The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1915-07-23

out mere in the sun and think things
over. And gradually seemed to work
things out in my mind, and at first l
was r~econciled, and then happy, and
now / am just like a girl in mind
again
You see, as l was saying, folks are
coming back to belief, though it is not
the old certainty. Now | v re-
GREETED marrying Jim. and l hope and
am sure that l shall meet him again,
and that whatever there was of com
mon interest and affection between us
Will be renewed. But that doesn't
shut me out from Tom.
Now suppose l had married Tom.
Would the old romance, which exists
still, in spite of my seventy-eight
years, continue? Or would 1t have
been frittered away with the cares OF
life, the bearing and rearing of my
children, the friction of things and the
struggles? / think it would have
been.
That seems the strange thing about
life-the moment you begin to realize
happiness you lose 1t. It all consists
in the looking backward or looking
forward.
Now, what an adventure life ought
to be. and was, and is becoming
again. with the old faith coming back
to US. Because l am quite sure that
1t is this youth in our hearts, which
never dies, no matter how old we are,
that Is to be realized in the life to
come. / am quite sure that then at
last, we shall find the happiness which
we all try so hard to catch and some.
how miss.
Well, then, does anyone mean to tell
me that my heart won't be big enough
to hold both my husband and Tom, in
an existence where there is no marry.
ing or giving In marriage? 1t seems
to me that there one will have all the
romance Of girlhood and all the Joys
of being a mother, and a grandmother
too.
| have put this idea into words
rather crudely, not being a writer;
but, anyhow, that was my conclusion,
and l told Tom about it. You can't
imagine how pleased 1t made me to
know that he understood.
THAT is Just how l have been feel
ing, my DEAR" he told me. you see,
when l heard you were married life
seemed impossible for me. But by
and by began to find out that 1t has
got to be lived, and | tried to live 1t.
My wife and l we're very happy to-
gether. And l thought often that II
1t had been you our children would
have been different souls"
yes" / told him. II should be
%dreadfully unhappy without Polly and
Dora and Mark and Philip and the
two boys in Los Angeles"
But now we have each other as
well as our own" he answered.
/ closed my eyes, because | wanted
to think. l was casting over in my
mind the different women l knew, and
1t seemed to me that whether they had
married the right man or the wrong
man 1t seemed pretty we'll to even
itself out. And l thought Of those
who had never married at all, and
what a load Of experience there must
be waiting for them In the next life.
For my part; Tom" l said, II
would not have 1t any different. l am
10 glad l never married you-and
used to think my heart was broken.
Same here" he answered, squeez-
ing my hand, and then l saw a couple
who were passing along the street
look up and smile at US.
"Pll be over tomorrow about the
same time" said Tom, getting up and
taking of his hat with the sweeping
gesture he used to use. l watched him
walk away toward his cottage. How
pleasant 1t is to be alive, l thought.
And how pleasant 1t is to be an old
woman. with all ones troubles lived