The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-02-21
&C The Greater Glory :"

way Pa Wheeler abused me fore he |
was born and he's been a helpless !
whimpering burden that's kept me
tied here enduring it all. The weeks !
has grown into months and months
into years and all my ambitions to
make something out O. myself for my
children-all my likin' for pretty
things, all my yearnin' for education
rnyself-has all gone for nothin' but
doin' the work peaceable to keep Pas
temper down, ivin' for only you and
Artie-for after all, I'm his mother
and hopin' to get you started right.
And it's from goin' through with II
and KNOWN what its ike that | want
to save you from it, Mary. It's
why feel hurt and afraid when you
talk about the time when you'll be
married. You don't know what it
means, Mary. You just don't know
what it Means
The girl answered sorrowfully:
HThe worlds awful unfair to some
folk who don't deserve it, isn't it,
mother?'
"Lots of older heads than yours
and wiser heads than mine have made
the same observation long ago and ar
rived at about the same conclusion !"
| The girl watched the stars-nlil
lions and millions of stars-peaceful
stars-prinkling stars-in the mid
night sky-but stars that often mean
! only insanity to lonely farmers wives
exiled off in the country's great 81
lent places. After time, tears like
chips Of diamonds glinted in her
eyes.
at spoils ali the dreams of the fu-
ture to think that marrying means
that mother. There must be some
good boys somewhere who grow up
without looking on their wives that
way"
''For your sake, Mary, l hope there
isl hope there isl But that brings
us around to the subject we were
talking about a few minutes ago
you can't marry them kind, that are
worth while, and gentlemen, while
you're only a little country pumpkin
that don't know nothin'. It's one OF
the reasons why | want you should
finish at the Academy-get an edu-
cation that'll bring you the proper
boy, the right sort, with brains and
education and ambition-all O. which
means courtesy and kindness. You
got the natural good looks and the
ability, Mary. You amt been spoiled
by no foolish notions. You can do it
if you get the education
Then for long time it was quiet
in the little bedroom. Somewhere
down in the lilacs barnacling the cor
ner Of the house a tramp cricket
: cheeped philosophically. In the low
er pasture below the orchard, among
the rushes bordering the swamp, the
frogs were piping with a chorus that
i was hourly growing lighter as tbs
!, night deepened Their music had 6
melancholy that all the experiences
that came to the girl in after life ane
/ all the joy and all the success, coule
never entirely efface. Each Spring
time when the frogs began peeping
the memory returned of that little
caves bedroom and that moonlight
night in June, back when she W.
nineteen-goin'-on twenty and sh'
waited with her mother the honecom
ing of "Silent" Wheeler from the Nc
Dernott job down the valley.
"Mother," she asked, eff it came t.
a choice between a poor man who's
treat you decently and love you or
rich man who'd see you got plenty o
money but-not much else-whicl
+ would you take?"
81 pray God I might never have t
decided"
cit isn't fair to answer so.'
"There amt no such thing as
poor man treating his womenfolk
decent and loving themn' exclaime
the embittered woman. "I'm afraie
= = after all been through that I'd tax
my chances with the rich man." He
: voice wavered. She leaned over an
:, buried her face on her arms acros
!, the bed. ooh God!-Godi-God!
, she wept Historically, forgive m
for sayin' it! God forgive me! But
have stood so much, God-so muc
5 for such long, long time! guess q
; last I'm goin' crazy!"
Il Mother, motheri You're not &C
!, ing crazy. Don't let yourself get a
= worked up like that. You're jus
feelin' badly because Pa told me t
: pack up my things and get out te
: night. You're sorrowful because h
took your last months egg none
q and went down to McDermott's t
get drunk on it instead Of using hi
own"
SIT amt the loss of no egg none.
dearie, although that's hard enough
SEEM was .savin' up for to get 20
the muslin dress for the dance dow
to Christie's. It's the hopelessness c
it-for me. You amt made no fat;
mistake yet. You amt made no mis-
e take and saddled yourself with del
and work and unhappiness and hops
L lesness for the future. There's tn
G chance for you to meet the right kin
$ O. boy with money and ambition an
: ability to get ahead and be happ
{ with him. But there's no such relic