Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-11-11

lily uOJIb6' IllIo-- anu WdN6u my
hand indicating the surrounding
grandeur of a palace that had ever
chilled my soul with the stately
magnificence of its naughty mein-
this stiles me. No wonder / am
pale and wan. Once 1 was strong
and radiated the health that the open
gives. Yes, you are right, Mrs.
Swami, [ do need a change. Ill
hasten the preparations for our de
parture. Thank you for the sugges-
ton. My nerves feel stronger al
ready" and l smiled whimsically.
for in my heart new thought grew
and grew as the seconds passed. Ii
was a wild. fanciful idea, born in a
feeting second, but famed by hope
and love it grew and grew and
grew
And as it grew, my baby slept. l
looked on him fondly, then l arose
and laid him in his little white bed.
Stranahan looked at me rather
queerly, I thought. while Philips
mother took in the scene coldly, then
turned and walked from the room.
wearing the air of the conQueror.
stood hungrily feasting my eyes on
my sleeping child's features. I for
got my surroundings; forgot Strana-
han. Finally, I turned, and again
was impressed by her strange, burn
ing gaze fixed upon me. What could
it mean?
That evening Philips mother beck
oned him to her room. He was there
an hour by the clock, because / no.
ticed. The time dra eyed by some
how, until he came to my room. He
looked strangely subdued and there
was no life in his voice when ne
finally spoke and said, 1.-THE mater
has it all fixed, as you know, and
seems pleased that you were SO
agreeable with her plans, especially
after you spoke your mind just pre-
vlously. Don't be too hard on her
Marion. She's growing old and the
baby is the greatest thing that's hap
pened to her since I happened" he
smiled.
philip Swami, Pm willing to ad-
NIT she has rights, but how about
myself? I'm that child's mother. l
It's a sorry part I've played, but
from now on. I'm going to do my
duty, not as some mothers do this
day and time, but as my own moth
er did, for instance. [ don't want
my child pampered and fused over.
I want it to grow up and develop
into a man, not a weakling. 1t has
been starved-it-"
Come now, Marion; Strapahan is
paid to see after it's needs, Mother
keeps her eye on everything, and you
get worked up over things
that are properly attended to. Wor-
ry makes wrinkles" he concluded.
and neglect of ones child makes
scars on the SOUL" l cried vehement
ly.
ooh, been hearing the preacher"
he asked mockingly.
Phillip, it would do you good to
hear one sometimes" / replied quiet
ly, for Philips mockery often hurt
me inside somewhere. He reminded
me of his mother tonight, and this
fact grated harshly on my nerves.
He'd just come from an hours con-
terence with her, cold worldly being
that she was, and somehow the at
mosphere of her presence, her world,
still enveloped him. Suddenly, it
dawned upon me how far apart Philip
and L were. Had always been. A
deep, yawning gulf seemed to stand
between; an unbridged chasm, that
must ever so remain. Then, all at
once I felt tired, sick in soul and
body, as a feeling Of revulsion stole
upon me. / was nauseated with the
sham and pretense of the life I had
been living, and the hollow moth
tngness CROPPED from the shadows
like a living ghost, enveloping nv
soul.
Phili plooked at me keenly; mus
have seen the revulsion of my in
tense feeling in my eyes. He looked
penetratingly into the windows Of
my SOUL for a moment, then said
Mother is right. You do need a
change of scene. You look-well-er
queer tonight. Keep thisup and you'll
be in a santarium next thing we
know. Your eyes had wild, weird
light in them a moment ago. You
have money in plenty and money
should stand between you and all
worry. Sometimes 1t seems to me
you do not appreciate it's value, or
fail to realize just what it can do
for people," he paused, lighting a
cigarette.
what it can do for people?" I re-
peated questioningly. For ourselves
L see very we'll what it can do-has
done. For others, Just what has it
done for others, Philip" I asked
slowly.
"Oh, bosh! It's ours; let others
look out for others! What's got in
to you tonight is what L want to
know? 1 come home, tired bust
ness man-business to please you
and first it's mother all wrought up.
and you who did the excitement;
then I come in here only to find you
in strange humor, most peculiar,
say, and now it's all got on my
nerves. It's all deucedly queer, if
you want to know what l think about
it, but 20 please the family I'll al
low myself to be dragged around to
the slow, quiet corners of earth in
order that you get settled down
again so we may all live in peace
'Then he slammed the door and
vas gone.
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