The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-05-16
PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY
Miss Frances f. willard Tells VII r.
Should Not be Made a Sacra4

Miss Frances f. willard Tells whv r.
Should Not he Made a Secret.
have never felt reluctant to tell nv
age. 1t early came to me that notb;na
was less dignified than to make a secret
of ones personal chron ology. Market
able values in many instances demand
on freshness, and il a girl has no
broader view of her relation to the
world than the relation she NAV hold 70
some man who will prize her more If
she is younger, then she does we'll to
hide her age. But if she is a dipnified
human being, who has started ont
"heart within and God o'erhead. y
upon an endless voyage wherein she
sails by the stars rather than by tho
clock, she will never hesitate either to
know or to announce just where she is
on that long voyage; how many DAYS
out from childhoodland. The first men
ton find in my journal of this wav of
looking at the subject is the following.
September 90, 1901 have often
wondered why it is that people general
ly, and ladies especially, are so unwil1.
ing to have their ages known. We are
immortal, and, for aught we know. eter-
nal. We never regard Gabriel as old.
though the prophet Daniel first intro.
auced him to US. Our baby brothers and
sisters who have died are babes still to
US, lambs in the flock. They are ali yerv
dear to me and 1 was especially anxious
to see my Aunt Elizabeth who is loved
with more than the love of near rela-
tionship by me, and for whom I am
named. In the lonely days that will fol.
low my going 1 shall think of those
whom have left behind and the other
loved ones who are coming, as they en-
Joy themselves together in our home.
while am lonesome, tired and heart
sick. In the evening Mary and 1 sang
for hours to father, who is not particu-
lar about the quality and cultivation of
Dur voices, it being sufficient for him, as
In the olden days, his daughters
sing together Bonnie Doom" "Come
this way, my father" "'Star-spangled
Banner" and the rest; when we
closed with Longfellow's 'sRainy Day."
mother sat with her hand shading her
eyes and sad expression on the dear
est face in all the world to me. knew
she was thinking about my birthday SO
near at hand, about my going off again,
about her birds that are making longer
fights at every trial and need no more
to have her bear them up upon her
wings. l knew that she was being
sorry for me as only one can be, and
that one my mother. Oliver and Beth
Vincent were upstairs making the
library catalogue for the Sunday-school.
Aunt Sarah sat with US, listening
quietly to every thing. Father threw
in remark now and then, sometimes
lively, sometimes sad, but always quaint
and curious. And thus endeth the last
home-picture I shall draw for many
day. have been trying to think why
1 go away to this new work so soon. I
can not tell. I only know that 1 have
some dim sense that it is right and best
Certainly it is not the happiest But Il
have come to believe that it is we'll for
US, well for our characters, those beauti-
tul fabrics we are weaving every day, to
10 those things that do not make us
happy, but only make US strong.-From
Frances E. Williard's Autobiography.