The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1913-07-24

AOA WCShS dC d CIIu0, ana again
there isn't enough interest in any of
the items to rouse even a filter of
interest. 1t happens of late, though,
there are "quite few" items Of more
than usual interest, and in this class
was the report Of the old lady who
has scandalized her daughters their
husbands and the whole community
by her rebellion against the "affec-
tionate" interest all the clans wanted
to evince in her welfare.
1t seems the old lady has Just be-
come a widow; she and her husband
raised a large family of children,
and also accumulated a snug and tidy
sum Of money which is judiciously
invested; the daughters and their
husbands are greatly worried over
this part of the affair, because the
husband gave tardy recognition to
the fact that the wife's efforts in ac-
cum ulating the fortune did as much
to make the accumulation possible,
as his own work in the matter.
It seems after the funeral, the
daughters had taken counsel with
themselves as to what was best to be
done with mother. They had lost
sight of the fact that mother had
managed to look after herself and
her husband for collection of years,
and that both mother and father
looked happy and well-fed; and while
it was true that father had gone, he
was past seventy, and he was tired
out with more than the work he had
done, while mother was on the sun
ny side of sixty and was as fresh as
a great many women at forty. But
n ho nd
thought mother should be relieved
from all the cares and worries Of
living, and the eldest daughter was
delegated to tell her so as gently as
possible. It may be that mother had
been reading up on these Suffragette
rights-at any rate, she gave out
her declaration of independence to
an amazed family, and it was some
thing like this:
For forty-two years I have had
to do as someone else wanted to do;
I have had to eat things [ didn't like,
l have had to go to places [ didn't
want to go to, have had to be nice
to people [ couldn't stand, and l have
had to wear the clothes you and
father picked out for me. Now [ am
going to do what l want to do, eat
what / like, wear what / like and
enjoy myself.
II have had to sleep with a bright
lamp in the room because your faith
er never wanted to sleep in the dark
and I have almost become a ner-
vous wreck. I am going to put out
every light in the house from now
on, and sleep in the dark. l have
hated dog that had to stay in the
yard, when I wanted one l could
keep in the house and count on for a
protector, and I am going to get a
dog that will stay in the house with
me and make a racket if any one
tries to come in.
81 have always liked Miss --,
and felt sorry because she had such
a hard time getting along, but I was
never allowed to do anything for her
by you or your father. I am going
to have her live with me now, and
none of you need worry"
And there isn't the slightest
chance that "the family" can have
the little lady adjudged insane, for
every one knows she is as bright as
a whip-and so, for the first time in
forty years she is going to Give as
she wants to,'-and yet her daugh-
ters feel horribly cut up and are sure
they have loved their mother as
dutifully as ever daughters did.
There is young woman l know,
whose people are well-to-do, and
who have the old fashioned horror of