Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-12-17
The Mission of the MistIeto,

| Christmas in decorating the church Tor
the Christmas eve exercises and Robert
Thwing and Mildred Dunn were the last
TO leave the church. There was holly
and mistletoe festooned and hung at
every possible place ali over the room, so
| it was quite innocently and unconscious
| ~ that Mildred paused under a spray of
| it suspended from chandelier, as she
drew on her gloves. Robert, however, OBJ
served this fact, and as he stood near her
| it took but a second for him to make
quick step forward and without touch
| ing her with his hands. he leaned down
and kissed her on the cheek, and was
back at his place, standing erect, and
smiling into her blushing face and be-
wildering eyes, almost before she com
pretended what had happened.
Then Robert opened his lips to speak,
but she stopped him with gesture.
Don't Robert, don't say it," she STAN
mered. Il am so sorry that you did that.
Haven't you seen-you must have noticed
that | have been trying to keep you from
doing or saying anything?" she faltered
with distress in every tone. He wanted
TO laugh at the way she took his bold
action, but her last words made him feel
more serious. lie replied:
But why shouldn't | say or do any
thing? | know you have avoided me and
not given me the ghost of chance, and
| / have wondered why. What have
done?''
You have not done anything, and you
mustn't say anything more, and you
must forget this she stammered again.
All, but | can't forget that | have
kissed you, and l must tell you that |
love you, Mildred. You can't mean that
YOU do not care for me"
She hesitated and Roberts eyes kin
died. He felt so sure of heri
You see, Mildred, you cannot say it"
he said with note of exultation which
he could not keep out of his voice.
Il don't know" she replied. Il dor't
think | love you that way / like You
better than anyone else l have ever
known, but am not ready to give up all
that it would mean that | must give up
| if | married you. And if | really loved
you, would be willing to sacrifice any
thing everything for you" She seemed
more to be going over an old, old story
that she had repeated again and again 70
herself, ard was trying to make herself
believe than to be talking TO him.
You mean your work your drawing.
But you would not need to give that up.
You could do that just the same, il your
own home"
NO, ] couldn't" she replied ut isn't
the same as with a man. When he mar
ries he is supposed to work that much
harder at his profession. 1t is Il settle
ment i'll business as well as in home.
He gains everything and loses nothing.
To woman, marriage means to give up
outside interests and work-if not en-
tirely, yet to be willing to should neces-
slty demand it--and to merge her ambi-
| ton to great extent in that of her
husband. 1t is her duty to make for him
a home i'll all that the word implies in its
truer and sweeter meaning, and that
takes more time and talent and energy
than man realizes. / don't say that n
woman gains nothing, but she loses SO
much; the things, | mean, that am not
willing to give up. You know | am lust
beginning to succeed with my drawings
and this position is the best that has vet
been offered to me-"
And so YOU arc trying to make your
sell believe that You don't love me-"
| Something in his tone nettlei her. Il
might love you, and love my work. too
more. perhaps She said defiance creep
ing into her voice, Il will not DENY that
have thought about it great deal. ard
have decided, so let lis not talk about
it. 1t will do no good and do not want
TO lose your friendship"
panied expression settled on lis co,n-
tcnancc, and he stood quite still. looking
out NJ the window through which was
shining the last rays of the setting sun
Finally he pulled himself together and
turned on her, his voice quiet and nat.
ural.
Every veil, Mildred, shall say no
more, now. | dent think you are choos-
ing wisely, nor for Jur own happiness,
for there is no art that can take the
pace OF lcVc in womans heart. when
once love enters. 1t is not right or nat
ural that il should. Sometime Won will
realize this and when you do, Mildred.
| you will. YOU must find some way to let
nc know, for whereNcr | might be VIII
come to YOU
Then he paused an instant before he
said: Come now, let us 20 home" and
they silently left the rapidly darkeninQ
room' and went out on the dimly lighted
9'i'CI t'VH nUNE with their thoughts.
The mcst cherished wish of Mrs. Hen.
Try Dunn's heart was that her brother
Robert should marry her husbands sis.
ter, Mildred. and she most devoutlv
hoped that the contamination of her de,
sircs should come to pass before she and
her husband moved to the little western
town where he was going into business.
| Tor she did not want 20 leave them to
the mercy of boarding house. Both
now lived with her With quick intuition
she realized when they came in that
something had happened. and that that
something was not suspicious for her
plans concerning them. Wise beyond the
most OF her sex she did not try to find
out what this was, but determined To
wait for the confidence which she know
| pOllli NOT NO forced from, .s,;tt,o, H., ~