The Mother-in-law

Muny good things - some óf thein harp and some very cruel - have been :aid of late about mothers-in-law, and ïow comes a mother, who is also a rnothir-in-law, and tells her story. She had ived a short married lii'e, not of the most ileasant character, when her husband lied, leaving her with two children. ftor years oí' those trials and struggles n behalf of her loved ones - strtggles ind trials which deepen affection and iurify love - those childreu grew tu mature age and were married. We leave [he balance of the story to be told by the nother or mother-in-law, if you please: Having avoided all society and all acuaintanceship when ïny children were young, that I might devote niy whole time to them, I found no congeniality in ;ither of the two families with which my shildren were connecting thomselves. After two years they were married ; and after a year of boaiding aspired to the dignity of keeping house. After looking at many dwellings one was selected, one which required a great many repairs, and now my services were in very great request. I attended to all the directions Mrs. Jenkins wished given to workmen ; I stayed in the cold, empty house all daj, when there was nothing to sit on but an empty candle-box. I did the neceesary quarreling with the plumbers and bore the snubs of the upholsttrers. I put the furniture in the places I thought best, by degreos, and by degrees changed it all to suit his tastes. I washed the china and glass ; and sometimes t'ancied, when I got dirty doing all this, that I was happy. I had fot bo long been accustomed to work for those I loved, that it was hard to learn thert might be any reproach connected with it. I must do Fanny the justice to say that she was very kind and grateful t'or all this trouble. On the last day, after having some 3old tea out of a pitcher on the corner of i mantle-piece, I overheard Mr. Jenkins, who had brought in a friend to admire his new dwelling, say : "Well, the carpets are down, the furniture is all here, and I think uow when we get our servants and engage a baker and a milkman, and get rid of the mother-in-law, we shall he ready to move in." Both my childrea married. I had my solitary little home to myself, and very solitary it was. I tried to get up some spasmodic friendships with iny neighbors, but, being hollow. those forced intimacies feil through. But I ought not to complain ; it is the way of the world. I only wonder if, considering the love we women have for our children, young or old, the world ia not apt to be a little hard on the mother-in-law.