Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 November 1875 — Mother-in-Law and Wife. [ARTICLE]

Mother-in-Law and Wife.

“The prisoner is your son’s wife, is she ?” inquired the Justice of the sorrowful old woman standing beside him. “ Yes, sir; Harriet, there.’’ *** “ And you had her arrested for striking you?” . ‘ “ Yes, sir.” There was a painful pause. The sadeyed, ago-stricken womah hastily wiped away a tear that had come unbidden to her poor, old eyes, and the daughter sat staring straight ahead into vacancy, with a hard, defiant look upon her face which was ladled by the nervous fingers that were winding and unwinding the fringeof a gaudy shawl drawn about her shoulders. “Well, my dear madam, what is it? Tell us all about it,” and gaining courage from the looks sympathizingly bent on her from every side, in a low voice she told the sad, oft-repeated tale of domestic troubles: “My son William, that’s him, sir, standing by the stove, we used to live together peaceable and old-fashioned. He brought his earnings home every Saturday night, and gave ’em to me to use inbuying things, and a happier or more contented mother and son I don’t believe you could rind in the whole country through. But bimeby I noticed a change. He was out evenings, took an awful amount of pains with his hair and necktie, and at last it came out as I expected. * Mother,’ he says, * I want to get married. She’s the ’ But there ain’t no use telling what he said or what he did- It was just the same as when you were young, your Honor,and one bright August morning he brought her home with him, and says, proud as ever, you see: * Mother, this is my wife; you must try to like her a little for your son’s sake.’ And I did try, sir, honestly try, but her ways wan’t my ways. First, she wanted to change the pictures on the wall, and hung ’em awful unbecoming; and then my tomato-plants in the window. She said they litt tered the room, and one morning afore I she had ’em all out in the yard. Next she said as seeing how- she was William’s wife she had better sit at the end of the table and pour the tea, and though he didn’t say anything I saw that my son agreed with her, so I left the seat where I had set for thirty-odd years and had to see it occupied by another. And so it w-ent on. I was snubbed as a domineering old woman, and at last she said she wished I wouldn’t come into the parlor when there was company; I looked so old-fashioned and said such queer things. That was too much, sir, right in my own and my son’s house, and I just rose right up and we had it, and both said a great many bitter things that we didn’t mean, and at last, white with rage, she raised her hand and struck me, sir, her husband’s mother, and before I knew what I was doing I had her arrested and brought here, but J never meant it, sir; and if you will let hes go now I will stay in my own room in the house, sir, and we will try to live together in peace until the end. Won’t you, sir?” As the old lady ceased, speaking the daughter’s lace, which had been gradually softening under the new and blessed light of love, was buried in her shawl, and her low, convulsive sobs were audible throughout the hushed court-room. “ This is all,” said the Justice, solemnly; “ this is the lesson you both needed, arid let it serve you for all time. Bear each other’s infirmities; be to each other in reality mother and daughter, and believe me you can make a home for William and yourself pleasanter than you have ever known. The prisoner is discharged.” Not a word was said, but the two women, with clasped hands, passed out of the room together, the son and husband joining them at the door with happy, beaming face at the unlooked-for reconciliation between his mother and his wife. —Buffalo Express.