In the short story "Shiloh" by Bobbie Ann Mason, Mabel Beasley is Leroy's pragmatic and often critical mother-in-law.  Even though it seems as if Mabel does not approve of Leroy, she still wants to help her daughter save her troubled marriage.  She encourages the young couple to take a trip to Shiloh, a famous Civil War battlefield, because she went there on her honeymoon.

For Mabel Beasley, Shiloh represents a romantic getaway, a chance for them to leave their problems behind, if only temporarily, so they can focus on each other and their marriage.  Mabel hopes that Shiloh will be an opportunity for her daughter and son-in-law to improve their marriage.