Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-29

mand oil and give nothing; they are
selfish and extravagnnt. And So, she
makes 1t hot for the new daughter in
law.
Times are changing. however. Women
are sticking together as never before.
They are getting over the idea that n
mole Is to be worshiped Just because
he Is a male. 1t is true that they still
seem little prouder at having borne
son than n daughter--a relic of the
belief that man -child was the acme
of all human endeavor. while daughter
was a spitcful joke played on the fam
lily by the fatcs-but they are valuing
their own sex more highly.
Women stand by each other more
sensibly. The mother Of the boy no
longer stands aloof and criticizes the
housekeeping Of the bride. She Is
more apt to recall what sad time she
had getting used to her husbands tenn
per and peccndilloes, and to be helpful
and sympathetic. II an occasional
adoring mother has spoiled her son, and
feels that no girl Ia good enough for
him, think she is the exception. Many
women today feel that they lacked op-
portuntie for education and fine times
and their place in the sun, and are
only too glad that modern girls are get
ting a better chance. They are really
glad that housekeeping is not the
drudgery It used to be; and so, IL the
bride is sweet and loves her son, the
mother -in-law is content.
OF course. we admit that there are
All Of them are not ministering
angels guiding the frail bark of domes-
ticity their son has launched.
New conditions bring about very
singular new problems. Listen to the
tale Of an obnoxious. new tangled
mother law that could not nave ex-
listed in the past.
Katherine Sumner was n well-known
writer. She had rather big earning
capacity. She never had married, be-
cause Of dependents, but when they
died che met and loved man consid-
erably her junior. They met in Europe,
and his mother was with him q short
time, and appeared very charming and
delighted with the match. As the BRIDE
groom was only thirty his mother was
not an old lady. laid on the shelf, but
hustling woman Of fifty, actually In
business for herself. She had small
business. but had never expected her
son to support her. He made merely
an average salary, not enough to sup
port wife with any comfort.
OF course. the writer went on with
her work. She earned good deal more
than her husband. and the double in
come mnde it possible for them to get
along very well. When they had been
established a few months. the mans
mother Informed him that he must send
her money enough to live comfortably
on As he earned only about fair
bachelors salary, of course this meant
thnt the new wife was to support her
mother law! The situation was un-
thinkable. She loved her husband and
was glad to contribute her share to
their household expenses, but she could
not labor hard and send large stipend
to woman in the prime Of life and
health, who had been earning her own
living up to the time Of her sons mar
riage. The mother in law had encour-
aged the marriage. thinking that this
was woman who could make consid-
cradle money and give her a chance to
lay down on the job.
The bride was in a terrible rosi-
tion. She knew that this only son
adored his mother. and it was hard TO
criticize her, but she finally made her
position clear. He had a struggle, but
fair play triumphed and he firmly put
his mother in her place.