The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-12-10

had an unexpected visit from my
old schoolmate, Reta Sterling, today.
Reta is one of those women with an
eEotism which makes anything that
happens to her, anything she owns,
or does, or feels, the exactly right and
desirable thing. She had always Just
| taken the most marvellous trip In the
Nworld, or survived the most remark
able operation. or her child has dis
tinguished herself with school honors,
or her husband has negotiated mill
ion-dollar deal. To hear Reta talk one
would think her an absolute pioneer
in LIES experiences-the only human
being who had done exceptional things.
II hear you're writing!" she ex'
claimed. vivaciously. Il hate to think
OF your having to work. dear. But
probably there are compensations.
."Now, l wrote a book once. A fam
GUS critic said it was the most remark
able book he had read In twenty years.
He advised me to take 1t to Everest's >.
because my idea was way ahead OF
the times and they were the only
house progressive enough to print it.
They kept it four months, Ann, and
stole-yes, absolutely stoleZmy theme
for 1t came out later in a novel OF
theirs. wonder, dear, II you have
experience enough Of life to write sue
cessfully? You see, had travelled so
much, and married early, and then
there was that affair Il never deny it)
with the French count whom Id met
abroad in the sanitarium. Then my
husbands failure and rapid rise again.
and all our changes, though I'm still
so young. And, my dear, I have the
children! Children are such a marve-
lous experience. What pity you have
no child, Ann; don't you feel It so?'
"Well, frankly, dear, don't." ans
wered. "We've been married only a
bit of a year, and I've always felt q
little sorry for young wives who had
the responsibility of a family before
they were sure their marriage was
going to be successful"
Reta looked panied and shocked.
"But surely, dear. marriage Is sac
fament and children a divine gift!"
i IF it is a sacrament, why are girls
! and boys allowed to enter into 1t with
out the slightest instruction or prepa-
ration? Honestly, Reta, dear, I can
not bring myself to think mere mar
rage as men have arranged 1t, Is
eatred unless love and loyalty are
here. Could you regard the marriage
6f the Frosts or the Darbys, who
frankly hated each other. as sacred
I think it was a degradation and a
sin against their souls to live together.
] have actually heard little Coralie
Frost say: 4 do wish mother and IA
Their would get divorced and let me
live with either one Of them. They
wouldn't quarrel all the time then, and
make me ashamed to invite any ono
to the house."
"But that isn't the fault Of marriage,
Ann: it's the fault of those particular
people," defended Reta.
; Haven't you ever known women
and men, too, who married with the
best intentions and were wretched
through no fault of theirs?"1 asked.
"How about Lucy Hart, whose hus-
baud went insane through drink
Lucy wouldn't marry Tom Barns. who
loved her and had half a million dol
lars. Remember how she worked her
self into invalidism to support her
children, and drowned herself In the
creek? Nothing terribly sacred in her
marriage, I should say"
what a dreadful radical you've be-