The Detroit times., 1915-04-12


start right In spite OF anything.
probably because at heart they are
only true democratic
beth Barmore-am going to
begin at the beginning. Not be-
cause feel my youth was more Inn
portant than that OF any other per.
son, but because do not think
you can Judge fairly the life OF any
girl or woman unless you know
something OF her childhood. Just
as few numbers by themselves on
slip OF paper have little signifi
canoe. You have To know the num-
bers are the answer to q sum-and
what sum--beforc they begin to
mean very much.
| think We were as nearly typi.
cal American family as you could
ind. That is. we seemed to come
from nowhere. OF course. I can re-
member my grandparents. But be-
hind them-vhAt. Certainly not
tho tradition which In England or
France is handed down from father
10 son and from mother TO daughter
along with the silver and china.
And. like many American families.
We rose rapidly--fnanciaIiy at, least.
] looked out AZ my childhood through
fog Of snobbishness. A fog which
would not pc disNelled by light
pun or two. II took the unmerciful
winds OF the world TO blow Il away.
What a pity II was For n you let
children alone they have q way OF
starting right In spite OF anything.
probably because they are az heart
the only true Democrats.
We were Ave In our family. Ny
father. my mother. my sister Marion.
my brother Edward. named after my
father, and-myseif
Ny father was somewhat squat.
blond man. physically very ssseag.
l have an idea he was really intelli
gent-or perhaps smart" or
. shrewd" would be better words. But
he never let any OF US get very near
10 him. He had had hard night
10 win his way in his various enter
prises downtown. He had known
the loneliness OF every hand against
him in the business world So
think he lost the trick OF opening
his heart to let people Uneven US
Then, too. he had the primitive
mans contempt OF woman. He'd
play with my mother. my sister. and
myself sometimes. But listen to us
as serious human beings-never.
My mother was a little dark robin
like sort OF a woman; very pretty.
Even yet her big dark eyes and
clear. rosy skin remain to her.
seem 10 see her youth reflected as
in n worn. dulied mirror. She was
the only one OF US Who ever could
strike spark from my father to-
ward the last. She never lost her
habit OF flirting with him. think
he must have been quite infatuated
with her when they married.
Ny brother Edward--or Ed" as
we called him--was very much like
my father and my sister was like
my mother-only intensified. Where
my mother pouted. Marion went into
a genuine temper. Where my moth
er would have firted-Marion was
real coquette. And she was pref.
tier even than mother. At least she
was certainty more attractive TO
men--all kinds OF men. She had
mothers face-made heavier. Her
eyes were a little heavy lldded In.
stead OF sparkling; her nose was
thicker and her mouth was very red
and luscious.
As for me vas-mongrel. I
have brown hair and gray eyes; all
my mothers gayety held In check.
kept seething. by my fathers re-
serve. Ny girIhood was--just civil
war. One thing for which I am pro
foundly grateful In that have my
fathers Astounding health. Some
tfmes-when look about me at
other girls--I think I am the health
lest girl In the world. This body OF
mine seems built for any strain
and I can teb you 1t has had 70
stand some hard tests. But II Il
my mother / have TO thank for my
aonaa NJ huuor When have