South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-03-06
HELEN'S MOTHER POINTS
OUT HARDSHTPS THAT CON
FRONT \ WOMAN ALONE.

fort And even dread tho house
cleaning this year. And the cloth
yOu sent me Christmas for a suit
haven't had il made up yet. just be
cause / dreaded taking il 10 the dress
makers and planning it out. / am so
afraid she will spoil il that l keep
putting IL off.
Now, / know all this is just because
am growing old. SO perhaps
should not let my fears Influence you.
/ You're young, and have most OF your
life before you. And If you think that
sooner or later you will have TO make
some radical change-perhaps you
had better make IL now
For yOSr sake, Helen, wish that
| was younger. so that you could lean
upon me more. But this winter l
feel that / have aged great deal.
The rheumatism in my hand is worse.
and at times il is all through my arm
and shoulder. And this has been a
hard winter on your father, too; ne
stOOps more than j have ever seen
him. and he is more feeble than when
you were mere last year. So you see.
dear. we are both getting old: and
that is why / so dread TO think Of you
without all the protection of your
husband and your home.
Well, dear L m afraid this is not a
very cheerful letter or a very helpful
one. and yet one that I felt / should
write. I shall be anxious TO hear from
you. Write me often. If only a few
lines. Try TO keep well, for. after
all, health is the greatest thing. And
il will be easier for you TO meet any
conditions that may come up If you
are we'll and strong.
fred. MOTHER.
Helen read this letter with the feel
ing that somehow her mother had
failed her. She realized now how
much she had wanted to hold TO her.
But this letter only showed that she
could not. 1t only made her feel that
more than ever she stood alone
, Again she read the passage where
her mother said she was growing old
that everything now seemed an under
taking. II almost terrified her. Some
how she had never thought OF her
mother as ever being really old. She
had vaguely felt that she could never
change, that age with its weakening
influences would never claim her.
And sh had looked forward TO this
letter as one that would give her
courage. and would strengthen her in
her plans. Instead ii had shaken
what courage she had--it had made
her feel all her helplessness and in
ability.
And more than this, her mother had
questioned the wisdom of her attitude
towards Warrens mother. and also
her determination TO keep the rOOmer.
She took up her mothers letter and
read il again. Don't think I'm try
ing u weaken you if you are con-
WINGED that your happiness lies in be-
ing independent" And yet the letter
mad weakened her and her mother
knew that it would. ~
For the moment Helen had almost
q fierce contempt for her own waver-
ing INDIGESTION. She thought of her
many determinations which she had
never carried out. No wonder War
rem scoffed at her assertions of indie
pendence. Looking back on the last
few months she realized that she had
made one plan after another, and had
carried out none Of them.
There came over her a feeling al
most OF fatalism-that whenever she
tried TO assert any vestige~of indie
pendence, in some way some influence
always swept her back to the accept
ance of conditions as they were.
Was il always to be like this? Was
she really the victim of some curious
fatality? Or was it only because she
had so long been under Warren's
dominating, tyrannizing will that it
had crushed out any real courage she
had ever had2