The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-09-15

sadly. frail little morsef Of human
ity---and watched over IL with anxious
care: but the baby was Ear from being
spotlsssIy Trash ~ baby should Be.
! ana she herself was trnxgied. unbe-
ccmingfy dressed, and untidy.
Her blue eyes looked too big for her
face: her fair hair fell IN wisps about
saIiow cheeks that had lost ali the
plumpness and freshness Of youth; her
expression was one OF ovsrpowerfng
anxiety, shs was restless and uneasy
In all her movement.
Evidently there was no lack Of love
between the young husband and wife.
Tor they smiled at each other fire.
uuently Though painfully over the
tired children: and there were none
OF the usual signs of crushing poverty
about them.
- Rat was the reason of their Joy
iessness? Why did the mere sight Of
this boy and girl. who ought to have
been fronting the future with spirit
and hopeful enfhusiasm, bring q lump
to my. throat?
hat h the secret of the Failure
that was written in their fsces-and
u written 30 often In the faces of
others like them,
Was ii for this that they Joined
| hand in the happy morning Of life
and of love-
Tho picture has never since wholly
faded from my mind, and last night
! saw a companion picture that
brought It back fully, to embrance.
Again entered q street car and
FOUND among my companions family
group Of four---Eather, mother, boy OF
two or three and a baby in arms-I
might have mistaken them for the
first mentioned family had 1t not been
for the one remarkable difference that
leads me to tell you Trout them
They looked 20 bright---so happy
80 full Of confidence and healthy satis-
faction. Foreigners evidently. The
man seemed a nero boy of twenty,
though he may have been older than
that, and his fatherly air AZ he watch
ed the sturdy. sleeping child In his
| arms was quaint and delightful
| His wife was short, plump. dark and
rosy. with lips that seemed Ayer ready
| TO break into snties, and eyes brightly
alert to take in and enjoy the least
| little passing matter OF interest.
| The baby was like her-a bonny,
| chuckling mite who had determined
| to make meal OF the car tickets
/ her mother had given her to hold in
| her chubby fist. and when deprived of
those, became cheerful.y absorbed in
contemplation OF the shiny handle
! Of my umbrella.
| They we're poorly but neatly dress
/ ed--excepting the man---aiso q clerk.
I think. The girl might have served
| in small shop before marriage-she
| looked like shopkeepers daughter.
What WAS the reason of the whole
| hearted enjoyment OF life that shone
in their darkt brish, faces? Then
/ circumstances. am sure were no bet
| ter than those OF the first family. Why
I did they seem SO much happier?
Let US try to think Ii out and ex-
/ plain things in a way that accords
/ with the truth.
When the first couple married, they
had IDEAS OF living that did not quite
/ ut Ia with their income, and Instead
| OF adjusting income and ideas at the
! start, They muddled along-Quite
| cheerfully at first then under q grow
ing burden OF unpaid bills. curbed
pleasures and neglected opportuni-
| ties
| Their rent WAS too high for their
(, modest means, and their food cost too
/ much. for the girl knew nothing of
I marketing aTad-aext to nothing of
cooking.
The house was comfortless. She
had never been used to housekeeping
h and, 1t seemed, did not care to learn
II from experience how her work should
be done. Her shiftless, no-methodt
4 OF management made double trou-
/ Bile" of every detail, from sweeping
10 washing-up. and she never had
moment to breathe" all day long
They loved amusement as much
| as other healthy human beings. but
ait the amusements they cared fol-
| seemed to cost too much. and 1t never
occurred to them to keep their eyes
open for the joys that cost moth
ing
Then the babies came into this
world of tears finding a very watery
welcome. Expenses we're greater
pleasures yet fewer. work increased
for the woman. in spite Of her made
ouate strength for the burden; ankle
ties weighed heavier and heavier upon
the poor young husband ana fatner
who found no cheerfulness In MS
home--no encouragement to hgn'
hard and win his reward in greater
comfort. more home peace and hap
piness
All enjoyment they might have
found-uiight find-~-in the present II
swallowed up by thick dust clouus
+ ~ worry. worry, worry pioWlne AZ
on oil sides and darkening the future
,r-hev win not draw a breath OF fresh
air. II seems, for fear that the fresh
air may fail them tomorrow
| Now let us turn to the SECOND
family. who are better on, perhaps
in possessing the Southerners tenn
/ neramental "ioie dc WIRE.
The woman IL a good COOK aho
housewife, born with lively instinc'
tfor home making, and brought up &c
consider cooking and cleaning hen
i orAs,se-. ocenpattonar-z-nnt-, tasks 70. %
seamped and concealed.
This husband and wife will mol
take a dark view OF circumstances;
lthey believe in snatching every scrap
Of pleasure that comes their way, and
I findinr 10y In common, everyday
things :.
III they go for An evening stroll
I without a spare penny to expend on
a picture palace show. or other
I amusement. they find all the giddy
excitemsnts OF the movies In the
/ hurrying passersby-drama In their
chance neighbors at a shop counter
1 color and beauty in the flowers and
trees of a fenced In square
If they take a holiday holiday
/ It is. not one weary duty the more.
I.iring- within their modest means
!, they are not qverhurdened with care
! for the morrow Rlt the real secret
| OF their happiness ! have told you
they find pleasure in things that
cost nothing, and laugh readily free
| ly-without thinking 1t necessary to
I ,x,,rnhoaa fhaip fun