The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-04-09

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FALSE RESPECT TOR PUBLIC
OPINION

FALSE REAPBCT FOR PUBIdC
OPINION
Mollis was ON the way to the
same selfish pleasure loving life
that her mother had lived when I
married Dick, and except that she
had many Of her fother's splendid
characteristics, she would never
have made the splendid woman
that she has. could not help but
contrast mother and daughter in
this trying time.
Even now in her grief, Mother
Trent is thinking only of herself.
AS soon as she was a little over
her first wild hysterical paroxism,
she asked where Mr.. Trent was to
be taken and she seemed at first
much pleased to know that Dick
had ordered the body taken to
our house, but she again began to
cry as she said that they had just
been planning to build beautiful
home. Poor dear" she exclaim-
ed, even his body must go to It's
last resting place from a strang-
er's house."
Hardly the home OF a strang-
er. Mrs. Trent" broke in Chad.
who up to this time had been sill
ent, but l could see that he had
become so d.sgusted with her an
tics, he could keep silent no longer.
Surely, your son and daughter
in-law can hardly be called strang-
ers. But" he said, IF you would
feel better to have the funeral at
Mollie's and my house, l will give
the necessary orders"
"Oh, no, no." she hurriedly in
terposed, 1T is all right l am
very glad that you have done this.
II want to consult Molhe and
Margery on my mourning. SO l
will leave all the arrangements
for the laying away of my dear
husband to you Chadwick, and
Richard.
The boys hurried out and Mol
lie looked at me in CONSERVATION.
you know" said Mother Trent,
after they had left, 81 do not own
a black dress. Mr.. Trent never
liked them and never wanted me
to wear one.
81 have just gotten home some
new gowns and they will be dead
loss. wish you, Mollie, would
call up my dressmaker and ask
her IL she couldn't dispose of them
in some way"
why do you wear mourning
if Mr.. Trent disliked it," l asked
bluntly.
"Margie!" exclaimed Mother
Trent in Mortified accents. 'SIow
can you say that? What would
people say?"
There II is, little book. "What
will people say?" I wonder how
many times we do those thin 81
we should not do and leave un-
done the things we should do be-
cause we are afraid Of what peo-
pie will say.
| Why should we care IL some
woman, we do not know-and
whom II we did know her, we
could not like-because between
this woman and ourselves there
can be nothing in common
makes an adverse criticism OF
something that we say or do.
Oh, little book, can we not have
the courage Of our convictions?
The one thing that life has
brought me Is courage, and the
one thing that will be mine until
die is courage, not only physical
but moral courage.
| / have learned to. face facts.
| This Is something Mother Trent
never did in her life. She never
faced life or hardship or sacrifice
She has always fed upon conven-
tional hypocricies and evasions.
All her illusions are caused, not
by longing for the ideal. but by
restlessness. Even in this great
crisis she will not do the things
which will speak Of real grief, for
as long as she knows that her body
will be forever at ease, she will
not know great grief.