The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-03-27
f it that I'd live diferentJ-"


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of it that I'd live differentJ-"
"Some folks do have such queer
IDEAS" observed Mabel, fixing her
hair in the back.
= Then you got a divorce, did you,
from Herbert?'
Herbert? Oh yes, you mean the
elephantine person of the male sex
with whom l once committed a rash
girlish act. Certainly I got a di-
vorce from him, while / was
out in California in Ninety-Fo
"And you never heard what be-
came of him."
"No, why should I? What is he
to me?"
"He was your husband, Mabel"
Mabel laughed, contemptuous
laugh.
i Heavens, but you are old-fash-
Toned! In my set, woman who has
MT had two or three husbands simply
isn't in the swim, at all''
'sI wouldn't care much for those in
your set, Mabel, I'm afraid"
"Nor they for you, either. Oh
for heavens sake can't you and l
come together without fighting over
this disgusting subject of donesti-
city? You make me mad! What's
your life, anyway? Tell me thatp'
"My life answered Mary quietly,
'is working to raise six hve-wire boys
to be good men. When that is done,
my hfe-work is completed. That's
been my "career'-at least up to the
present and I can't change it now.
There's been frightfully cruel mo-
ments in it. But there's been fright
fully dear and precious moments too.
After all, keeping a home and rails
ing children is a woman's work in the
world and if she isn't content to &C.
cept it, she hasn't any business being
woman. l can't for the life of me
see why-when God made woman fol
that-there should be SO much fault
finding and discomfort and dissatis
faction among them and wanting
to be something else. Somehow the
womenfolks nowadays think it's q
curse on a woman that she is wo
man and they're trying their best to
be menfolks. But somehow I've oh
served, Mabel, that there's nothing
but unhappiness and heart-hungel
beneath it all and fault-fnding with
the menfol11s, society and Cod
everybody and everything but tho''oe
selves-with selfshness at the bottom
of it and cowardly shrinking from
some of the noble duties of life just
because they want a pleasant time
and good looks and nonsense. I've
been through the experience of moth
erhood six times, Mabel. And I've
buried husband. But along with it
all there's come satisfaction and a
peace, a resignation If you want to
call it that, Mabel, that's ample to
repay it all. I've tried not to shirk /;
I've tried to do my duty and am as
happy as know how to be, while
doing it. And I'm not galivanting
around looking fer happiness through
dollars or marrying rich men or fear
full of losing my good looks and all
such nonsense. I'm not looking for
happiness because I've got it, Mabel.
I've got happiness now that moth
ing in life can take away. naybe
haven't seen Europe seven times
probably I'll never see Europe or any
other place but Paris, Vermont. But
I've seen other things that you've
never seen and isn't given you to see.
Mabel, and it's aplenty. Don't
waste any pity on me, Mabel. Pity
yourself. You're a lonely woman
:. you're the lonely one, not me
l can read it in your face, Mabel
And may the kind Father have mercy
on you. You need it, Mabel, indeed
You need it but you don't know it. >
"This is all one gets for trying to
be neighborly and helpful for ole
times sake" Mabel replied wrathful-
ly, "Wel1, as we both seem to be
satisfied with our lots, Mary, I might
as we'll call my visit at an end anc
co.
She arose stiffly and she did go
But as she rolled back to town she
! knew deep in her heart that Mary
! Wood had spoken the truth.
! "My Gawdv she cried suddenly ant
miserably "I'd give all the Robinson
millions I'm coming into next yea
8. just to have the peace =.
that's on Mary Purses face!'
And she meant what she sait
| though there was no one to hear.