The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-04-13
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A MatrOn'S
Confession
She Tells How She Gave Up Her
Doll For a Lover
By EVELYN D. WILCOX
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.
By EVELYN D. WILCOX
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

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I Father has never done a days work
In his life. | have often heard him say
that TO go to store or an office every
uay and attend to details such as buy
Ing and selling and shipping and fnan-
ciering and such matters that have no
Importance except for the time being
dying as fast as they are born. like Ger
tain insects, would soon wear him out
But to sit in a library and read i'm
mortal works such as the Greek poets
and the Latin prose writers-father
reads them in the original Greek and
Latin-that is way of spending ones
time fitted not for commercial slaves
but intellectual gentlemen.
/ When was child we lived-my
parents live there yet-in the country
not far from great city. Father had
Inherited some property from his an
cestors that had been handed down
through several generations. and our
Income, though small, was sufficient
for our wants. So father was at lib
erty to spend his time in a way that he
considered profitable. | sometimes
overheard people sneering at him for
living the life of drone, as they ex-
pressed it, but since | have grown old
1t seems to me that even the real
drones In a colony Of bees must have
their place in natures workshop or
they would not be there.
Another singular thing about Dame
Nature is that. while she requires years
to transform boy into a man, she will
turn a girl into a woman In a twin
king. AT any rate 1t was so with me.
When | was thirteen | was sitting one
morning on the porch at home, my doll
being in a chair beside me. Seeing a
young fellow-he appeared to be about
seventeen-come into the grounds,
seized the combination of china, cot
, ton and sawdust and flung it in an
open window behind me- There were
some books on a table near by. and,
taking up one of them. pulling down
the short skirt of my dress at the same
time so that it would cover my knees.
| pretended to read
The young fellow came along by the
winding walk under the great trees
they had recently put forth that sea
sous leaves--and approached the
porch. Though my gaze was bent on
my book | saw not the printed
words, but the advancing youth. |
have miniature portrait made of
him at that time. and many who have
seen il have taken it for an ideal crea
ton. He was tall for his years, and
his beautifully shaped head was set
on as beautiful neck, his collar be-
ing of the open sort, which showed
the throat to advantage His face was
a perfect oval, his eyes large and lus-
trous, his hair falling about his tenn
plies in disordered waves.
| have spoken from experience in
saying that Dame Nature will turn u
girl into woman in a twinkling. My
own transformation did not occupy
more than minute. Within that pc
riod | caught sight of the youth, flung
away my doll and was in love.
The newcomer paid no more atten-
ton to me than if | had been made.
like my doll, of sawdust. | was stung
to the quick that he did not look at
me. He rang the bell, asked for IA
Their and was shown into the house. |
went upstairs and. stationing myself
beside window overlooking the walk
by which he must pass out of the
place, waited for him to do SO. When
he departed | was watching him from
behind curtains. He walked with
satisfied step, as though he had come
for a purpose and had accomplished It,
| wished TO go right down to the IL
brary and learn all about the visitor
from father, but | feared to show an
undue interest in him. | tried hard
to wait long while. but Ave minutes
was all my Impotence would allow.
Going into the library, pretended to
hunt for book at the same time
asking as IL incidentally:
who was your visitor. papaY
Julian Trowbridge"
What did he come forP'
TO ask me to coach him for his col
lege examination. He has applied for
admission In June
Are you going to coach himY
Yes. | couldn't very well refuse.
He's the son Of my old friend Trow
bridge. who was in college with me.
Trowbridge has devoted himself to
Ignoble pursuits and got rich. pulled
him through his graduating examina-
tons"
oh my goodness gracious!' l said to
myself. putting my hand to my heart
to still its wild beating. Then l asked.
as he coming here for Instruction.
''Yes. every morning at IL"
And so I should see this young god
whom I had suddenly set up in my
heart every day till June. If father
had known The tumult within me he
doubtless would have ordered me to
the nursery every morning before his
pupils coming Father had publish
ed n translation Of Ovid's Art Of
Love" with coaious notes, but he did
not know enough about love itself to
suspect that his own daughter had
already been derccd by one OF Gu
pids arrows The natural he stud
led in his Hurry from the aacienis.
the artificial came to him the moment
he left 1t. IL daughter must go 10
college. and tat meant absence Of