The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-05-20
CONFESSIONS
OF A Wife
REAL HAPPINESS INVOLVES
HOPE

Il am quite Hurc. sfarEie dear"
began Dick. that you remember
that ride We took In the small hours
o. the morning the night before We
were married
II had been out with the boys at a
farewell supper. and had drunk al
together too much. but I was sud.
denly sobered az your voic. came
over the wire. You remember Dr.
Atwatsr had been talking To you on
the duties Of marriage.
Neither Of US. Margie. at tina,
time. had any idea that marriage
meant anything more than a giori.
fled courtahip. and l remember I
was madden than a hornet at the old
doctor for filing you up with that
old fashioned bunk rs I called II
myself.
Wasn't that ride glorious. dear
hoart7 As I write with Death look.
ing over my shoulder. can turn
smiling face 20 his grim visagc when
1 think Of that ride. For I have
lived. No one can take that away
from me.
"You were so dear that night
You were no dependent and yielding.
You wanted to believe all that said
when told you that our marriage
was going TO be like no other since
the world began.
"'Wlll you always love me. Dick.
as you do now you said. as your
ciinging lips left mine. II IL tho uni.
verpal question. expect. but I was
almost indignant that you would ask
10 OF me. OF course. I would. only
more SO. and sworo under my
breath at the old doctor for putting
any thoughts Of duty or responsible.
II ty into your pretty head.
"T did not want n wife 10 have
any responsibility I said 20 myself.
I only wanted a wife To love and be
loved.
"Margic. did not think. Mt the
time. that such thoughts as thcse.
which probably fiji the heads Of all
young lovers. are the beginning OF
the whole trouble and mistakes Of
marriage. About week after. n
man begins to wake up to the fact
that love In only part OF the life
that must be lived together.
But that night. my wife. You will
forgive me, now that ] am where I
cannot ask forgiveness. when I tell
you that probably that night on that
drive / was happiest OF my whole
life. II was the apex. knew that
the next day you would belong TO
me. and ! was paSsionatcly. dellr.
iously In love with you. You were
looking to me to calm your fears and
comfort you.
No poet has pictured heaven as
knew II that night, and since have
thought about it / have come to the
conclusion that even In your great.
est happiness you must still have
hopes of greater happiness to make
your heaven complete.
You know. Margie. that n man In
my position cannot help specializing
on the world beyond. and am quite
sure there rs great joy and happiness
after death. The heaven we have
been told about will not bo the
heaven of our dreams unless there
comes the consciousness OF greater
Joy 10 come.
Everlasting peace may mean cv.
erlastinR sleep. everlasting inertia.
but everlasting happiness and ever
lasting JOY must--to the finite mind
It lcaHt-mcnn everlasting hope.
don't know, Margic dear. what IN
coming 10 me on the other side OF
the great sea.
ut may be everlasting Joy or II
may be everlasting oblivion. but
whatever II is. ri take my chance.
with all my faults. all my sins OF
commission and omission / am but
human. and for mortals TO reach i'm.
mortality has always seemed TO me
"A task too great for human mind to
conceive or human power 10 achieve.
81 wish ] had more faith, Margie;
but you see / have only hope"
(f0 BE Continued