Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-09-19

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Il mean recognizing the fact that
they become independent entities
with independent rights. mean
acknowledging their rights with frank
ness and sympathy, and keeping as
close to them as possible, whatever
they may do"
And suppose they do what you
don't approve OFF"
II admit that's the hard part. I
have to take for granted that the par
ent is the wiser and the stronger and
the more able to endure"
That's all very fine! But now. to
take an extreme illustrations suppose
your little Paul were to grow up and
so to the bad? Then where would
your theories be?"
He couldn't go so far, to the bad
that | shouldn't be as near to him
as could, offering hif at least the
help that came from my love-"
Suppose he did worse? Suppose
he were to marry well, say a
chorus girl. or something of that sort?
What then?"
Il don't mean to say that I
shouldn't be sorry; but l should do
my best to take her as my daughter,
as he would remain my SON."
Il don't believe you could do IT.
Very likely | couldn't, but should
try. You see. feel so strongly on
the question of personal indepen-
dence.'
But you can't leave much personal
independence If you're going to pre-
serve the love and peace of families,
OF which you speak"
oh. don't you think so? It seems
to me, just the other way. I've often
thought that most of the domestic
misery ever heard Of came from the
fact that the people who had to live
together didn't know where to draw
the line between what they could
claim and what they couldn't claim
IRON each other. A family isn't an au-
tocracy, Is it, uncle? It's rather Il
federation of states, In which each
member keeps its sovereign rights.
There never can be love and peace
unless those rights are freely recog
nized."
1T strikes me that you're arguing
rather queerly," Trafford commented
after a short pause 'Tt almost
seems to me as If you were telling
me oughtn't to interfere between
Paula and this young man.
oh, Uncle Traoffrd!"
We'll, it does"
She let her sewing fall into Ter Ian.
and looked at him with those candid
gray eyes, behind which no one could
see the shrewdness.
You mustn't attach any import
lance to what say" she avowed,
humbly. "You see, I'm only wo.
man. couldn't Judge like you, CIV ~
il had the penetration. I suppose
every woman gives love and liappt-
ness higher place in her scheme
OF things than she ever Ought to. It
takes & man to see that there are
more important elements In life."iE
Such as-what?"
"Well--let me see !--such as ambl-
t1on-and success-and wealth-and
pride-and---''
+ l"If you put those things before love
and happiness, my girl you're very
| much mistaken
II shouldn't, because I'm woman,
But thought men did"
The young and the bumptious and
the feeble sometimes do-not men
who've done my work or lived to my
age"
Still, we women have simpler
idea of happiness than you. It's less
complex and goes more directly to
its point. I don't suppose" she added
with depreciatory smile, !" that
there's anything more serious to- it
than Just the old, instructive wish
that those who love each other should
get married.
"Hmph!"
"Oh, I'm not arguing, dear Uncle
Ira1ford. I'm only excusing myself.
You see, we're not without certain
successful examples right in our own
household, are we? Dear Aunt Traf-
ford has told me SO often how op-
posed her family we're when she mar
ried YOU
Pooh! They didn't keep that up
very long. They know now where
they would have been if.
Yes, and it's just that which gives
me this foolish, feminine conviction
that the heart is the surest of all
guides. And when l have my own
marriage. Oh, know very well that
you We're all little-perhaps only a
little, but still tle-disappointed
when George married me. Now that
It's all over and you've been SO good
to me. don't mind confessing that
/ lived through several months of
great unhappiness. for fear you'd take
him from me. If you had, there's no
use denying that there would have
been one more embittered old maid
In the world, and George wouldn't
have been SO happy either"
Nor any of US, my girl can tell
you that. If we were a little stag.
gered before we knew you, we re-
covered ourselves easily enough when
we did,
And SO. when think of Paula"
She hesitated.
"Well-what? Speak up"
Il can't keep myself from wishing
that She might be as happy as Aunt
Trafford was with the man she loved.
and as I've been with George"
The cases are different Traf-
ford 1erked out, dryly.
oh, yes, | know that. 1t seems a
pity. too: because they say he's such
fine fellow. and sure to make a
great name for himself"
How do We know that?'