Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-10-12
|Life'sProblems
Are Discussed
BY Mrs. Wilson Woodrow

1 was talking to a woman who in
the course of the conversation said
some very disparaging things about
herself. 1 looked at her in surprise.
She was not the sort of a person 1
should have accused of the pride
that apes humility, and she had al
ways struck me as an unusually good
sort-breezy merry, without preju-
dices and taking things as they come
why be unjust to yourself?" 1
asked.
Il don't think 1 am" she replied.
Il had very nice opinion of my
self until a few years ago, and then
l discovered that instead of the con-
ventional seven DEVILS 1 was pos
sessed of seventy.
1T was this way: A change in
my husbands business made it nee
essary for us to remove to another
city We had been married only a
short time, and 1t seemed advisable
instead of going to housekeeping TO
live with a widowed aunt of Philips.
Every one congratulated us, told us
what an agreeable person she was,
a wonderful housekeeper and noted
for her delicious table.
1T was all quite true. But I had
no sooner set eyes upon her than L
realized that we should never get
along. There was secret antagon-
ism between us, an antipathy 50
strong that it frightened me, and 1
/ knew intuitively that the feeling was
reciprocated. 1 took myself seriously
in hand.
"'You should be too big a wom-
an l said to myself, to let this
| illogical and unreasoning dislike af-
| feet you. And l honestly tried to
overcome my prejudice. But I've got
to say that she didn't attempt to be
as fair to me as L endeavored to be
to her. Because she disliked me she
assumed that 1 was a despicable per-
son deserving of whatever insolence
| or unkindness she dared show me.
I'm spite of my best intentions we
began to indulge in that sort of
covert pickering, that utterance of
| sugared remarks with the sting in
them in which women are adopts
when they choose. We spent our
time thinking up small ways in
which to thwart and annoy each 9TH
er. 1t was all very mean and miser-
able, and not only my disposition but
my looks and my health suffered IN
! consequence.
II attempted to explain something
of the situation to my husband, but
he quite failed to understand. He
! said that it was extremely incon-
venient and ill-advised for us even
to consider making any change at
the time and that l was evidently
suffering from an exaggerated case
of nerves and had better see a doc
nor.
80 you see I was up against a
| blank wall. Again 1 held a confer
/ ence with myself. l resolved to look
at the whole question as dispas-
sionately as possible. 1 took pen
Gil and paper and put down the
whole case as fairly as l could. both
! for and against myself.
THE facts against me were that
Philip was contented and happy in
our present manner of living; he
asked nothing better. He had told
me that 1t would be at least six
months before he would know GER
tainly whether we would make our
| permanent home in this place or not;
| therefore any immediate change
would be foolish. Then, since he
couldn't understand the reason for
my unhappiness, was only making
myself wretched and worrying him
| unnecessarily by bringing up the
subject between us.
"On the other hand, I was living
in small hell, contemplate because
| 1t was so petty and unworthy. l was
! getting to be embittered, sharp
tongued and thoroughly discouraged.
| My life seemed empty and mean, and
was losing all belief in myself
"These were the facts. The next
| question was what should I do about
! it? To run home to mother simply
because 1 couldn't live happily with
my husbands aunt seemed to me
| terribly babyish thing to do. Any
way 1 reflected, you never really get
away from anything by running
away from it; il aiwaYs rises up to
meet you sooner or later, in another
form perhaps, but strip it of it's dis
guises and it's the same old specter
you have fed from and determined
to evade.
$50 1 made some very stern re-
solves to which I meant to adhere
through thick or thin. And the first
of these was that was not going to
spoil my young. glad life and my
Axr tFaNt