THE EXACT VALUE OF A MOTHER-IN-LAW.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 368, 27 June 1874, Page 3

THE EXACT VALUE OF A MOTHER-IN-LAW.

"A FELLOW FEELING MAKES US WONDROUS KIND."

[From the "Chicago Tribune" February 19.] Last week a young Gsrman girl named Amelia Donnerschag, naving a. trustful confidence in the laws of her country, especially as expounded by Banyon, went riefore that justice and began a suit for 200dols against August Behrens, for breach of promise of marriage. She would have sued for more, but 200dols is the limit of the jurisdiction of a justice's court, and that is the reason why she stopped at that figure nob but what she esteemed her lover to be worth a much higher sum. A warrant was issued, and the case came up yesterday. All the parties were in attendance. The complainant stated that she had known the defendant in Germany ; and had become engaged to him there. He had emigrated to this country in order to earn a home, and she had followed him in the course of a year. Soon after her arrival finding him in good circumstances, she pressed him to fulfil his promise but he refused to do so. Hence the suit. The Justice asked the young man if he had anything to say in his behalf, and he stated that he had. Mr. Behrens — As the young lady says, your Honor, I was engaged to her in Germany, where she was living with her father. I came to Chicago and boarded at the house of her sister and mother, who were living in Divisionstreet, and I lived with them for nine months. During that nine months I had many opportunities to watch the ways of this young lady's mother, and I was not pleased with them at all. At this point the brow of the Justice unbent. His manner, which had been particularly gloomy, began to change, and he looked with something of friendliness upon Mr. Behrens. " Excuse me," said the Justice, " I should like to ask you a few questions : — Did this woman say that she intended to live with you after you were married ? Did she inform you that she was ready to tako all the care of the household off your hands ? Did she ask you to let her save up your money ? Did she say that she could take care of it a great deal better than you could ?"

" Yes."

" Go on," said the Judge. Mr. Behrens — When this young lady came over here from Germany she did ask me to marry her, and I was ready to, and I told her I was. But she said her mother must live with us and keep house for us. 1 told her I had watched the ways of her mother, and that I was not pleased with them ; that 1 loved her very deeply and was ready to marry her, but did not wish to marry her mother also who was a woman of lordly and unpleasant habits and who insisted on feeding me too much on cabbage, a vegetable I have had a dislike for. lam ready your Honour to marry her now, providing that she will leave her mother out in the cold ; but will not marry the old woman ; I have made up my mind to that, no matter what comes. The Justice — Now let me ask you, my friend which would you rather do. pay down 200 dols. or marry the young lady and have her mother live with you ? Mr. Behrens (firmly)— l will pay the 200 dols. The Justioa — Allow me to shake hands with you. I envy your firmness. There was a period in the life of this Court, Mr. Behrens, when it was placed in circumstances somewhat Bimilar to your own. If it had had the moral courage which you possess it would have saved about twenty-five years of misery and unhappiness. The alternative was presented to this Court whether it would marry a young lady and her mother or whether it would pay 125 dollars in gold. This Court was poor at the time. It was earning an unsatisfactory living at the restaurant business. It yielded. It took the young woman and tho mother-in-law, and kept the 125 dollars. lor a quarter of a century this Court regretted its hasty action. It is glad to meet a man who cherishes 'happiness more than he does money. The order of the Court is that the defendant stands discharged, and the complainant, who has been trying to bring a man into slavery to a mother-in-law, be finsd lOdols. and costs.

An extraordinary announcement has been issued by an Endinburgh firm which undertakes to supply as a speciality "fine old Scotch whisky," not only having the positive virtue of being "without flavor," but also the negative merit of being " without flavor." This is surely a speciality with a vengeance, and not likely to become popular across the Tweed. Had this new variety of "mountain dew " the faculty of imparting silence to those by whom it is imbibed we should hail it as a public boon. But flavorless Scotch whisky is an innovation which would be resisted, aye, to death, more valorously than the endeavors to supersede Presbyterianism. It is also a contradiction in terms, as you might as well talk of incombustible gunpowder. We offer no opinion upon the qualities of the liquor, and should not presume to dogmatise on its all-eyed superiority even if a gallon or two of it were sent us for review. But it is obvious that those who have introduced it into the market are no adepts in the genius of advertising, else times have sadly and strangely changed in the north — and drink with them — since the period when the G-lasgow carter could boast that he knew a friendly "pub" where he could get a racking headache for "tippence." — " Sportsman," What Constitutes A Good Schoolmaster. — " These are the qualifications of a good schoilmaster," says the New York Tribune, "as recently described to the Indiana Teachers Association, by Professor W. H. Venable, of Cincinnati :—l.: — 1. Knowledge of the world, and of the demands of American life.. 2. Knowledge of man. and the demands of human nature ; and the knowledge of mind and mental philosophy. The additional qualifications are :— Freedom from eccentricies, belief in common sense, devotion to principal, love of hard wprk,. love of his