Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-04-09


how old men grow, they're only boys
ut heart. And when they grow ur
and get lonely and out of sorts they
want someone to whom they car
bring their troubles and get sympathy
and help. A successful wife under.
stands that, though perhaps she
couldn't put it into fine phrases,
it would sound maudlin. In then
boyhood days a mother fills that
place. It's the sterling-true function
of womankind without which she's
merely female and nothing else; men
come to look for it in all women,
that influence over them, that
sympathy, and wherever you find
an unhappily married man you find
Il fool of woman too small-bored
to recognize it. You were too sell
fish and thoughtless to do that to
Herbert. He became discouraged
without knowing why he was discour-
;,ged. He sought relief for his name
less heartache in drink. One thing
led to another and he wandered away
God knows where. He became Il
derelict because he was Respondent
over a great disappointment which
stood out in his life irremediable
so he thought, or at least he lost
interest in things because he was out
of accord with all the world, and
he-not you!-paid the price"
"Dick haven't you any heart at
all? Are you cad after all can't
you see how this is"
"Mibb, did anybody ever take the
time or trouble to tell you this be-
fore?"
"No one ever did because they had
too much regard for my feelings"
"Then it's time some really good
friend of yours cast aside pretty con-
ventionalities and gave you strong
look at the naked truth. Sit quiet
and hear me out; there's lots more |
have to tell you. Pm coming down
to my own career in moment.
why l hold these ideas that I do
why I won't marry you or any
woman. That should interest you,
what?"
eyes," she whispered miserably.
every good. There was once boy,
Dick Robinson, remember him? He
was q good sort before he went
money-mad. But there was time
when he wasn't money-mad. He loved
you sincerely and deeply. He would
have made you u good husband. But
you refused him so long as there
was money to be married elsewhere .
and when you finally came around to
him in after years and displayed in
terest in him, the damage had been
done. You had sent him into his
money-madncss; his idea at first was
to acquire so much that it would
make your sorry. When he got 60
ing he generated so much momentum
that he couldn't stop. The stuff own
ed him got him like booze gets
some men. But at the same time he'd
generated enough common sense-if
you want to call it that-to see that
you weren't after him for the sake
of love for HINT was his money
and what it meant. And by that
time he loved his money too much to
let you dig your lily-white fingers,
your greedy fingers, deeply down
into his pile. He went away from
you. You had sent one man to dis
grace directly as the result of your
lack of maternity, Mibb; you sent
Dick Robinson's soul to hell, the
hell of worship of seven per cent, :.
by your choice of wealth over hon
est love and willingness to get down
and work honestly for it beside
man who loved you. But that isn't
all, Mibb-"
81 am hell-cat amt -" said the
woman bitterly. But it was sarcasm
and her voice was broken.
"No, just merely selfish, fear
fully selfish, selfshness has been at
the bottom of every shadow which
has crossed your life, Mibb."
"You! telling this to me
after all the ways you've made money
and the things you've done"
Careful, Mibb. Maybe I've made
folks come up to the scratch in bust
ness but I've gone on the level"
"And you don't admit that your life
has been selfish? that you are liv-
ing selfishly now alone and with
out family and for your own
enjoyment; not helping anybody or
doing anything to make the world
better?"
"No; l haven't gone to extremes
in this thing. And as for selfshness,
{. at least I haven't always looked
FOR the easiest way around things. l
haven't lodged hard work. I haven't
asked others to carry my burdens, or
finance me, or permit me to live on
the fruits of their labors."
you're a man. You're supposed
to do hard things and carry burdens
and finance yourself. I'm I'm =
a woman!"
The man raised his eyebrows.
"That, Mibb,' he said ais the most
absurd thing you've said tonight
Lets quit this" he snap
ned. arm be saying things for which
I'll be sorry, things unbecoming a
man who tries to preserve the APP