Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-05-08

w Beatrice. looked forward to
calm. rather uneventful, semi
solitary life That IS. she expected to
live only for her children until they
should need her no longer. and beyond
that point she did not allow her
thoughts to rove She dreaded the
loneliness that might then be hers
she did not dread life without her
husband nor did she mourn him deep
Is. for hers had not been happy mar
rage Tom had grave faults, some Of
them amounting almost TO sins his
wife thought. Whether they did or not.
they made her SO uncomfortable and
unhappy that while her husbands sud
den death was a shock to her, she was
conscious that with the pity she felt
for him because he had been snatched
out Of life. there was mingled scarcely
any pity for herself She had long been
aware that her children. Jack and Jean.
we're the dearest things in life TO her.
She had them. and Toms departure
had been an unexpected solution of the
knotty problem OF their ioyless mar
ried existence. She remembered CRATE
fully now that the true condition of
affairs had been unguessed by the
world at large. that there had been no
open scandal
For the fret year Of her widowhood
she had thrust from her as absurd the
possibility Of her marrying second
time Il love my freedom too much"
she acknowledged to herself. To her
friends she said, 7 do not want TO put
anybody IN Toms place" To them,
the sentence meant one thing; to the
widow, another. She added mentally,
Lord forbid" remembering Tom and
his ways At the expiration Of her sec
ond year Of freedom she began to
tighten her black and found that with
the DOMINIC Of soft and becoming
lavenders and puppies her spirits rose
Life seemed still bright and the world
q place in which to have good time
and TO make the most Of ones self and
ones opportunities. Why must she
because of one mistake or error In
Judgment, be doomed 10 live a solitary
existence until she was an old woman?
Somehow the children, as dear as ever
satisfied only one side of her nature.
Instead Of thinking that she would live
for them and them only. she began to
appreciate that as they saw more Of
life and other people they would live
for others besides their mother Then
she would be even Ionelier than at
present
One Lesson Enough.
So. gradually but surely. grew upon
her the conviction that. perhaps. after
ali there might be a second springtime
for her For a while she turned from
the idea, for with her was also the
recollection of her oontugal infelicity.
But soon she persuaded herself that
the would not make such a mistake a
second time. Surely she had learned
her sad lesson well The scars she
stin bore from the fire that had burned
her. had made her wary and watchful
pf all things that might scorch her, and
ehe was not to be fooled a second time
by any man. She was no longer an
Ignorant and foolish girl but a woman
made wish by suffering. And as other
people were happily married, probably
her experience had been the exception
not the rule. Surely she might still be
as happy as these welded friends OF
hers. She was still young she TOLD
herself. for thirty three is not old.
Her two years of peace seemed tc
have retuvenated her, and It was only
when she was very tired that she looked
her age. While her income from Toms
life insurance was sufficient to pro-
vide her and her children with the ne
cessities of life If she was careful she
did not like to be careful Now she
must economize in order to have
enough 10 spend on prettv clothes she
loved and which she felt were her right
AS her children grew older they would
cost more than now. for she owed them
good education and the advantages
which other young people had. How
she would have to struggle TO give them
these necessities and herself the lux
ur4es for which her soul longed. Yes
she would do well to marry again.
But she would not be hasty. with
eyes made clear by past experience ir
matrimony. she would study every DOS
sible sutton. She would recall each o.
Toms faults and would consider Others
strangely enough. he had overlooked II
forming his character And If any mar
had any Of these. or lacked any of the
admirable traits. which she expected
from the man of her choice she would
exclude him Immediately from her cal
cuations,
An Exaotina Creature.
A woman. unless she Is in love, is an
exacting creature, and she has often de
cided against some man for as slight
reason as an unfortunate trick Of man
ner. lack of some small courtesy, Of
some tactless speech. A man car
scarcely understand this and II is this
trait in women that makes him find hen
incomprehensible.
When she loves a man she shuts he'
ewes TO his imperfections and will mar
nv a. boor if he has been clever enough
or has possessed enough personal mag
80 f- Fs-.4e