The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-05-26

out mere in the sun and think things
over. And gradually seemed to work
things out In my mind. and at first l
was reconciled. and then happy. and
now 1 am just like a girl in mind
again.
You see, as was saying. folks are
coming back to belief. though it is not
the old certainty. Now l never re-
GREETED marrying Jim, and 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? l think 1t would have
been.
That seems the strange thing about
iife-the moment you begin to realize
happiness you lose 1t. 1t 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 am quite sure that
q, 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
romance of girlhood and all the joys
Of being a mother. and a grandmother
too.
l 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 it made me to
know that he understood.
"That is just how have been feel
ing, my DEAR" he told me. you see
when I 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 it
My wife and l were very happy to
gether. And l thought often that il
1t had been you our children would
have been different souls"
EYES," told him. Il should b
dreadfully unhappy without Polly ant
Dora and Mark and Philip and thu
two boys in Los Angeles"
But now we have each other a!
we'll as our own" he answered.
I closed my eyes, because wante'
to think. l was casting over in m,
mind the different women knew, ant
it seemed to me that whether they ha'
married the right man or the wronl
man it seemed pretty well to eve
itself out And l thought Of thos
who had never married at all. an
what load of experience there mus
be waiting for them in the next life.
"For my part; Tom." I said,
would not have it any different. l ar
so glad I never married you-and
used to think my heart was broken.
Same here" he answered. squee
ing my hand, and then l saw coupl
who were passing along the stree
look up and smile at us.
"I'll be over tomorrow about th
same time," said Tom, getting up an
taking of his hat with the sweepin
, gesture he used to use. watched hi
walk away toward his cottage. Ho
: pleasant 1t Is to be alive, though
). And how pleasant 1t Is to be an o.
4 woman, with all ones troubles live
a through already.