The Washington herald., 1916-05-31
TODAY 1 talked with the lone

al least that is what She
called herself, and after hearing
her heart-broken story, which she
permits me to tell to you, !, too,
call an existence like hers "the life
of the empty cup"
Il was twenty-six and had reach
ed the age !. woman should be sure
OF herself when l married" her
story began. But after our we'd
ding, as the months flew by on
swallows wings, l became discon-
tented and made myself believe ]
was not as happy as l had antici-
pated.
I'm the first place, when plan
nlng for my future, | had always
thought of a beautiful little home of
my own. ! had dreamed of we'll
hlled linen chests, monogramcd sill
yer, great, extensive guest cham
bers, luxurious living room and
dining room. Even had | chosen
from my day-dream shop window
the mahogany table large enough
80 seat all my friends, who would
always be welcome in my home
"Ot course, | planned to buy an
automobile and pictured myself
taking many imaginery trips into
the country for riotous weekend
parties.
Mother had always told me if I
depended upon such Ideals to make
me happy | should never consider
marrying poor man who was
tlghtlng hard for a career. |
thought of this and thought of it
often, but when | met the man |
married | imagined myself to be so
in love with him that two rooms
and a little kitchcnette would be a
veritable paradise.
But six months after we were
married and the gilt edge of the
romance had worn away. ! began
to feel very discontentcd and en-
vious of friends and neiChbors
whose homes were more attractive
than ours and who could enjoy the
luXuries my husband insisted that
we could not afford.
John was a very ambitious engi-
neer and had a splendid position in
San Francisco, his I0v-c ard mine.
One day the president cf IN" cow
pany sent for him and h.H ,rr
the glittcring offer of doubled
salary if he, would transfer his ac-
tivities to South America.
But it is no place for my lit
tie wife he told the men, and I
hardly think she would be willing
to have me away from her so many
months of the year
81 remember the night very well
when he came home and we talked
of this offer.
"'But it is twice as much as you
are getting here I cried out with
surprise. You know what that
would mean to us"
"'It would mean, dear, that you
and | should have to be separated
and he drew his hand very tenderly
over mine.
81 did not say any more to him
then. but I began thinking and
thinking about the myriads of COM
forts as we'll as luxuries which the
doubled salary would bring to me. I
believe | thought of everything
from the new spring fashions to the
make of the automobile which I
would buy with the money that
could be saved when John went
away. l was freed of the letters OF
home and could board with a
family of intimate friends.
John never told me how badly
he felt when I naggcd him on to
this career, but day after day I re-
minded him that he was throwing
away not only the chance for a fu
ture, but the opportunity of making
me happier. l taunted him cruelty.
Would you drudge along year after
year instead of striving for a spec
tacular success" | asked him, but when
his eyes sought mine and looked
into my shallow heart he knew it
was only of myself l was thinking.
1T is six years since John went
away, never to return. Only a few
months after he had reached South
America, he was taken very i'll with
malignant fever, and by the time
the doctors letter reached me, tell
ing me he would never recover, he
had been dead for several days.
"At first, l could not believe it.
For weeks and weeks I lay in
collapsed state. alternately accusing
myself of having doomed my own
husband and trying to weave out
of the tangled web of my future
some tangible hold on life. 1t
seemed to ! me had nothing-that
| had lost everything and that the
future was a black pail which would
always shut out the sunshine of the
world.
That's why, Miss Pickford, I call
myself the loneliest woman in the
world. l, who could have filled
my life with love, happiness, con-
tentment and little children, have
nothing now but regrets, disappoint-
ments and hopelessness. Please
write to the ambitious wives who
are doing just what / have done and
warn them through this laying bare
of the tragedy of my life not to
make the same heartbreaking mis-
takes"