Wife or Child

• 1909
• Other, Drama

A story dealing with a child's instinctive aversion to its proposed stepmother who has plotted to usurp the position, and upon whom the youngster dramatically turns the tables. A wealthy peasant with one young son is left a widower and finds it necessary to secure a serving maid to care for his home and serve meals to the many hands that work upon his large farm. From an educational, as well as a dramatic standpoint, the servants' fair or market is very interesting. Here the widower hires a buxom and good-looking maid whom he immediately places at the head of his household. Before long she gains the knowledge that he is very wealthy and forthwith lays her plans to marry him if possible. She employs all the coquetry of her sex to win him and in a short time has him very anxious to hasten arrangements for the wedding. But on every occasion in which she attempts to become friendly with the little boy she is repulsed. The youngster seems to feel instinctively she does not like him and will employ his love only to gain her own ends. The incidents of her various advances and final defeat by the boy's power over the father is shown clearly and interestingly.