The Washington herald., 1910-05-23
OF INTEREST TO WOMEN.
STEALING WOMAN'S YOUTH

Mabei Herbert Uner IN the Baltimore Star.
But YOU are illr'
She shook her head. mo. I'm not IN
She was standing by the window look
ing out into the street. and as the light
fell on her face I was startled at the
lines Of sadness had never noticed there
before. 1t had been only a few weeks
since I had seen her, but her whole face
! seemed changed.
What is it, Helen7 Something has
happened"
She did not answer, but turned her face
away And felt II was 10 hide the tears.
Then don't tell me. dear. II you'd
rather not. You know / didn't mean to
distress you"
Mono. I might as well tell you as 70
have you find it out. Every one will
know IN a little while VIII and I-well.
our engagement is broken"
Your engagement broken"
She nodded, her face stH turned from
me.
Your engagement broken" repeated
duly. II seemed all / could say just
then.
She did not speak FOR several moments.
and then 1t was with an effort.
"Of course he viii say that It was
! mutual that I broke it of But you
may as well know the truth-you will
guess it. anyway. II had nothing to
do with lt-and II is almost more than
I can bear" Her voice broke 10 a sob.
but she controlled IL and went on.
1t seems-oh, the world has grown
black! And II wonder why I live on. %
She leaned her head against the window
and for a moment gave way 20 piteous
sobbing
But why-why-" I asked vaguely.
torn with the pity Of It.
Why? Because ne has grown tired.
We have been engaged too long. He has
ceased 10 care as he did. He denies tt
but I know that Is why"
But what does he say-what reason
does he give?
we had a misunderstanding-ju a
foolish little quarrel about thing Of
no c0nsequence-and be used that as a
preteXt. He said he felt we could never
be happy together, that we were not
suited-that We had made a mistake"
He says that now-after he has been
going with you for the last five years?'
She nodded.
And he has Just now discovered that
you are not suited-it has taken him all
that time 10 find out?"
She nodded.
And you don't see the injustice. the
cruel selAshness Of that. 10 take all the
best Of your youth. and leave you now
don't you SEE
"Oh. yes; I see 1t all But II doesn't
help me. II doesn't make me love him
any less"
1T should make you hate him
1T doesn't But II it did-how would
that help me? What is there for me 70
live for to look forward 70 now? A lone
y. desolate old age. Growing old alone
and dreamed OF a home and children
mo. no" I protested feebly. for IN my
heart I felt what she said was true.
There viii be other"
Chances? Let's not mince words And
Il they are-what will they be? Com
pare my chances now with what they
were five years ago. On. I have given
him the best OF my you,h-the best Of
my lfe' And now no says It is a mis-
take-a mistake" And she broke again
into hopeless sobbing
I comforted her as best I could. But
there was so little I coG7d say; words
seemed so cheap and futile before a
grief Ike this.
And that night until long past mid
night. lay awake thinking OF the trag-
edy OF so many women's lives.
Women who have given the best OF
their youth to some one mana man
who monopolIzed their time and kept
from them the attention OF other men.
And then. after four or five years, grad
ually drifted away. leaving them too old
and too hopeless to begin anew-with a
future that holds nothing but dreary
old-maidhood.
There arc laws to imprison a man for
stealing a silver spoon. But there are no
laws for the punishment Of the man who
steals the best years Of a woman's life
her youth. her chances for becoming a
wife and mother-who keeps her from ell
this. and then drifts cut Of her life
booming her 10 lonely spiusterhood!