El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-11-13
Paying a Debt in Full
By wINIFRED BLACK

90 you married him-and you tried
very hard TO make him happy.
Your little garden was gay with
flowers, your little house was cherry
and bright and full Of sunshine. You
cooked good things to eat and you set
them trinity on your table. You read
to him, you never looked or thought
of any one on earth but him, and you
dared to- hope for a measure OF simple
happiness, and now some one has told
him-and he drove YOU Out-and lie
Is a black misery for you fOrevermore.
Poor, little woman; poor, foolish
loving, hoping little heart-sO you had
TO pay after all when you thought that
the bill had been forgotten or lost or
Who was it took the pains to tell
your husband about the one awful
mistake IN your Hfe2 The man who
persuaded you to make it, or some nice,
kind, gentle woman friend of yours
who could not bear to see you happy
when her own heart was eaten with
green envy?
Good work that, wasn't it, TO turn
your poor, little struggling happiness
into dull misery and hopelessness
Whoever did 1t musU be happy ana
light Of heart now that they see Wnat
their meddling has cost you.
And the man you married, what OF
him?-What's ne going to dog on
say he loves you yet, but his pride VIII
not let him forgive. What are you go
ing to do about it2 Grovel at his Ieet
like a whipped dog and beg him TO
take you back2
DO YOU know what I would dO2 I
would find something to do, some work
that would take all my time ana most
Of my thoughts, and I would 90 away
where I would never see or near on
anv of the people who made my ire
before. and I would forget all ABOUT
the whole wretChed business as Iasl as
I could. You can't forget! 49,,
Oh, yes, You can InaL s one lL!it5
q good memory is fOr-tO FORGET WIN
That's one Of the greatest dlIIerences
between a big soul and niue one
the power Of choosing what 70 LoIsS1
and what to remem Der. FORGET IL all
this whole miserable business-tne
first terrible mistake and the terrible
price you have had to pay Tor IL III
your life so full Of new interests, new
thoughts, new developments, that you
can no more take any interest IN
things that are dead and buried than
you could go back and be a little glrl
again. -.
You're young, you're bright, you're
goOd-nO, Pm not sneering- mean IT,
Pm not talking about what you were
I'm talking about what you are now
and now is big enough time LOT any
one to attend to.
Stop thinking about then-stop wOr-
rying about then, and think about now
splendid. hopeful, busy, practlcaI
nOW-and you'll come out all right
You did wrong, you owed cent, you
are paying that debt now in tears and
anguish and humiliation Let it go at
that and let ali the people connected
with that debt and the paying OF II
go. too Live your own life, and live
1t with content and honest self-re-
spect.
And hearkenl You have lived in the
outer darkness where there is weeping
and crashing of teeth; you know
what mistake such as yours means 10
a woman. Concern your heart no more
with the sorrows that are past Con-
Germ yourself with that young girl you
see walking right on the edge of the
deep cliff where you stumbled and fell
Who can help her as we'll as you2 Don't
preach to her, don't spy upon her, don't
suspect her-just help her.
The husband2 Let him go. He'll find
a good" woman toe marry him and
make him work for her and perhaps
there viii be times when he'll wish he
had you back again. These perfect