she angels could pull of.
Having put a prudent and likable
distance between you and mother
in-law. put the good thought on her.
Keep your mind fastened on her
virtues instead of going on a still,
hunt for all of her faults. suppose
she is overlooking with an Unsuitable
curiosity that makes her go pok-
ing and prying into your cupboards
and garbage can, and ask you what
every rything cost. Just remember that
the old have no interests in life ex-
cept through their children. and that
the smallest thing that concerns her
John Is of more Importance to his
mother than the rise and fail of
nations.
Suppose mother-in-law Is queer,
and crotchety and narrow. Keep in
mind that she didn't have your ad-
, vantages when she was young, and
that. after all. there must be some
thing very noble and fine in the
woman who has raised up a boy to
be the sort of gentleman your hus-
band is. For it's a boys mother
who grounds him in his principles of
truth. and honor. and honesty, and
chivalry.
Then apply to mother-in-Iaw an
emolument made of equal parts of
love and appreciation. It's wonder
ful how 1t works. and softens up
the most stiff-necked old lady. Ask
her advice, whether you take 1t or
not Get her to explain to you her
method of rearing children and put
ting 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
n " N hnc
est gift one woman can make an
other-a good husband.
Follow this treatment I'D with
small doses of sympathetic under
standing. Let mother-in-Iaw see
that you realize that il is hard for
her to have some other woman
come first in the heart of the son
who has been all the world to her
for twenty-five or thirty years.
Above all make her know that
you do not mean to take him from
her Encourage your husband 10
go to see his mother and leave them
alone together often. There must
be so much a mother wants to saw
ito her boy only. After all when a
, man takes unto himself a wife he
doesn't cease to be a son, you know.
though great many silly brides
seem to think so.
If mother-in-law shows signs of
ldeveloping a rising temperature and
| begins to talk wildly about YOUR
using your best china every day.
or buying a new gown, quiet her
down with a little of the bromide
of soft answer instead of getting
huffy about IL and telling her to
mind her own business Later on
you'll know just how she felt when
you see your sons wife wasting
the money he has toiled so hard to
make.
| II the shock of finding out that
she really has a daughter-in-law
who wants to be friends with her.
and who shows her some affec-
tion and appreciation doesn't kill
mother-in-law with surprise. YOU
will have the old lady so hypnotized
she will eat out of your hand and
believe you to be the marvel of the
ages.