The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1889-12-19
A WOMAN'S STRUGGLE.
EY AGNES CLIFFORD.

+ 81 do not see why, SAID OctaTla; Du
she said it obviously.
For moment she thought Gilber
Fraleby would laugh. She hoped 1t
would. The dogged steadincss will
which he met her resistance at ever,
point threw her hclplessly back upon he:
self. If he had relaxed from his direc
insistance for one moment she could have
gathered her forces together for anothe
effort at defense. He gave her no chance
All her arguments, cogcnt as they hat
been, as she urged them against her owl
heart in her solitude, seemed to fail
scattered and impotent to the ground un
der the thraldom of the mans ovcrwecn
ing personal influence. Her goaded
sensibilitics whirlcd suddenly and she
flashed upon him angrily:
NO, do not sec why man should
not permit his wife to be an actress.
do not see why he should put a woman,
ii he prctends to love her, to the alterna-
tive of choosing between him and Ca
reer for which she feels in every fibre OF
her being that she has 4 vocation"
"a man probably wants the woman he
loves to himself"
"Some men she distinguished, with
the flush still on her cheek. "Not all
men arc selfish enough to wish to bury
away forever spark of the divine five
q woman may have received in order
that they may possess her, as they imag,
inc, the more fully"
Octavia was trembling, but Gilbert
Fralebv only looked at her as though she
were raving.
eff you really loved me-" she burst
forth again, "you would not ask such &
sacrifice Of me-"
His silence seemed to put that ques.
tion away as though it were not worth
discussing. She could erect no barriers
that his attitude did not throw down.
When he left her Octavia had made nc
hcadway. Her problem stared her in the
face, as unsolvablc now as it had been
for days and weeks. She had reached
the point where aid of some sort must
come from without. If she should lay
her case before one who could judge OF
its bearings from the outside?
She hastily put on outdoor apparel and
left the house. Her purpose carried her
strangely enough, it would have seemed
to some people, to woman compara-
lively stranger to her. But Octavia's
instincts did not mislead her She found
in this woman, much older than herself,
that wonderful quality of perfectly in
telligent human sympathy whichis one OF
the rarest as it is the most sacred our race
falls heir to. She listened to Octavia in
a deep-eyed silence which gave the girl,
as she went in with tremulous eager
ness, sense of keen and absolute conf
preheusion and Of that respect and revcr-
ence at the same time for the trouble of
any soul which is the keynote of tho
power for help that such people possess.
She had varied experience. She had
seen life in many aspects.
''My dear child, you put upon me a
grave responsibility" she said. a
should not feel that could advise you.
We must all stand for ourselves"
ayes, know what you mean. But
erally.--impersonally-'
''Impersonally - generally my dcar
child, when woman hesitates between
ambition and love-
"No, no, not ambition"
"Ah, yes," said the older woma.l,
gently. "There is ambition, too, though
if may seem but the weaker part. l shall
say, though, when woman hesitateS be.
tween the love Of her art and the love fol
the one man VINO could make hel
wrctched or blessed---' She paused
and Octavia raised her eyes.
''Yes, lido love him So" she murmured
beneath her breath.
Then, my child believe me-marry
him. Yes" she continued, as Octavia
turned her face impetuously away,
"marry him. know what is going or
in your soul now. You are young; you
have beauty; believe you have genius
If you choose this career that lies before
you, also believe that YOU would win
its fairest and its greatest prizes. But
are such things enough for lis women;
Out of my own experience let me warn
you, child-no! To some, perhaps, tc
whom it is gwen to love lightly, there
might be some compensation some day
for what you would give up now. Bu
you are not, think, Of that order o.
souls"
Octavia had covered her eyes with hcl
hands.
eyes, yes, I know l should suffer. Oh
believe should suffer always if l gave
himup. But such power as l feel in my
self is surely divine gift. 1t is righ
that should suffer and sacrifice my hap
piness for its sake. l cannot fling i
away"
She had arisen to her feet, as though
to escape from the counselor she hat
sought. The elder woman's worn, ten
der, placid gaze rested on her in tina
saddened patience with such exaltation
which comes to those who have seen to-
often the bitter ashes of dead enthusiams
She kissed the girl gently and let her go
Then she sighed softly to herself
"And thus it will be with women t
the end of the world. Only in you'll
they will never know how sad it is TO