The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-02-01


rather romance than real life and do
not give all that real life needs. They
are Of the same order as the people of
| India. WHO pelieve that Ihe wife should
die on the funeral pyre Of her husband.
| may ! Q weaker than some women
or l may be stronger Possibly may
have less depth Of feeling, though that
| Will not admit. | saw Only in nursing
my sIief Il dreadful lie before me.
| recognized lie principle that no two
absorbing ideas can occupy the brain
at one time. | did all that could to
interest myself in Wha2 was about me.
True, l did not at first succeed and
when ! did only partially so. | dread
ed the word forget, ana yet l realized
that to AVOID suffering | must tempo
raIily forget. | forced myself to feel
that after i time | would be reunited
with my loved ones and that mean
while | must, except occasionally, put
them out of my mind.
| made my home abroad, Three
years after my bereavement l married
again. l did so partly because | was
lonely, partly because l wished for a
| man to rely upon, as is natural to any
woman, partly because the man mar
ried assured me that I could give him
an interest i'll life and, lastly. because
l became attached to him. He was an
American, like myself, and, being
wealthy, gave himself up to study.
He lived abroad that he might write
books which required his presence
among the subjects of which he wrote.
For five years after our marriage we
continued our residence abroad. Dur
ing this period children were born to
us. There was a tacir mutual agree
| ment between us that | should not talk
about the world in which | had lived.
| saw that he would rather leave that
to me, considering himself as having no
part in it. and / had no desire to make
him a part of it. He was absorbed in
his literary work, and if | ever told
him even where l had lived he soon
forgot it.
Then he was called to America on
a matter Of some property that need
ed his attention. 1t was agreed be-
tween Us that lie should leave me and
our children in Lucerne, where we
We're then living. He expected to be
absent not more than two months, but
soon after his arrival in America he
was induced to write for a publisher
a work necCssitating his presence in
America. He suggested my coming
home with the children. but left me
to consult my own feelings in the mat
ter.
had never intended to return to the
United States, dreading lest it should
reawaken me to my lost world. But
with a husband and children that
! world had receded further and further
from me till the consciousness of 1t
had grown very dim. l wrote my IRIS.
band that l would go back to the
western hemisphere and remain there.
| was tired Of moving about from one
place to another, and the children were
coming to that age when they should
have steady instruction at school. Our
boys | preferred to bring UP in Amer
lea. l therefore suggested to my hus-
band that he buy place in which we
might settle He replied that he agreed
with me and would carry out my sug-
gestiOns. Later he wrote me that he
had bought a place in the suburbs Of
the city wherein it would be necessary
for him to do his work.
We arrived after dark. l was de-
lighted at our reunion, as We're the
father and the children | did not ask
where our home was to be. | intend
ed to be satisfied with it, pleased with
it, wherever it was. We took train
and in less than an hour alighted at
a station, where a carriage was wait
ing for Us. 1t was very dark when We
reached our home. and l saw nothing
Of it till l stood in the hall. Then l
caught at Il banister to prevent my
falling.
| was in the house | had left more
than ten years before with a blighted
heart
MY dear" exclaimed my husband.
starting toward me.
But in a twinHiing I had recovered
myself. And what had enabled NE to
do so: The sudden appearance of an
object. All, those objects that come to
us! How much more valuable often
times than realization. | must at least
for the present spare my good man
the ineXpressible pain of knowing
what he had brought upon me.
Nothing" l replied a little giddi-
ness at having been so long rolling at
sea-"
Nothing you don't like, is there?"
he asked anXiouSly.
ION the contrary, l am very we'll
pleased. Let us see the rest of it,"
He took me into every room in the
house, a house that had been sold
twice since l had parted with it and
both times with the furniture includ-
ed. Not for the world would have
betrayed that these rooms, closets, cor
| ners, with every bed, table, bureau,
had been familiar to me from child
hood. But when it was over l passed
| the night alone in a room opening into
one occupied by the children.
No tongue or pen can describe what