Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13

change:
up in her arms though she had been used to babies
always. Il don't know any babies, she confessed
with shining eyes. "I-Constance-1n never had one
in my arms before.
1t would have been amusing if it had n, been
pathetic to see how Barbara's ideas on the proper
bringing up of children exploded after that day
when Dicky first smiled on her The child was really
in danger of being spoiled. If he had cried for the
moon think she would have exerted all her powers
to get it for him. Let his chubby chin culver the
least bit or the suspicion of tear well up in his big
blue eyes, and Cousin Barbara promptly was down
on her knees before him with the half of her kingdom
spread out before his grasping, destructive little
hands He broke the crystal of her watch the hrst
day, throwing it playfuly across the room he
ruthlessly tore her dainty gowns and pulled down
her smooth pompadour, and still the one time
advocate of the strict upbringing of children beamed
on him bengnly and offered him forbidden bonbons
and all her trnkets to play with If she could have
given him her heart to smash l think she would
Cheeruly have done it.
Of course the old Barbara showed over and over
again. but still she talked feebly and inter-
mttently about listening for the clarion call to ones
life work.
Perhaps yours was the domestic life she adj
mtted reluctantly. " | think you probably more
successful at it than you would have been in any
career and certainly you not lazy. | suppose
Won are quite needed by these people here in kelm
scott. You seem to the town and settle all the
difficulties of everyone but still" She regarded
me thoughtfuly. You are very happy, Constance?
she asked suddenly, little wistfully.
a
is very full and beautiful Barbara dear
She looked at me with bit of a sad and hungry,
unsatStied look In her eyes, and then without saying
anything more walked out into the garden down
the straight box bordered path until | lost sight
of her in the shrubbery.
Malcolm came back from town one night, quite
out of patience with his cousin. Did you ever
hear her speak of Whittemore the editor of The
New Decade'?" he asked, throwing himself back
in the Morris chair on the garden veranda.
"Whittemore? No, | don't remember ever hear.
T - l..
s'Well,F' said Malcolm, 'it seems that White
more, who is splendid fellow, by the way, is
desperately in love with Barbara, and I think
she must care for him bit; but they cannot
come to any understanding. He disapproves
highly of the woman with career, but he loves
the real Barbara that lies underneath. She VOWS
she will not give up her lifework 1 for him though
understand" sputtered Malcolm.
=, Just then Barbara appeared. What dear
the upper step and burying her face in the
flowers. She almost converts me to the life of
vegetating here in your Crawford" Then she sat
up and squared her broad shoulders But |
must accomplish something first she said in
her alert, business like way. And that means
that l must go back to town in day or two,
Constance. The proof sheets of The Clarion
the book is to out this fall. Next time |
come to Kelmscott," she turned and leaned
against my knee in childlike affectionate way,
unlike the old Barbara" the next time l come
| shall be famous woman perhaps.
Malcolm had slipped away, the twilight
falling the garden; it time for
fidences and SO Barbara, almost without realz-
ing it, began to tell me little about her love
story. 1t was easy to that it
than a mere episode | knew that Barbara
was struggling with all her might against this
love that bid fair to be life history, and not
"a thing apart" as she had planned long ago. She
could never be happy as domestic woman she said
She would feel that she was retrogradng degenerat
ing Besides, she not willing to give in to a
to the extent of giving up her career If she ever
married she must have her equal rights, she must
lead her own broad independent life.