Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-03-20

/ actually would have had Rob-
= ert forget the law. the struggle
for recognition he so furiously demanded
as his right.
1t is impossible to relate just when
the little worries and slight, very slight
at first Disbursements began. 1 had
married the man l wanted to, and yet
was strangely dissatisfied, not openly
so, but was often miserable, and some
times appalled,.
Occasionally 1 tried to visualize other
men / might have married, Tod Free
man, for instance, the man I had re-
fused, and George Howard. or Leonard
Harper. How would they have acteds
What would they have said under GER
tain conditions?
And yet, save in these Earring inter-
walls l was happy. much happier I knew
than If had remained with my step
mother. 1 really cared a great deal for
Robert, and was Unfortunately proud OF
him, his distin guished bearing, his good
looks. and his knowledge. In a surpr1s-
ingly short time hac become accustom-
e0 to him. and would nave missed his
constant ministrations and the intimacy
Of his companionship.
So we commenced our lives together,
JOY and sadness combined from the be-
ginning. 1 was too young, too inexperi-
enced, to try to combat the feelings that
often possessed me. Sometimes when
sitting in his little office with Robert
waiting for the clients that so seldom
came / would get up and pretend to DUST
his diplomas which he had framed neat
ly and hung on the wall. But 1 felt like
taking them down and putting them
where no one would see them. They
were to blame for my being buried in
this little one-horse town. One day I
actually cracked the glass on one, so
heavy was my hand when busting it.
The neighbors called, but it required
no great amount of perspicacity to per-
ceive that Robert had no liking for So
cial life, except as 1t affected his pro-
fession. l was by nature and instinct
distinctly social. At the very outset of
our married life was a situation that 1
knew would be an ever-recurring irri-
tant,
There are times with every woman
when their souls seem to sicken. l often
used to wonder if men-Robert-were
subject to such moods. such strong re-
vulsions of feeling, both mental and
physical, if they would do as we women
Go, think it natural to the married state,
and shut eyes and senses until they
were normal
1 am a long time getting at my story,
but there seems so much in those first
few weeks that 1 had up to this time
not forgotten, but let lie unremembered.
that without meaning to do so, fly off
at a tangent. and am often at acute
angles with what 1 intended to say.
7
spent in the little house he had rented.
The woman whom Robert had secured
to clean and cook was, according to my
ideas, entirely inadequate. Her cooking
thought atrocious, although Robert did
not complain / discharged her, only
sorry that I had allowed my temper
to get the best of me until I had found
some one else.
When 1 told Robert he said:
We'll, perhaps it is for the best
Things aren't coming my way very fast"
But we must find another girl right
away! L exclaimed, not grasping his
meaning.
Don't you think we can get along
without one for time until things
pick up little? I will inquire about
laundress, and with what l can help
you should be able to do the rest. 1t
will give you something to occupy your
time" he added.
Get along without a servant! Was
Robert crazy? Who was TO wash the
dishes, make beds and clean? Surely
Robert didn't expect me to do such
mental work. But il was exactly what
he did expect me to do, 1 found out aft
er had expressed my feelings. He evil
IDENTIFY didn't look upon 1t as mental,
either. His manner, of course, was apol-
ogetic, a sort of I'VE would have help
IL we could. but as long as we can't you
must make the best of it,"
'I have the $4,000 father gave me
we can hire a cook for awhile with that"
volunteered after a few moments ST
lence.
mo! We will not touch that, not now
ming a house. knew absolutely nothing
of the cost Of food, or it's preparation,
and I did not quite understand why l
should now be expected to know these
things. That Robert didn't want to use
my tiny dot. was perhaps too proud to.
I understood. 1 think at that time it
was almost the only thing he did which
did understand. l certainly did not
see why l should be expected to do hard
work, spoil my hands and complexion
over a hot stove, when servants were
created especially to do those things.
any way, we may have to before long,
but we won't until it is necessary" he
replied. and that night when he returned
from the office he brought me a cook
book.
l realized that l might have trouble
finding a servant, although determined
to have one, and so we sat over the book
until long after our usual bedtime, mark
ing the recipes that seemed simple
enough for me to try. When we finally
laid it aside, Robert said:
Did you decide on bacon and eggs for
breakfast" Then without waiting for
an answer, Have we bacon in the
house?"
mo" I replied, as cheerfully an 1
could. but we have some eggs. I will
boil them / tried to make cake this
w. - -