Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-04-10
CONFESSIONS.

little Office oE her own and was working
hard toward the highest rank in the
stenosraphic profession. Each girl was
bright and handsome ;.nd possessing the
individuality that sae,ied best suited to
the profession she had chosen.
Nothing had been further from their
thoughts than the idea that they should
rent n tlat together ard keep house, but
one evening after tho lecture when they
were loupging in one Of the pretty parlors
of the Noon Day Rest, Nina, yawning,
said:
''Oh, hate to 10 home 1tswcrk hard
all day, ma then go home at night to tho
hall bedroom of u boarding house, with
nothing pleasant or cheerful"
"Or comfortable" added Louise 81
envy the eirl with home"
"Wby don't we leave the boarding
houses. then, and make y homo for our
selves?' asked Marie, the inventive one of
the three ....
Lets count our resources, and let that
decide it., said practical Louise. ..-..
AS q result of this evenings conference
in less than q month Nina, Mario and
Louise had set up in housekeeping for
themselves. ..
One evening after dinner, as they were
sitting around the parlor table, Nina and
Louise engaged in some light nccdlcw ork,
while Marie read aloud from Lillian Bells
From q Girls Point of View" tho girls
jestingly interrupted tho bright parn
graphs TO contrast their moro fortunate
condition with the lot Of SO many unhappy
wives But Nina seemed thoughtful, and
after awhile laid down her sewing and
turned to the piano. Sho played an old
fashioned love song, but suddenly tho
music broke of, and she said impulsiyely:
Girls, will you tell me Why it is that
three young women, each handsome
enough and possessed OF the average nc
compiishlnen.s and ability-why it is that
we should not he cnch tho mistress of
happy home, instead of cheating ourselves
into the belief that we are happier as in
dependent bachelor eirls?''
The force and sudGanness Of the qucs-
ton startled her companions, whilc Nina
went on:
do not bolievo that any girl lives I'M
til she is, say 90 wears old without having
some sort of Il ]Oyp episode TINT at ono
tlmo promised to be tho rcnlity of her lifo
Girls, am going to tell you my ioyo
story
Marie let Miss Bells book fall Into her
lap, while tho daisies and buttcrcups In
the centcrIiece Louise was c1nbruiderinK
blue and gold,
''You know, have not always boon n
city girl, +" said Nina, "but grow up in II
little country town. Ralph undlcy was
my earliest playmate. He was three years
older than i, but kept up with him in
school-indecG, could h;lva outstripped
him littlc; but, like Whitticr's little
maid, would not. because l loved him. l
was fond of music and was SO proud when
could play the organ in tho village
church md Ralph led the choir. Then
hnlph won't away TO St. Louis to find en-
ployincnt lio wrote mo such beautiful
letters of the new life in the city and how
different IL was from the country, and how
l would enjoy IT, Some ono heard hin,
sing i'll y big church ana bcc;inc interested
IN him, and then no wrote TINT ho WINS
gong abroad to cultivate his voice Tho
next letter Was rostnnrkcd Berlin rtcr
that tho letters were less oftou. and thu
village seemed SO little uId lonely Tint
could rot bear it. l Knew, too, that when
Ralph came home great singer he would
not lind congenlal companion in an I'M
trained village maiden, SO determined to
come to the city, where would improve
myself SO much TINT he would not he
ashamed OF me. That was my one idea, to
be q suitable wife for Ralph
In spite Of my parents opposition l
ca1ne to Chicago and found clmnloymcnt
as clerk / worked hart! in the DAYTIME
TO please my employers, and in the even
ing studied music and French and Ger
man and attended university extension
lectures I watched eagerly the beautiful
ladies who came into the store and tried
to make my manners and speech MS pleas-
ant US theirs. Oh, how hard | worked,
hoping that Ralph would be proud of mo
- I hat! NOS had q letter from Rnlph for
more than year, when one day saw In
THO paper a notice that DO had sung before
n Critical foreign audience with great sue
cess and had signed an engagement to re-
turn to his own country. l watched and
waited, moved Alternately with hope and
Year, and when ut last his company was
announced TO appear ut tho Auditorium I
was III VITA excitement. ! sent n littlo
note to The hotel, giving my address Tho
answer came promptly 1t read:
DEAR TEtEHp NiSA-My wife and nre
stopping 1T the Auditorium Annex. Would be
SO pleased to Lave you call my wife. Yours
sincerely, LAlJu u,D,ry
That IS my love story said Ninn,
turning again 10 the piano. .E
Marie and Louise listened in sympa-
thetic silenca rs sho softly touched the
keys AZ last Louise said:
lio was not worthy of you. Nina, and
1t was very much liko man Out of
sight, out OF mind, about sums up a
man s constancy.
aou judge too harshly, Louise, said
marie. All men are not like that"
The most Of them are" said Louise
emphaticallr. "Nes. ! loved II man once
and promised would be true to him, but
when found out that lie cared more for
another girl than lac cared for me, why,
put hin out OF my mind, and now work
ana work and work every day and never
think of him. There's ms good fish in
khe sea as has ever boon caught. +"
Louise was nothing if not practical
And yet, said Marie, 1.-THE woman
VINO Is happily married is best Off /
don t quite agree with Lillian Bell in cx-
pectlng SO much of II husband Because
IN the stress of business life man forpots
some OF the little attentions that marked
hls courtship It docs not signify he is nos
Just as true loger and perhaps a very
much trncr nno. Indeed II husband and
VIE should understand each other so well
Gho De SO sure OF one another that they
could say, with Mrs Browning:
The biaMe Of love il s,yeetcr tilnu al, ,,.i-.