New Britain herald., 1918-09-21
REVELATIONS
 OF A WIFE
1 The Wonderful Realization That Came to MadgC.
"DOn't you think so ?'

thing yet. I don't think she suspects. Hand me that bottle again, please. 1 There! She is coming to, all right"
 seemed to be slowly rising from abysmal black depths, and the voices l of my mother-in-law and Lillian sounded as if they were miles away. l Later l was to wonder what they meant by their puzzling references, Just now I had not the vaguest : curiosity concerning their conVersa- 1 ton.
 I opened my eyes to see their faces ! bending over me. Anxiety was writ l. 1 ten on each. I could plainly see that, and my mother~in-law wore also an expression familiar to me, the frown with which she grcets any unexpected ! situation.
 But on Lillians countenancc thero 1 was infinite pity and tenderness. I l pulled on her hand feebly, and she ] bent her head to hear my whisper.
 Cousin Agatha and the physician ] are with katie,' she said. Don't ] worry, dear Everything is being 1 done for her"
 1 "But-she-is-afra fraid-of-Cousin Agatha" l faltered, visions of the | various nagging cruelties to which the woman had subjected my little maid rising before me.
 She isn't now" my mother-in-laW struck in. Agatha is responsible for this accident, and is so remOrSeful and , fraid something will happen to Katie that she's as meek as Moses. And she's waiting on her hand and foot. But now tha tyou're all right I'm going back to Katie, anyway. But Margaret, I think you ought to see physician SOOn.
 The Awakening.
 Her manner was heSitant, far differ ent from her usual crisp command. felt instinctively that at any other time she wuld have brought the phy- sician to my room immediately after such a swoon, insisted upon my con- sulting him and following his direc- tiOns minutely.
 And then, all in a moment, the realization swept over me of the meaning of my mother-in-laW queer manner and of Lillian's earlier in the day. l cast a quick, frightened glance at Lillian, then threw my shak- ing hands over my face in a futile effort to shut away from me for moment the knowledge which once would have transported me to the seventh heaven of delight.
 Lillian's firm hands took mine away from my face her kind eyes looked reproach chfully at me.
 This is no good business, Madge, she said firmly-then she added and it isn't fair"
 caught her thought, and it steadied me, enabled me to put firm rein upon myself.
 ,1%i, idiot Lillian" I said contritely, but you won't have to complain about me again nd-please-you'u under stand-Td like to be alone for d little while"
 "Of course, child,' she said, and left the room imme ediately.
 And then I faced the future, the wonderful, bewildering, terrifying
 A littis child was coming to Dlc}Iy and me!
 Mixed Joy and Doubt.
 How I longed and prayed for this boon. And now that 1t was vouchsafed me there was more misery than happiness in the thought Of it's granting.
 For two miserable sordid facts stared me in the face.
 Dicky did not want a cht}d. He might hide his displeasure, although knowing DIcky, I wasn't confident of that fact, but he would be sOrely dis arpointAl d! my news. And unless my doubts cOncern1n@ my husbands patriotism ana his faith to me were cleared up doubted sore lv that I desired motherhood either The child of slaCker The phrase tIn i1- I me-to ring in my ears. Every fibre of me revolted at the stigma my baby 1 might have to bear. And then, like a clear, inViSorating ] breath of mountain air, dispelling all 1 the mists of my valley of desolation, i the great vital joy of eXpectant l motherhood came to me. The little child l had longed for was coming to me. l, too, would feel the touch of baby hands upon my face, would bend my neck for the holy l accolade of motherhood. Tt isn't fair" Lillian had said. l With flush of shame my soul echoed her words. The little soul struggling 1 to life should not be hampered by | fears or doubts or sadness. The mYS- tery of Dicky's conduct his incxpH- 1 cable treatment of me receded far into 1 the horizon of my mental perspective. l There was but one duty, one thought 1 before me now, to fit my weak. uu- l So1f for wise. loving