The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1893-01-03
WAS TT RIGHT2


corner of room; behind her burned
bright fire.
Presently servant came in and
gave her card
say am busy and can see no
one now. have TO finish this ar
ticle by 2 o'clock ("
4 The servant came back. The
caller said she would only keep her
moment-it was necessary she
i should see her.
The woman rose from her desk
Tel the boy to wait Ask the lady.
to come IN.
4 q young lady in silk dress, with
cloak reaching TO her feet, entered.
She was tall and slight. with fair.
hair.
4 knew you would not mind. 1
wished to see you so r.
The woman offered her a seat by
the FIRE. May I loosen your cloak7
The room is warm .
wanted so to come and see You.
You are the only person in the
world who could help mel know
you are SO large and generous and.
kind to other womeni'' She sat
down. Tears stood in her large blue
eyes; she was pulling off her gloves
unconsciously
You know Mr.. She men.
toned the name of a well known
writer II know you meet him often
in your work want you to do
something for mels
The woman ON the hearth rug
looked down on her.
81 couldn't tell my father OF my
mother or any one else, but can
tell you, though / know so little of
you You know last summer he
came and staid with us month.
saw a great deal of him. l don't
know if he liked me; I know he
liked my singing, and we rode to
gether-I liked him more than any
man ] have ever seen. Oh, you know
it isn't true that a woman can only
like man when he likes her, and ]
thought perhaps he liked me little.
i Since we have been in town we have
asked, but he has never come to see
us. Perhaps people have been say
ing something to him about me-
You know him; you are always
meeting him; couldn't you say or do
anything for me2" She looked up
with her lips white and drawn. 81
feel sometimes as if were going
mad. Oh, it is so terrible to be
womanl" The woman looked down
/ at her. Now / hear he likes an
other woman don't know who
she is, but they say she is very
clever and writes Oh, it is SO ter
i rible can't bear it. !"
The woman leaned her elbow
against the mantelpiece and her face
against her hand. She looked down
into the fire. Then she turned and
looked at the younger woman 'sYes,
she said. it is a very terrible thing
to be woman. She was silent
She said with some difficulty: Are
you sure you love him9 Are you
sure it is not only the feeling a
4 young girl has for an older man who
is celebrated and of whom every one
is talking2"
"I have been nearly mad.
haven't slept for weeksl' She knit
her little hands together till the pearl
rings almost cut into the fingers.
'He is everything to me; there is
nothing else in the world You, who
are SO great and strong and clever,
and care only for your work and for
men as your friends, you cannot un-
derstand what it is when one person
is everything to you, when there is
nothing else in the worldl''
/ And what do you want me to do2"
Il gtOI, InI1ff ~ Cha 1a0Iyef1
up "a woman knows what she
can do. Don't tell him that I love
him. :" She looked up again. Just
say something to him. Oh, it's so
terrible to be woman; can't do
/ anything. You won't tell him ex-
actly that love him2 That's the
thing that makes man hate WON
an if you tell it to him plainly"
If / speak to him must speak
openly. He is my friend I cannot
fence with him. l have never fenced
with him in my own affairs" She
moved as though she were going
away from the fireplace; then she
turned and said: Have you thought
of what love is between man and
woman when it means marriage7
That long, long life together, day
after day, stripped of all romance
and distance, living face to face,
seeing each other as man sees his
own sou17 Do you realize that the
end of marriage is to make the man
and woman stronger than they
were, and that if you cannot when
! you are an old man and woman and
sit by the, fire, say, Life has been
braver and freer thing for us, be-
cause we passed it hand in hand,
than if we had passed through it
alone, it has failed2 Do you care
for him enough to live for him, not
tomorrow, but when he is an old
faded man, and you an old faded
woman7 Can you forgive him his
sins and his weaknesses when they
hurt you most7 IF he were to lie a
querulous invalid for twenty years,
would you be able to fold him in
your arms all that time and comfort
him as mother comforts her little
child7n The woman drew her breath
heavily.
.soh, 1 love him absolutely
would be glad to die if only could
once know that he loved me better
| &I.o,. ~, ,xy4I,;,,n. n. -, &l,,. -.,rx,.1s1 t3t