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CONFESSIONS OF A WIFE
MOTHER WAVERLY CANNOT LIVE WITH US.
"It looks as though, mother would
! have to come to us," said Dick yes
terday morning. "" -
"Now, Dick, I simply cannot have
your mother with me; you know we
do not get along together at all; we
do not think or act along the same
lines. Why can't she stay at the
hotel? She will be much happier
there. I will be glad indeed to help
pay her board if her income is not
large enough to let her stay there."
"Oh, she will have enough to live
on. Mollie told me this morning that
beside buying the house of her for
$20,000, Chadwick was going to set
tle twenty more on her mother."
"How perfectly lovely. Aren't you
ashamed now, Dick, at all you have
said about him?"
"A little," owned up Dick, "but
handing compliments to Chadwick is
not getting us any nearer to what we
shall do with mother. Of course, that
silly idea that she is going to travel
with them is out of the question, and
there is only us."
I could not help thinking how glad
ly we had welcomed Aunt Mary and
how happy we had been with her, and
how much happier she had been than
Mother Waveriy was. I don't believe,
little book, that every one owes it to
older people to put up with their ways
and abide by their opinions always.
Mother Waveriy will never do any
thing we want her to do unless she
wants to do it She does not care for
the theater, but instead of staying
quietly at home and letting Mollie go
occasionally, she insists that she shall
stay at home with her and play cards,
which Mollie detests.
I will say this for Mollie, that she
most always gives in to her mother
and she has done this so often that if
Mother Waveriy was to go with them
on their wedding trip she would prob
ably spoil not only their whole trip
but their whole-lives to come.
Sometimes, little book, I think we
make too much of duty and self-sacrifice.
Mother Waveriy had her
courtship and her honeymoon, and I
have often heard her tell how perfect
it was. While dad lived she was al
ways very selfish. She always in
sisted on being first; she did not give
up even for her children. Now it is
time for her to "let the others have
an inning," as Dick would say. But
she still thinks her children must give
in to and for her.
"Mother does not think it looks
well for her to board at a hotel when
her son lives in the same town," con
tinued Dick.
I fairly snorted. "Now, Dick, if
you want to make not only me but
your mother miserable just because
she wants to be able to say 'My chil
dren could not live without me,' you
may do so, but I'll not be a party to
it I want you to fix it any way you
choose, if you wish I'll go to the hotel
and you can bring mother here.
(Dick threw up his hands.) But to
completely give myself up to amusing
your mother and giving in to her fool
ish whims, asI would have to if she
lived with us, I will not"
"Margie, I think you are very
hard."
"I am not I am only honest. If
your mother read if she liked- to
sew if she had any thought beside
herself and the homage that must be
paid her because she bears the title
of mother, I perhaps could do it
' You see, Dick, I have you little
enough as it is."
"Don't begin to nag," interrupted
Dick.
"I don't think I ever do that. I am
just telling you that 1 am beginning
to understand that love, like every
thing else, must die, but I don't feel
that it is treating him right to torture
him to death."
Dick started forward, but I drew
back. "Don't try to kiss me, Dicl
J
