The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-02-21
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away. Then she spoke IN husky
whisper.
SIn the story-books, women-folks in
my fix would pack up their belongin' s
and leave. No self-respectin' wo-
man'd stand for it, not in story-books
| But it's different in real life when
their children arc to be thought Of
and, when the place you're, leavin' is
the only home you got!"
/ Then silence again. Somewhere off
in the hills whip poor-will was sing
! ing.
"Taint as if I had folks to go to-
she went on. "And besides, be-
sides, there's Artie. What could
l do with Artie if I went? It's GER
tain I couldn't go to work nowhere
and take him with me-
The girl turned her face about and
gazed up at the clear high-riding
moon.
we could go together, mother >;
she said I could work and you ceule
help out"
That's just what l don't want 20,
should do, dearie, not yet" II wan,
you should finish at the Academy, anC
graduate and know you got what's al
good as high-school education; ri
leel it was worth all the sacrifice. Its
why I'm putin up with so much.
from him, him your step-father.
l been hopin' almost against hope
that he couldn't find more'n his usual
amount O. fault with you stayin
around home and just helpin' me, I'M
Ill | could see you graduate. But af-
Ter the way he's been talkin' the last
few weeks, and especially after what
he says tonight"
Don't take on so over that, mother.
After all, maybe leaving home won't
kill me- Maybe it would be the best
enlng, seeing that staying arouno
here keeps causing you so much
trouble and abuse
But where'd you go, dearie? Out
among strangers! / amt got no
folks and Amos's folks couldn't at
ou'd have to go into the world with
only half a schoolin' and KNOWN no
business to support YOU"
"But if you should die suddenly,
mother, I'd have to face it. And /
got to face it sometime anyway"
(which amt no reason why you
should leave and miss your schoonIl
so long as I'm alive and all it means
is me standin' up for you!"
at isn't fair for you to put it that
way. 1t sounds as though my educa-
ton was taking something out of you
that | have no right to take" The
| girls voice was tender.
"But you have, Mary girl. When
you get to be mother you'll realize
how you don't begrudge havin' your
children take things out O. you that
way
! "When l get married, mother, ano
have my own home" began tho
girl.
Don't talk about it," the mother
broke in. at hurts! Not because
it'll mean losin' you who's nearer ant
dearer to me than anyone else OF
/ earth, but because you don't under
stand what it means to be married
You just don't understand what tn,
chances are you're taldn' You
don't understands
"You mean, mother" corrected tn,
girl, II don't understand what Thu
chances are I'd be taking if | marie,
} a man like Pa Wheeler. But if
: married man like my own father
if were to be as happy as yol
, claim you were in the one short yea
before my own father died, yo1
wouldn't feel that way, would you
mother?"
| The woman bit a quivering lip.
There amt often anybody a
happy as | was that one year wit
your pa, Mary And yet from m
experiences with menfolks since,
! wonder if that happiness wasn't du
more to his dyin' before the novelt
o. Twin together wore off, than be
: cause the match was so awfully pei
! feet"
You ought not to let yourself b
as bitter as that, mother. It'll spo
7 your faith in everything
! at has,-almost, Mary. Yes, II
j bittcri And why shouldn't ] b