Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-06
Daysey Mayme
and Her Folks
By FRANCES L. GARsIQE.
THE ETERNAL QUESTION.

TIME friends Of married woman
meet her for the first time in
years. and they ask her a ques-
ton like this.
How many children have YOU now
If she gays Eight" some friends eX-
claim, in tones OF horror We'll. why
on earth did you have so many
other friends, who are extremely old
fashioned. and therefore rare, say in
pious tones. We'll, the Lord HAS been
good to you"
Which leaves the mother Of eight
without a word to say.
But when friends Of spin. meet her
for the first time in years they ask In
the tones Of one who knows, How does
1t happen you have never married.
II is the eternal question every spin.
meets on every eternal occasion, and
the degree OF pity in which it is asked
never varies, the mother Of eight eX-
pressing as much pity as the mother
OF one
Daysey Mayme Appleton has met this
question every day since she passed
twenty FIVE. Let it be known 10 her
credit that she never looked at her
married friends with a question Of
amaze, and replied with the question
How does It happen YOU have?"
She Makes Up Her Mind.
But recently she made up her mind
she would answer the eternal question.
She would tell the whole story.
She called on a friend, the mother Of
nine The mother of nine used baby's
dress to wipe molasses candy off
chair which she handed her caller
She prepared to feed the youngest,
after slapping her seventh for pulling
the hair Of the eighth, and giving the
eighth a cookie TO console it. Then she
sat back in her chair and looked with
pity at Daysey Mayme How does it
happen" she asked. that you have
never married? ?"
Daysey Mayme was prepared.
When / was nineteen" she began,
as one who has a long story to tell. Il
was engaged to Phil Barbeck, and he
stop teasing that cat!" screamed the
mother of nine. "And-Johnny, If you
take another cooky from the Jar I'll
whip you"
Excuse me-" she said to her caller,
Now. do go on"
And he" resumed DaySey Mayme,
didn't like II because ! hIrted with
The mother of nine left her chair
abruptly, so abruptly that she deposited
the ninth on Daysey Mayme's lap be
fore it had finished its dinner. Which
made it set up a howl She grabbed
her nth by the arm, and her fourth by
one leg, and dragged them, screaming,
to the door, cutting both as she pro
ceeded Then she shut them out. and
returned to the ninth, who. however,
refused to he consoled because OF the
interruption to its meal and yelled
louder
The mother of nine walked the floor
with ii til it was quiet, and while she
walked Daysey Mayme's answer to the
eternal question proceeded with inter
ruptions like these
It Was Like This.
Another man, and or it's the ice
man, tell him TO come tomorrow |
haven't the change) so l broke the en-
gage"--(There, look at the way you've
torn your pants. III have to sit up all
night to mend themD-"ment. and
then there was WilI'--(Drat that
child, what is il screaming for now?)
---"arbey but'--(No. | can't give
you a cent for candy. 1t is all / can do
10 get money out of your father for
necessities, without such foolshness)
--Aetc., ETC. for two hours. when Day
sey Msyme left, with her story stil un-
told
How does ii happen you have never
married - remains a question she has
never answered