The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-05-21

out mere in the sun and think things
over. And gradually seemed to work
things out in my mind. and at first
was reconciled. and then happy, and
now | am just Ike q girl in mind
again.
You see. as ! was saying. folks are
coming back to belief. though 1t is not
gretted marrying Jim. and hope and
am sure that 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 II 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 it would have
been.
That seems the strange thing about
life-the moment you begin to realize
happiness you lose it, II 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
it is this youth in our hearts, which
never dies, no matter how cid 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
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? /. seems
TO me that there one will have all the
romance of girlhood and all the joys
of being a mother. ard 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 it made nae to
know that he understood
THAT is just how / have been feel
ing, my dear" he tod me. you see,
when / heard you were married life
seemed impossible for me. But by
and by | began to find out that it has
got 10 be lived, and tried to live 1t.
My wife and | were very happy to-
gether. And / thought often that il
it 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 rs
| well as our own" he answered.
/ closed my eyes, because | wanted
TO think. / was casting over in my
| mind the different women l knew, and
| il seemed to me that whether they had
married the right man or the wrong
man it seemed pretty well 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," said, Il
would not have it any different. | am
so glad | never married you-and /
used to think my heart was broken.
Same here" he answered, squeez-
ing my hand, and then / saw a couple
who were passing along the street
look up and smile at us.
'I'll be over tomorrow about the
same time" said Tom, getting up and
taking off his hat with the sweeping
gesture he used to use. ] watched him
walk away toward his cottage. How
pleasant ii is to be alive, ] thought.
And how pleasant it is to be an old
woman, with all ones troubles lived
through already.