Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-03-23
One WOm2Nn's
Story
BY Carolyn BeeCher.

some of the things that now SEEM
= ed so necessary for me TO know
| instead of the many little accomplish
ments that amounted to so little in the
new scheme of things, l should have
been much happier.
1t was awful, Simply awful! The
meals 1 used to put on the table were
enough to make a stray dog seek an
other stopping place. At first Robert
used to laugh and then he tried to help
me with the cooking. 1t was noble of
him. really. to even try to eat But
after a week he rebelled, not loudly at
first. but he rebelled.
"I thought 1t was natural for women
| to cook" he said one day when the fish
was burned to a cinder.
Think again, then" l answered an
grily. 1 was hot and tired, and besides
burning the fish I had burned my fin
ger.
The next day he sent a young girl 10
me who said she could cook She
couldn't. But even so, she did better
than did, and didn't burn my fingers
any more. Then she could wash dishes.
THE first big case I get 1 will have
the living room repapered," Robert said
one evening when the ugly unsympathet-
&c paper had been the subject of my
complaint.
"Oh, this is only one of many things
about this ugly house that gets on my
nerves" I reJoined GROSSLY. Then see
ing the look on Roberts face was i'm
mediately penitent.
Margaret, dear" he said, after 1 had
satisfied him of my penitence, do you
think you really try to make the best
Of things? ! know the house is very
different from the home you have been
accustomed to: that everything is diff
ferent and hard But, dear, we have
each other, and until 1 get on my feet
that will be about all we will have"
Gradually / came to see that 1T was
not only expedient but necessary for me
! to learn to care for our home. The girl
Robert had secured was singularIy IN
competent and extravagant. Robert had
an occasional client, ii ia true, but he
either received so little as fee or had
to wait so long for 1t that we had been
obliged to draw on my little nest egg
for our running expenses, which were
much larger than was at all necessary.
shall never forget the shamefaced-
ness with which Robert told me he had
no money for the rent. He had paid
the butcher and the grocer-their bills
were outrageous for so small family
and his office rent, but that had taken
all he had available. 1 willingly gave 1t
I
hurt him to ask.
Like many another town of its type,
the place where we lived served as the
end of the committing line to many peo-
pie. In the town were asphalt streets,
several saloons, some stores. and many
local politicians. Robert had already met
some of them, and was beginning to be
interested in town politics. L thought l
saw in this another menace to my happi-
ness, and discouraged him all was able
concerning this new departure. But he
assured me that 1t would help him to
stand in with the local politicians, that
a country lawyer was nearly always a
politician. either embryo or otherwise,
and a lot more talk of that kind that
neither convinced nor satisfied me-
1 was fiercely trying to hold on 20
nv happiness all this time without do
ing anything to conserve ii, or without
putting an inhibition on my speech. |
was not naturally a Pathfinder, but my
nerves were often rasped to the break
ing point by the trials of housekeeping
and other things of which 1 was so ig-
norant.
had determined to let the maid go
at the end of her month and to try It
alone again. had said nothing of this
to Robert, as if l failed as ignominiouS-
" as before 1 did not want him to know
had discharged Bertha to economize, as
I should then have to find some one
else.
At this time had any one asked me
what was the most necessary thing for
a girl to know I should have answered,
ITO know how to cook" and then should
have added, IF she doesn't for heavens
sake don't let her marry a poor man
until she has taken a course in domestic
q IN n
fathers kitchen"
At first, when love was at the stage
where Robert laughed at my shortoom-
ings, he had excused; but time went
on he became annoyed, then Disguised
and vowed he could stand 1t no longer
He loved order, and home meant much
TO him. To come back night after night
to a place that was still in the curl
paper and kimono state OF the morning.
filled him with disgust. although he did
his best to hide ii. once I heard him
mutter home, sweet home" as he look
ed around the untidy living room.
Every day 1 made resolutions to do
better, to learn to make home for
Robert a real home of neatness and
comfort, but as each day came and pass
ed as quickly forgot them. 1t wasn't
that did not love Robert, II was that
1 loved my ease, my own selfish comfort
more. And yet 1 was not comfortable,
I did not really like disorder, but every
thing had been so ordered for me, been
made so neat with no effort OF my own,
that had not yet been able to concen-
trate on what was required to gain ef-
ficiency.
Roberts parents lived in Los An
geles. and 1, to tell the truth, was rather
glad of II. 1 was not anxious to have
in-laws see and know my incompetency.
His mother was quite an invalid, so they
had not come on for the wedding. And
while Robert never talked of the good
things his mother made, he often con-
veyed the idea that she was a wonder
full housekeeper.
Even at this early stage Robert was
doing his best. Had 1 been less self
centered / should have recognized II. lie
loved his profession, was a great stu
dent, and interchangeable worker, and so
bound to succeed.