The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-05-27
:. The ::
Confessions
Of a Wife
PATS LOVE AFFAIR RIPENs

been much better in health and
/ spirits. She so signally ignores
my opinion that sometimes
forget it myself and almost fee
that l am lying stretched out or
this couch because of inclination
instead of necessity.
Today l had been thinking
much about my story-the one
am going to write for Pat
when he made his appearance
We talked the matter over anG
decided that | should write 1t in
the first person just as l had beer
writing my own story to you, lit
tie book. This will be compare
, lively easy for me, as l have beer
writing to you SO many years in
this style.
My little nurse lowered about
me all the time Pat was here and
| saw his eyes follow every grace
full movement she made.
One of the things I have
learned from Pat is that while the
spirit of love may be eternal, yet
1t shows itself only in mortal
guise to mortal minds.
Pat is not man of tickle tenn
permanent. He was genuinely in
love with Chad's first wife and
afterward with Mollie, and now |
can see he is becoming greatly in
terested in my little nurse, which
shows me most conclusively that
one can love more than once.
l expect the conventionally ro-
mantle person would say this is
all wrong and that Pat really has
never been in love.
We poor mortals certainly dc
delude ourselves continually with
these silly ideas on the eternity
and stability of anything and
everything.
"There is nothing changeless
but change" said someone, l have
forgotten who just at this mo-
ment. And while this voices the
reality that anyone who stops tt
really think must know, yet every
lovers and every loved ones
greatest and most fervent wish is
that love will not change.
Reality is rarely pleasant to
contemplate. Because my little
jade god was only the god Of
dreams, l hated to put him from
me that he might in a million
years join his other self. Had he
been a reality there would have
been nothing romantic about him
Yet I expect he will probably feel
the caresses of many hands-he
will recline on soft sea sands,
linger under fragrant sedgy
banks in comfort and perhaps at
each resting place he will try and
delude himself with the idea that
at last he has arrived-home-
before he joins his "other half"
Pats love affairs outside of
|matrimony have made me under
stand how CALLING must be the
yoke to those who, already bound
find themselves becoming again
votaries at another altar of the
llltit 5Ou.
Here is the popularity of Pats
temperament, however. Had he
married either Of the other two
women who came into his life
only to go out quickly, he would
have made her splendid hus-
band. He is like most women in
that he would unconsciously love
his home and his wife more than
he would the woman who first at
tracted him. "Home and wife"
the very words mean more to him
than sweetheart"
Mercy! little book, l am sure
if he read all I am telling you
about himself he would never
want me to give you to him for
publication.
1t is rather queer that so pro-
sale a man as Pat should have
had two such tragic experiences
in love, and now be on the eve of
another affair which may be even
more tragic.
Just what my little nurse,
Alice, will think she must do when
the time comes to accept or re-
fuse him, do not know.
Will she feel called upon to
tell him of her pitiful past? And
If she does will he forgive?
I wonder IL I were placed in
the same predicament what ]
would do.
Little book, what do you think
would be the outcome IL before
their wedding every one-all men
and women had to make public
confession to show that they
were fit for such a partnership
l am afraid the whole world
would be filled with waiting
cries and derisive laughter and
not much happiness-which IL
mostly illusion, after all.