The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-09-22

cannot realize 1t. Over and over
] say to myself, You're about to be
narried-married- married! Never
again, SO long as you live, shall you
be Miss Ferrow.' Never again shall
you be called, except playfully, per
haps, a girl aud have only a girls
responsibilities.
Strange, how I've longed for this
day Yet as l sit here at my desk IN
my fathers home queer little thump-
ing heartbeat of sadness keeps time
to the regular throb of my heart.
There's nothing wrong-oh, no!
am only too sure that l love Jim. And
/ want to give up my work, or, rather,
exchange M out-in-the-world work for
the work within my own little home.
NV home--only think Of it! Full OF
dear things that belong to Jim and
me alone; my home, that is to be
more than shelter for a man and
woman who love each other; my home
the true function of which is, as some.
body has said, ito furnish body for
a soul"
Nor Is it that I am not certain OF
Jims love l am, I am, I am!
After l wrote those words l stopped,
astonished at my emphasis. Why do
I say so vehemently that l know Jim
loves me? Come-let me be perfectly
frank with myself. This Is my jour-
nal. No one shall ever lay eyes on
it but me. Let me search my inner
most heart and find what brings this
tiny note of sadness into my soul to-
night, on the very eve Of my marriage.
Let me trace out all the elements that
combine in this, the marriage of my
self. Ann Ferrow. and Jim Salsbery.
What was the first thing that at
tracted me to jim? His bigness, |
think; his look of stability and dura-
bility His profession added to the
impression. A mans being an engi-
neer, and building viaducts, railroads
aHd bridges, somehow makes you feel
he is bound to understand all sorts
of complex situations. You feel he
has lived and grappled with Difficult
ties and overcome them. You feel
he will deal wisely and kindly-with
you.
Well, that is how I felt toward Jim
from the moment I met him two
years ago. And when he asked me
to marry him-"Be my other self,
dear" was how he put it, 'be by COM
rade, my sweetheart, my partner in
all things. always!"-my very soul
thrilled with pride and yeaEning to be
all he longed for,
l guess no girl in her right senses
could have refused Jim. Somtimes
l catch myself wondering how many
girls
But I'm getting away from my
theme.
Now, what do l bring to Jim?
I will be candid since no one shall
ever read this. l am what people call
a pretty woman. Certainly I am a
sturdy, intelligent one-my bitterest
enemies would grant me that. And
have made my own living for four
years, as livings go on in a small city.
| cannot help dreaming Of big city,
where life is complex and full of &C
tivities How l should love to breast
the tide of such an existence!
But jim my darling, self-reliant,
capable jim is tethered to Center
willie, and l shall strive, oh, how hard
I shall strive, to be just little more
than the average Centerville married
woman. the mere housewife who lives
in the reflected light of her man"
All, we'll! Here's to Jim's wife.
then! l raise my ink bottle high in
the air. l pledge a whimsical toast
to myself-as woman who steps fear
lessly, hopefully, joyously into the
path that leads to-what? Happiness"
Yes. surely happiness. Struggle? Yes,
possibly that. Development? A thou
sand times yes-development, self ex-
preston to its fullest extent, and ever
lasting inspiration to my Jim, such as
no other woman can offer!
No. other woman. No other woman.
The words keep repeating themselves
in my brain. Now know what brought
that old tinge of sadness into my