The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-08-14


she's with Bcttina she's just a dear
little tot of five! And which ever one
Of US she is, she's a complete dear"
But if things went smoothly for
the rest of the Seagraves, it is not
certain that there were no rough
places for Gertrude. She seemed to
do things easily-so easily, indeed.
that no one realized that she was OBJ
liged to be ever alert and watchful
in order to meet the various needs OF
the different members of her family.
| Besides, It was no light task, even
with enthusiastic helpers and com.
Portable income, to keep a large house
in order, to keep five growing young
persons properly clad, to plan three
wholesome meals a day at regular
hours. Yet Gertrude did all this, and
added in many ingenious ways besides
TO the pleasures of her little flock.
u dom want them to miss any
! thing" she wrote to her cousin, that
their own mother would have given
them"
OF course, with SO much else on
her hands, Gertrude had little time
for outside interests, yet she had half.
laughingly, half-earnestly Joined the
Mothers Club When Mrs. Newcomb
had suggested 1t.
"If anybody needs to go to such
meetings" said Gertrude, modestly, q
do, because it is certainly harder to
begin with a family of five than it is
with just one solitary infant l sup.
pose ! had escaped all teethinG trou-
bles, but dear me! Here is Bettina
losing her first teeth, Donald getting
twelfh-year molars, Kittie having to
be reminded every night to brush he"
teeth, Bailey roaring three nights out
OF five with toCthache, Claudine with
a lump on her gum that she thinks is
a wisdom-,ooth-an John breaking
out occasionally with liberated grind,
ers."
THE human race" returned Mrs.
Newcomb, never gets over teethins.
Then you'll join the club?'
Yes, indeed I'm troubled this min
ute about the length OF Claudne's
skirts and whether or not Bettina
should eat pickles."
The meetings were decidedly pleas
ant. The mothers and Gertrude car
ried their work, drank tea and talked
about their children. That is, the
real mothers talked while the arti.
ticial one, as she called herself, list.
ened. Some of them did fancy-wOrk.
Gertrude either made garments for
Bett.na or darned stockings for Don
aid.
At first she enjoyed meeting the
real mothers very much indeed, and
they seemed to enjoy seeing her.
But when the substitute had moth
cred her brothers flock for a little
more than year, she became con
scious that things were not as they
had been. The change was almcs.
imperceptible at first. Then it grew
more and more noticeable.
The week after Washington's birth
day there was no longer any doubt
about it. The Mothers Club had turn.
ed cold. Mrs. Darwin no longer greet
ed Gertrude effusively. Mrs. Bacon
no longer called hSf You dear little
mouse!" Mrs. Boswell, always a mod
erately chilly person, was now posi-
lively frosty. Gertrude raclied her
conscience for possible misdeeds.
81 can't think of a thing" she said
to herself, that I've left undone; yet
suppose I've failed somewhere in
something that a real mother would
have known about. But what? Donald
is too fat, Kittie's hair is just at the
unmanageable length, and can't let
out tucks fast enough TO keep UP with
Claudine's inches: but surely they
must seek that I'm doing the best l
can"
And now Mrs Gaskell, whose wit
was ever razorlike. was speaking sar-
castically, yet with evident feeling.
She was laying great stress on the
trials of real mothers, with the ''rear'
very much emphasized. The other wo-
men seemed to understand and ap.
prove; but the unreal mother was all
at sea. There was vacant chair on
each side of her-the GOODNESS had
turned to acute disapproval. Each re-
seltful mother had some personal
grievance. Not one OF those women
meant to be unkind, yet the combined
sum of those separate resentments
made a much bigger total than any
one person in the room-except Cert
rude-realized.
Altogether, it was a big, tangible,
unconsciously cruel thing. Gertrude
saw it, felt it, and suffered because
of it.
She looked about the circle. No,
she could not ask Mrs. Darwin-Mrs
Darwin always evaded direct quest
ions. Nor Mrs. Bacon, for that lady
would shift all responsibility to other
shoulders. Nor icy Mrs Boswell,
whom no one was ever brave enough
to question. Nor cynical Mrs. GaskeN.
whose kindest speeches left one bind
ing up wounds.
Then, as Gertrudes wistful eyes