The Falls City tribune., 1910-06-10
The Woman
at Home
By JEANNE o. LoIzEAUx
Copyright, 1909 by Associated Literary
PROSE-

HUSBAND MS SeCoHu cup OI ColtS, anu
listened while he told her what hos
pital he would be operating in that
forenoon. He then began speaking OF
the children. but absently and she
knew he vas worrying about the Pres
ton case-Mrs. Preston was as likely
to die as to live. He tried not to talk
shop at table. but 1t irritated his wife
to know that his work was eYerlast-
ingly first in his mind. She felt her
self growing ~unlovely in thought,
though she sternly schooled her out
ward behavior to perfection. AS they
finished the meal she was obliged to
remind him of the money he had for
gotten. for two days. to give her.
I'm sorry, my dear-I quite for
got he replied, and wrote her a
check double the amount she had
originally asked for. He was a gen
erous man. What troubled her was
that he was as generous to the world
at large as to his W family.
After he had kissed her good-by
and started for the Office she went
over the house with the maid, gave
the cook her orders and then dressed
little Robert, gave him his breakfast
and sem him off to school. Then the
baby had to be fed and dressed. BY
the time she had done the little
things that required her hand, and
had changed her morning gown, it was
almost luncheon time. The baby was
asleep, and she sat down deliberately
in her own room to correct her own
thought.
She realized that she was becoming
irritable and jealous-yes, jealous.
What was she to do? Not for her life
would she have betrayed her feelings,
have made a vulgar scene. Besides,
what could she complain of? She
tried to be reasonable. And it was
not only the ome who were ever
lastingly cooling about him, admiring
and deferring to him, plying him
volubly for his busy life, calling on
his sympathy-it was the children, the
men, the string of ailing human be-
ings that filled his office and his life.
She had, after eight years of mar
riage, come to feel that the doctors
family was simply a secondary pos
session of the general public. Women
called-out of courtesy to the doctor
to see the doctors wife, his children,
his house. Old ladies-and silly young
ones sent him ridiculous gifts.
Nurses deity obeyed his behest. And.
IL CnnrnnH 10 hnfs he NM or. Fat.1 ~
other children as of his own. She
hated herself for caring-but she did
iearei She wondered what she should
do. Then the maid called her to
lunch.
She waited ten minutes, Is, a half
hour. then had the meal served, so
the boy could get off to his ki%ndergar-
ten in time. They had nearly finished
when the doctor entered, distract,
pale. evidently exhausted. His wife
rose to his need, letting him alone.
Finally she was told that Mrs. Preston
was worse, and the mornings opera
ton a success, but only by a miracle.
He bolted his food, and was off again
with scarcely a good-by. She knew it
would have been infinitely easier for
him to have lunched downtown, and
that he came home in Difference to
her wishes.
1t was truly a black afternoon for
the girl, for she was barely twenty
six. For the first time she owned to
herself that her life was becoming
u~nbearable. In the two years before
little Robert came, and even till a few
months ago when the baby appeared,
it had been possible for her to go
about with him-to lunch downtown
at his convenience, to drive him about
to his calls, to get him to the theater,
to church, to a reception or dinner
now and then. Now she was tied
down by the children even when he
could go. She felt bitter and alone,
wondering what life was for.
Several women called during the
afternoon, friendly, but not near
enough to her so that she felt them
friends. They took occasion to init
mate that the doctor looked pale and
overworked, as if she were unnatural
~ lOpSC ant, II W pet IlODtII dlu
pronounce him the picture of his IA
Their. They left her feeling like an
Improbable servant, Then his mother
phoned her-Very sweetly-and asked
if she might borrow" him for dinner
that night, adding plaintiyely that she
almost new saw her son any more!
Mary forced herself to be civil. even
kind, to bid the old lady get him to
come if she could. BY that time she
had one of her bad headaches.
She called the maid to take the
children out, and tried to lie down,
but she was too restless. She reflect
ed that another woman would send for
a doctor. Should she send for-Dr.
Ainslee? She laughed bitterly to her
self. He would come, all kindness, all
concern, doing his best-as with any
other patient, She preferred to suffer
it out, and then, she knew how busy
he was. He had to go out to the new
house they were building, besides his
other work. In the new house. farther