His Hiuq Mothers-In-Law.

His Hiuq Mothers - in - Law .

^^ fSjpWST husbands wives , if we may credit all SfM jK they say , find ifc difficult to live in the samo " ¦ S ^ cPeW house with a mother-in-law , but Old Sol cSp *^^ - B ( as he was commonly called ) , of Bost ' l ton , dwelt in peace and . comfort for several <* years with five ladies bearing that relation to him ,

When I first know the old gentleman ho appeared to be about fifty , but was in reality about sixty-eight , and had a charming wife who was then twenty-six , and two lovely children , a boy and a girl , one seven the other five . His children by his first wife were all married , and some of his grandchildren were also married , and themselves had children older than Mr . B 's two

youngest . On the first day of my visit afc his pleasant homo , not many miles from Boston , as I took my place at the dinner-table with Mrs . B , 1 was surprised to sec five old ladies come into the room together , and to bc introduced to each of them in succession as follows : " Mv own mother , Mrs , B , senior ; my next mother ,

Mrs . Henry ; my third mother , Mrs . James ; my fourth mother , Mrs . William ; my fifth mother , Mrs . John . " Mrs . 15 -, senior , who seemed the youngest of the old ladies , laughed aloncl at my look of consternationa melodious lanirh for one of her years—and everyone smiled but Mr . Ii , who invoked tho blessing with his usual air . and led the table-talk on indifferent topics ,

That evening , in the parlour , young Mrs . B gave us- some music , and the old ladies retired early , one after another , the " own mother" going last , when she was tenderly assisted upstairs by her son . On his return . Air . B said to me , with a smile of amusement : " I see that you are , as the ladies say , ' dying to know' what all this means . I purposely did not tell

you that I havo five mothers-in-law , because I always like to see the effect produced by my household on other people . You , for instance , live so differently , all alone : how do we appear to you ? " " Hnriiiutiiotis and happy ; but I havo seen you together only a veiy short timo . What is your every day experience ?"

" Much the same , especially since my dear wife came into our household . I hail all tho old ladies when she arrived . " " But where did you get them all ; they cannot all belomr to you ?"' " Yes , every one of them . I have four mothers-in-law , anil as mv own mother is mv wife's mother-in-law , of

course that makes live mothers-m-law m oar house . Now , as my wife is just going to her littlo ones ' nursery . 1 will tell you about my old laelies . " When I married my first wife , her mother , who was a widow , cniije to live with ns . She wnsagood creature

and had seen pretty hard times , having supported herself by school-teaching and sowing for several years , and she soeinod greatly lo enjoy my comfortable homo —I was always a thriving man of business . So one d ; iy I said to her , ' Now , mother , there is no reason why you shouldn ' t make v-ruir home wifch us alwavs while von

live ; you can bring your own furniture it you choose , or you need not ; the room you now now occupy shall he your own always , anil , beside what my wife may do , I will give you fifty dollars a year for your clothes ( that was an ample sum for a woman to have all to herself in thoso times ) . And if sometimes you are displeased , vou must go to your room and pout it out

alone , and only join us again when you feci pleasant . For I won't he worried , and least of all will I havo my wife vvoi-r-ier ] by anybody . Now , mother , what do you say ?'" " She only said , ' You are a good man , Solomon B , and tho Almighty will reward you , and I thank you from my heart . I will do my part . '

" So I never had any trouble with her . We all lived together twenty years , and then my wife had an attack of pneumonia , and died ; nnd soon after that my own mother was left a widow , and came to live with mc . My mother is only sixteen years ohler than I am , and , being so lively and smart , she scorned quite like a younger sister to mother Henry , and they

got on easily together . But after a while , when the children were all about grown , I got so lonesome that I coaxed a real , nice , sensible lady of Philadelphia , not handsome , but just as good as gold , to marry me . I told her all about my old laelies , anel found she had two mothers living with her—her own mother and her husband ' s mother . They hnd neither of them any

property , but she owned a house , and took boarders m it to support them all . " Well , I made the samo proposition to her old ladies that I made to my mother-in-law , and thoy both agreed . Then I went home and built an addition to my house , and soon brought my second wife and her mothers there . Wo had some occasional pouting at first , but I

always held two points without yielding—I wns the master in my own house and would never let anybody worry my wife . So , pretty soon , my four-in-hand learned to travel smoothly together . "All , mc ! I looked forward to a happy old ago with that dear wife , but in two years she wss killed by a railway ncci ' th' -ut . I vvas with her on the train and was badly hurl ,, lying for weeks in a state of

unconsciousness . When I recovered my dear wife s grave was green . I felt so had and my health was so poor that I did not care for a woman again until all my children were married , and 1 was left alone with my four old Indies . Then I met a pretty lillie romantic widow , husband anil eldest child died of contagious fever , three who was ' s'i sorry' for me She wrote poetry and painted pictures , and was dying all the while of con-

His Hiuq Mothers-In-Law.

sumption , that scourge of our city ; ancl I thought as she had a struggle to tako caro of herself and her husband ' s mother , I would smooth her passage to the grave . " So I married her and hor mother—I mean—well , you know what I mean . I . treated her mother-in-law just as I did tho other old ladies , and that wife lived

seven years after all . I made her so happy thafc she adored me , and wo had the sweetest baby you over saw ! Oh , what a lovely creature that chikl was—a little angel ! She lived only threo years , and then faded away . But I have several beautiful pictures of her , painted hy her mother . " " And did you have no trouble wifch thafc

mother-inlaw ?" " Not while her daughter-in-law lived ; she was always taking caro of her sick child and grandchild . But when Emma was gone , and all seemed epiiefc again , the old lady wanted to marry mo !" "What ! Emma ' s mother-in-law ?" "Yes . She was a handsome woman still , and she

knew it ; about my ago , and uo relation whatever ; so she set her cap at mc . ' " And that made a commotion in the liouso ? " " Well , yes . Yes , it did . I never know my mother to get into a real rage till then . Sho was mad 1 She told mo to go right off and get a young wife—the younger the better ! Then I got mad . " I stormed away

afc all my old laelies together ; threatened to break up housekeeping and turn them out upon the world , away from the pleasant homo which they had enjoyed so long that they really believed to be theirs . * Finally I declared I would leave them in it , to fight like Kilkenny cats , while I would live afc an hotel in the city . And f . kept my word . I lived at one hotel after another , hut

always went home on Saturday nights to go to church tho next morning as usual , and fake my old ladies for a drive in the afternoon as usual , so Unit tho neighbours should not ho gossipping about us . How good they wero to me then ! They lived fogether like a nest eif kittens . But my mother assured me that peace would not last long if I lived at homo withoi . t a wife : so when I mot a pretty little orphan girl who had not a

relative in tlio world , I toltl her all about my affairs , and the sweet creature , with tears of phy in her eyes , consented to marry me and he good to my old ladies . And she has kept hor word , both letter and spirit , and I am thankful that lifo has given mc so many blessings . " Thc story is from life , excepting that I have changed all the names . Sol 1 ! has been dead some years ; tho will he left was as just and manly as his other acts .

A With's Appeat.

A With's Appeat .

J * - "TypIIE Wise people—those who manage their ncigh-» £ jy |§ hours' affairs in theory much better than they = ^™> do their own in practice—shook their heads in ^ jjv solemn conclave when Mr . Hepworth married the * jfp second timo , but an added shade of venom was in * their councils when the village paper noticed , in flowery para graph , the birth of a son anel heir at f he great house . She was very beautiful , and many had thought ita

great sacrifice when she married a man as old as her own father , yet in her sweet humility she only pruyed to bo worthy of the love bestowed upon her . A low knock at tho door aroused her , and rising to her feet , sho answered the summons . Upon the threshold stood a woman , a few years older

than herself , who led by the hand a handsome boy , who had seen two summers only . The woman was poorly dressed , in a shabby mourning , but the child wore dainty white garments . "Did you wish to see me ? " Mrs . Hepworth asked , smiling upon she child . " May I come in ? " was the woman ' s question iu return .

"Certainly . You look tired . The stranger accepted chair , and looked sadly round tho room . " Everything is altered , " she said , in n mournful voice . " Perhaps I had better stayed away . Mrs . Hepworth , you have heard of Clarice Mandorson ? " I have uot , " was the reply . " I am almost a

stranger hero . Wo have been travelling ever since I was married , until a few months ago . " " And you never heard of me ? " said the stranger , tho tears rising in her eyes . " Then my errand here is indeed hopeless . If , in his new happiness as your husband , my father never even spoke of my name , it is useless to hopo ho will forgive me . "

" Your father ? Mr . Hepworth your father ? He told mo ho had lost his only daughter . " " Not that I was dead ; I was lost to him by my own disobedience . You love my father ?" Just a smile , proud , happy and tender , answered her . "Then you will understand me , " said Clarice , " when I tell you I loved my husband hotter than father , homo

or duty . Father would not hear of our marriage and sternly forbade mo to speak to I . ucien Manderson , assuring mo that ho was a fori une hunter , a gambler , and unworthy of my love . When the loiter imploring forgiveness was returned fo me hy my fat her , with a few brief words casting mc from heart anil love , my husband proved what i had so fondly hoped was false .

lie had married the only child and presumed heiress of Hepworth , ( he millionaire , and found himself burdened with a penniless wife . I spare you the history of the four years of married misery that followed . Then my months later , on the very day fhis hoy was horn . I heard of my father ' s marriage ; . 1 ri'tiinied hero , hoping for pardon : but the house was shut up . When you

A With's Appeat.

came , I determined to mako one more effort for forgiveness , hoping you would plead for me . Oh , by your love for your child , plead for me . Think if ho was an outcast from his father ' s lovo , sorrowing , and penitent , and bogging of a stranger tho gift of his birth-right !" " If my prayer will keep you hero , Clarice , you shall not leave your father ' s house again . Mr . Hepworth is

in the library , and I will speak to bim at once . " She waited a moment to bathe tho traces of tears from her face , and came again , smiling , to the anxious group . " Cheer up , Clarice , " sho said , bravely . " What is your littlo boy ' s name . " " Stephen . It was the name of my brother who

died . My first boy was called after my father . " " Stephen , " said Mrs . Hepworth , opening her arms . " Come hero , darling , and kiss your grandmother . " Thc child sprang at once to the lovely grandmother , kissing her again and again . Putting him into his mother's arms the vonnar wife

lifted her own bab y from its cradle and left the room . In tho darkly-furnished library , Mr . Hepworth was leaning back in his arm-chair . A light step roused him from his reverie , anel his wife stood before him . Her husband opened his arms to caress both , and laucrhed , as he said :

" Oh , these mothers ! Do you suppose , Madame , that babies are admitted into thc sanctums of legal gentlemen ?"

"I do , ' saitl the mother , "if the legal gentlemen have t ho additional honour of being their papas . " "Did yon know , llarol . l , " said Mela , her lip quivering slightly , as she felt Ihe deep import of her words , " that this is my birthday , and you have given mo no .

gift ?'' " You are impatient , iiltlo wife , " he answered , thinking of ihe costly bauble that was to come without fail by noon . " But 1 would like to choose my own gift , " she persisted .

V > hat cau I give my rosebud that sho has not already ?" "Docs your oflice include tho power of pardon ?" she asked , her sweet face pallid with earnestness . "In a limited degree it docs , " he replied . "But dear one , I shouldn ' t like it to ho known thafc I had shown clemency to a criminal upon your solicitation .

You would ho constantly annoyed by the loving relatives of scamps anil rogues trying to move mo to pity throngh your intercession ?" "But ( his is not a caso of roguery , Harold—only a true penitent ; one who erred in extreme youth , was led from a path of duty by a lovo as warm and true as our own , but mistaken . Oh , dear husband , do you not know for whom I would plead ? Cannot yon guoss for

whom 1 would beg your pity nnd forgiveness ?" "Clarice , " ho asked , hoarsely , " who has toltl you of her ?" " She has come herself to seek your forgiveness . " "She is here ?" " Yes . Yon will forgive her ? For the sake of our own hoy , Harold , let this bo a homo for hor and Stephen . " " Stephen ! " ho cried , starting .

"Her son . Her husband is dead . She is widowed , poor anil lonely . Let her return to your homo and your love , Harold !" There was a moment of silence , and the mother softly carried the strong , right hand of her husband in her own until ifc rested upon tho heael of the babe in her

arms . He looked down and said : " I will grant your birthday wish , Mota . Tako mo to Clarice . " With a tender , loving kiss upon the hand that still rested upon her child ' s head , Mcta led the way back to her pretty sitting-room , whore Clarice waited the result of her errand ,

As she heard tho steps coming across tho wide hall toward the room where sho was seated , her agitation became too great for patient waiting , and she stooel up , holding her child by tho hand , hor breath coming in quick , panting sobs , her eyes dilated with suspense , and her whole figure e | uivering with intense emotion . It was this eager , flushed face that mot the father ' s eye as he opened the door—tho face of tho child to whom he had given the entire strength of his love for

years . He forgot her waywardness , her disobedience , and the six years of absence . He remembered only that sho was his only daughter , the child of his dead Clarice , and ho opened his arms , with a smile that carried love and forgiveness to thc sore heart . There was a cry

of" Father , dear , dear father ! And they wero folded fast in each other ' s arms , while Mela drew wondering Stephen into an inner room and closed tho door . Not even for her cars , she felt , were those first words of reconciliation . It was not long that Stephen was withhold from his grandfather ' s kiss , for father ancl daughter alike turned to the gentle influence that had united thorn

once more . The gossips are divided in thoir opinion as to thc exact amount of hatred and jealousy existing between the young widowed daughter and the young wife at the great , house , bufc it would be quite beyond tho power of their narrow minds to understand such true sisterly love as . exists between Clarice Manderson and Mr . llepwoi'th ' s second wife .