Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-07-10


 My excuse for keeping aloof was that I was about to be transformed of children I had looked forward to this with more eagerness than I ven tured to show to my wife. She might not have liked 1t, eager though she was also. AS soon as she knew that her longings were to be satisfied she entered upon course of preparation so elaborate that was secretly much amused, though I thoroughly ap- proved and encouraged her. Every moment of her days was laid out in some duty imposed upon her by the regimen she had arranged after a study of all that science says on tho subject.
 As perfect tranquility was funta- mental of the regime, she permitted nothing to ruf1le her. But Ed more than made up for her calm. Two weeks before the event, she forbade him to enter her presence-'or any part of the grounds where I'm likely to see you" said she. "The very sight of you looking so frustrated un, nerves me"
 While he and I were waiting in the Isitting-room for the news. he turned his heart inside out.
 T want to tell you Harvey" said he. 'that the-boy or girl-whichever 1t isis to be my heir."
 T shan't hold you to that" re- piled with a laugh.
 "No-rll never marry" he went on. "There was an-an angel. You know the Shaker settlement?-well, out there.''
 I looked at him in wonder If ever there was a man who seemed unro- mantle. it was he, heavy and prosaic and so shy that he was visibly agitat- ed even in lowing to a woman ac, quaintance.
 T met her." he was saying, when l was driving that way-the horse ran, was thrown out, and her parents had to take me in and let her nurse me. You've seen her face-or faces like it. Most of those Madonnas over on the other side in all the galleries suggest hor. Well-her parents were furious wouldn't hear of it-you know Shakers think marriage and love and all those things are wicked. And she cn e hn fer! It wore her to a shadow. She wouldn't marry me-wouldn't let me so much as touch her hand. But we used to meet and-then she caught a cold-waiting hours for me, one win ter night, when there'd been misun- derstanding about the place. was in one place, she in another. And the cold-you see. she couldn't fight against it. And-and-there won't be another, Harvey. All women are sacred to me for her sake, but couldn't any more marry than I could could stop feeling her sitting beside me, just little way of, wrapped in her drab shawl, with her face-like glimpse through the gates of Heaven"
 Within me up-started the memories that I kept battered down.
 "Your children are mine, too, liar vey," he ended.
 I took from Carlotta's work-basket an unfinished bit of baby clothing went to him and held it up and point ed to the monogram she had embroid- cred on it.
 'E. R. s." he read aloud. Then he looked at me with queer expression beginning to form in his eyes.
 Edward Ramsay Sayler. if it's a boy" said l. "Edwina Ramsay Sayler, If It's a girl"
 He snatched the bit of linen from me and buried his face in 1t.
 The baby was a boy-fortunately. for I don't admire the name Edwina, and shouldn't have liked to handicap e child with 1t. Carlotta and Ed were delighted, but felt momentary keen disappointment. I had wanted a girl. Girls never leave their parents com pletely, as boys do. Also should  rather have looked forward to my child's having a sheltered life one in which the fine and beautiful ideals do not have to be nodded into the gross, ugly forms of the practical. may say. in passing. that deplore the en- trance of women into the world of struggle. Women are the natural and only custodians of the ideals. We men are compelled to wander, often to wander far, from the ideal. Unless our women remain aloof from action. how are the ideals to be preserved? Man for action: woman 70 purify man. when he returns stained with the blood and sin of battle.
 But-with the birth of the first child I began to appreciate how pro foundly right my mother had been about marriage and it's source of hap piness. There are other flowers than the rose-other flowers. and beautiful. the most beautiful for its absence.
 CHAPTER K.