The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-04-22

Cooking wasn't so bad, though Vt
was exasperating to discover that every
ingredient that made things taste good
was expensive. But washing dishes
The new Celia shared the opinion OF
the greasy dish-washer. She hated the
way it was spelling her hands. Her
feet and ankles were getting spoiled,
too They would spread and thicken to
appalling proportions, If this life kept
up long enough. She was pretty soft,
Of course, all over, and during the
first fortnight she was discovering
new muscles all the time that, she had
never known. existed until they began
to ache. ~ q m
|D} Her spirite 'ached too,, sometimes,
more excruciatingly than her muscles.
Determination and dash didn't always
win you a victory. And when you were
defeated, you did feel such a fool. Tc
cite single instance there was a
disasterOus day when she tackled tic
wash. She'd blithely sent it out to The
nearest laundry the first of the week.
and since it hadn't occurred to either
of them that it was possible to GcOno'
mize i'll this direction, the hole this
made in their free assets for the week
was shocking. There were holes. too, in
other things. This laundry evidently
didn't. understand the nature Of silk
paiamas. Soon, with an undaunted air
but feeling very hollow ir:sidt. Celia
told herself that Of course it was rcdi-
culous for a woman IN her position not
to do her own washing
Her first forebOtlings were more
than borne out by the vent There was,
it appeared, Il technique in this b'lsi'
ness which her own experience limit
ed to the washington of sheer little
blouses and handkerchiefs. lad not
provided her with. And the horrible
fatigue of It! Before she had even fin
ished the washing part, her back achcd
as if she had broken it. ....
And when it came to the ironing
Well, if you're curious, just try to iron
a pair Of double bed-sheets by hand
yourself. Before she got through with
them, those two sheets represented, q
visit, illimitable acreage-enOugh for
Il country estate. Then, Alfred had q
horrible predilection for the very thin.
nest kind of gauzy wooden underwear
and socks. which had to be bathcd as
tenderly as a young baby.
She told him, when he came home
that night, with an hysterical attempt
ut jocularity,s that he'd have to wash
those things for himself thereafter
Perhaps they'd let him 20 in swimming
with them on. in the public bathhOuse
then and perhaps not shrink. III
mise. They learned to he less reckless
about things that had to be washed,
and the flat things were sent out to
the laundry.
But I'm not going into the details of
: Celia's schooling. They'd be volumi-
nous. Literally, what she didn't know
when. she took on the job Of being a
wage-earner's wife would fill book.
Anyway, that isn't the story.
But her spiritual attitude toward
those hard lessons is part Of the
story That she kept herself from sag.
ging and drudging through them. and
, submitting. by this attitude. to a
spiritual defeat. was due mostly to two
causes. One of them was the conscious.
ness that she was-putting it over with
Alfred. to an extent she hadn't dream.
ed of when SHE made the threat the
night of the dinner-party.
He'd been dangerously near right in
the opinion Of her he'd unconsciously
expressed that night The old Celia. Il
she hadn't been burnt to ashes in the
fire Of the new Celia's wrath. nigh,
easily enough have done just what
her husband had expected she would
But YOU couldn't make Alfred believe
that nOw--not on the oath of the Re
cording Angel. He was still in the
depths Of contrition. as far as SO hap
py man could he. over the injustice
he'd done her. AND. contrite hus
band, aware that he has never. until
| now. appreciated you. is much more
stimulating companion to live with
than an aggrieved but nObly fOrgiving
one 1t was wonderful stimulus, liv
(, Ing up to his new and still wondering
/ opinion Of her.
| There was aonther. which she was
less conscious of. This new life Of hers
had extraordinarily. the quality Of be
ing alive. It was real. It took hold. The
things she did ewere effectval. They