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

TINE friends Of married woman
meet her for the first time in
years. and they ask her ques-
ton like this.
How many children have YOU now ??
II she says 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. Well the Lord HAS been
good TO you"
Which leaves the mother of eight
without q word to say.
But when friends OF a spin meet her
for the first time in years. they ask in
the tones of one who knows, How does
it happen you have never married
II is the eternal question every spin.
meets on every eternal occasion, and
the degree Of pity in which 1t is asked
never varies. the mother Of eight eX-
pressing as much pity as the mother
OF one.
Daysey Mavme Appleton has net this
question every day since she passed
twenty five Let IT be known to 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 friend, the mother Of
nine. The mother of nine used baby
dress 10 wipe molasses candy off a
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 1t
happen" she asked that you have
never married."
Daysey Mayme vas prepared
When / was nineteen" she began
az one who has a long story to tell. 81
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 RI
whip you"
Excuse me-" she said to her caller
Nov do 60 on"
And he" resumed Daysey Mayme
didn't like It because I flrted with
The mother Of nine left her chair
abruptly. so abruptly that she deposited
the ninth on Daysey Maymes lap be
fore it had finished it's 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,
10 the door. cutting both as she pro
ceeded Then she shut them out and
returned to the ninth, who. however,
refused to be cousoled because Of the
interruption to its meal. and yelled
louder.
The mother Of nine walked the floor
with If 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 Gf it's the ice
man tell him to come tomorrow l
haven't the change. so | broke the en-
gage"-(There.l look at the way you've
torn your pants. IN have to sit up all
night to mend them "ment, and
then there was WilI'-(Dr that
child, what is it screaming for now p
---"arbey, but No. l cant give
you cent for candy. 1t is all can dc
to get money out OF your father fot
necessities. without such fooIishness)
etc. etc. for two hours. when Day
sey Mayme left, with her story stil un-
told
How does it happen YOU have never
married ~ remains q question she has
never answered