Year: 1879

mother, who was widow, came 10 live
with us. She wes a good creature, and
had seen pretty hard times, having sup
ported herself by school teaching and
sewing for several years, and she seemed
TO greatly enjoy my comfortable home
1 was always q thriving man OF business.
So one dsy l said TO her, Now, mother,
there is no reason why you shouldn't
make your home with us always while
you live; you can bring your own furni-
ture. if-yeu choose, or You need not; The
room you now occupy shall be your own
always, and beside what my wife may do
l will give you fifty dollars year for
your clothes Chat was an ample sum for
a woman to have all to herself in those
times). You can teach il you wish to,
or do anything else to earn money if you
wish to; you will always be welcome to
our table and parlor, or, il you prefer,
you can cook for yourself in your own
room. Only one thing l will exact in
return-you must never make any mis-
chief nor quarrel with anybody in my
house about anything. And il some
times you are displeased you must go TO
your room and pout it out alone, and
only join MS again when you feel pleas
ant. For won't be worried, and least
Of all will have my wife worried by
anybody. Now, mother, what do you
sayP'


She only said, You are good man,
Solomon B., and the Almighty will
reward you, and thank you from my
heart. l will do my part.


So l never had any trouble with her.
We all lived together twenty years, and
then my wife had an attack of pneumo-
MIA and died-and soon after that my
own mother was left widow and came
to live with me. My mother is only
sixteen years older than / am, and being
go lively and smart she seemed quite
like younger sister TO mother Heniy,
and they got on easily together. But
after awhile, when the children were all
about grown, l got SO lonesome that l
ooaxed real nice, sensible lady Of Phil
adelphia, not handsome, but just as
good as gold, to marry me; told her all
about my old ladies, and found she had
two mothers living with her, her own
mother and her husbands mother. They
had neither of them any property, but
she owned house aud took boarders in
it to support them all.


Well, 1 made the same proposition to
her old ladies that l had made to my
mother-in-law, and they both agreed
Then / went home and built an addition
to my house, and soon brought my SEQ
ond wife and her mothers there. We
had some occasional pouting at first, but
i always held two points without yield
ing--I was tho master in my own house,
and would never let anybody worry my
wife. So, pretty soon, my four in hand
learned 10 travel smoothly together.


'Ah, mel / looked forward to happy
old age with that dear wife, but in two
years shs was killed by railway acci-
dent. was with her on the train, and
was badly hurt. lying for weeks in a
state of Inconsistencies. When l re
covered, my dear wte's grave was green.
l felt so bad, and my health was so poor,
that did not care for a woman again
until all my children were married and
l was left alone with my four old
ladies'.


Then met pretty little romantic
widow, who was so sorry for mel She
wrote poetry and painted pictures, and
was dying all the while Of consumption
that scourge Of our city; and l thought
as she had a struggle to take care of
herself and her husbands mother, 1
would smooth her passage to the grave.


so I married her and her mother-I
mean-well, you know what 1 mean. ]
treated her mother -in-law Just as / did
the other old ladies, and that wife lived
seven years after all. 1 made her so
happy that she adored me, and We had
the sweetest baby you ever sawl Oh,
what lovely creature that child was--
little angell She lived only three years,
and then faded away. But l havs several
beautiful pictures of her, painted by her
mother.


'And did you have no trouble with
that mother.in-law2'


Not while her daughter.in.law lived;
she was always taking care of her sick
child and grandchild. But when Emma
vas gone and all seemed quiet again,
the old lady wanted to marry me-


What Emma's mother.in-lawp'


Yes. She was handsome woman
still, and she knew it; about my age, and
no relation whatever; 80 she set her cap
at me-


And that made q oommotion in the
house?'


well, yes. Yes, ii did. / never
knew my mother to get into real rage
till then. She was madl She told me
TO 20 right off and get young wife--the
younger the betterl Then / got madl
/ stormed away at all my old ladies to-
gether; threatened to break up house
keeping and turn them oet upon the
world, away from tho pleasant Tome
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