The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-04-10
HER GIFT.

1--WE should not count our years
misfortune, and to be candid, this, M
fortieth birthday, is the one day of M,
life that / have constantly looked for
ward to with satisfaction"
''Since yesterday" 1 asked, doubt
fully.
''Since / was a mere girl in my teen
that is the period considered tn
happiest in a woman's life, is it not
l fancy l am constitutionally tlmid
for l have always had an almost NOR
bid horror of putting myself in a posi-
ton that / could not break away
from"
Marriage being one of themP"
asked.
But she did not seem to hear me,
and continued
"And then there were constant diff
cult, teasing questions to decide, and
ever provoking trivial things grew
important if ! had to deal with them,
and / was SO easily frightened"
"Andsso," l began, for Frances had
left of speaking and seemed to have
forgotten my existence.
And So" she repeated, shaking
ACkoCAA Out vi Atl musings, uScu 10
say, when l am forty life will be worth
living. There will be nothing more to
happen that is unusual; no more i'm
portant decisions to be made. The
rest of ones days will be spent in a
pleasant monotony. A few every day
worries that no mortal can escape;
sickness perhaps, but nothing unusual
to fear, nothing in the future to tor
ment me-"
And is that your idea of a satisfac-
tory lifeP"
Il could only ask questions, for /
had no sympathy in Frances mood
that night.
Anything is better than the eternal
questions, whether we have done right
or wrong, wisely or foolishly," She
answered i~rrelevantly. "Whether one
has sacrificed ones life or escaped a
misfortune. Now at forty. 1 am
forty tonight, you know"
OF course l knew it was Frances
birthday. for it was to keep the feast,
that | sat, metaphoricalIy, by her fire.
'ide.
"Forty seems a load of years to
,arry, and yet l wonder what it is that
makes INT old, for to tell the truth l
not feel a bit older than l did ten
7ears ago, and not nearly as old as 1
lid this night twenty-five years. Then
dropped my youth as we might an
Hitting garment. There was no
possible way of altering it, and so 1
i'd myself Of it altogether. Certainly
can say tonight that l am better
satisfied, more contented, and"
Happier" suggested, but Frances
lid not appropriate the word.
comfortable, that better expresses
he idea, unless one could honestly
satisfactory"
was very sure Frances conld not.
There could be little satisfaction in a
goman's life devoid of near kinsfolk,
retted by small economies, and with
nut a home, for a third story back
DOM, even in a comfortable boarding
,ouse, has but few qualities of home
prevailing it.
"You had enough IN your youth TO
make life very satisfactory said,
or l remembered when Frances
ather had been the leading lawyer at
'ur bar, and had lived in more STYLE
han the most OF us.
81 had o money" she said with
shrug Of her shoulders, II would |
Ike some of it now for it needs more
o keep ones self respectable at forty
han at eighteen. But | am not I'M
Iappy from the want Of money. Ones I
misfortune is to have a his ,
ory. 1t has all the properties of a {
host, and is as hard to lay, l, for /
nstance-" S
l looked up quickly at Frances then
s quickly turned my gaze to the fire,
was going 10 say, hut in fact to the !
tove. l felt the natural flutter of i
leasure that one feels when ones S
are confidential, and place
on on a different footing than YOU 2
yer were before. 1t is a subtle flat i
,ry as well as a mark of trust when il
friends confide to your keeping a C
ersonal history. o
Whether it was the clock striking S
or something quite as trivial that y
ave Francis thoughts a turn, | could p
)t guess, for instead of a history | a
I'd long wished to hear. she fed me il
cake and wine in honor of her b
rthday. which she produced from a p
nvenient closet. After hat we chat Y
d quietly, gossiping a little, but 81
rmlessly, and working up yards Il
fluffy wool, with our knitting q
edles. Il
1t was the growth of my work that a
minded me of the lapse of time, for
lad given my one servant a holiday, b,
. expected 10 walk home alone. II
t l had mo fears, no matter what fl
time was, for our village always nj
ew more quiet as the hours shorten hi
'ir numbers. The moon was full sc
1 the only d~isagreeable part of my 90
wing was to creep ike a thief 81