The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-01-16
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Il WAS a perplcxcd and unhappy
Jane Lor.mer whom the baby
New Year. 1919. took BY the hand to
lead--whitherg ''Whithcrg' A. re.
peated the woFi realized that IL
held an idea 20 which I had mover
given much thought It's my In.
siinct and my habit 10 be always
busy. but whittier had all my activl-
ties and ndvcnturcs tn 1918 brought
mc7
Only to cnnfusions. doubts and
disappointment. had 10 admit.
after making fair accounting OF
my first year Of married Mfc.
With all my opportunities. I was
not better off than the aged servant
in Tchckoffs play. The Cherry or
chRrd." Tho old man finds himself
thouRhtlcHsly abandoned by those
whom he had served faithfully for
n lifetime. lie t. carcleRsIy locked In
an empty and deserted mansion lie
stretches himself on the bare floor
to die. realizing the futility % his
life OF toll and devotion. but not re.
Henting IL. only whispering In as.
constituent. Lies gone on as II I'd
never lived"
After we had finished reading the
play aloud. Mother Lorimcr re.
marked.
only the old can really under.
STAND what that means, I'm sure il
says for thousands Of US gray. haired
men and women what we have only
( felt vaguely. one finds oneself
old very suddenly And then we
are too apt TO give up. like the old
servant. That Is. after all. our SUI
4 prcmo tragedy" After pause she
added. And the worst 81 Il Is that
warn our children how TO live one
bit differently
Mother Lorimer is not given TO
( preaching. but felt that she was
( teaching me 8 needed lesson.
! had lacked direction all my life.
I I never arrived anywhere because /
never knew where ! had started for
I ! had married just because loved
Bob. but not az all because had
/ much OF n notion OF the duties and
responsibilities OF wifehood
other wives let these things take
/ care OF themselvcs--and they often
met with disaster as a consequence.
/ ! myself had undertaken a woman'n
most important work. without a
/ chart 10 go by! Was 1t astonishing
| that / faced the New Year In doubt
/ that my husband loved me? Meas.
urod BY my accomplishment,
hadn't done anything to be loved
| for
And yet. to be fair to myself /
wasn't a bit different from other
girls | knew. We were all living
like dreamers. We were all waiting
for big events TO come our way. We
counted OFF our days by our excite.
mentB; and so we missed the gonu.
inc blessings. the small sweet com
mon joys which fill up the average
woman's days.
Chance had caught me up in some
mad adventures In 1918. None OF my
girl friends had gone thru such
startling experiences. But what did
all my ventures amount to- Also
lutely nothing at all I was bank.
rupt I'm love. | lived in luxury. but
/ was only a parasitic dependent
on my husbands father.
In my own heart l knew that the
young wives who thought them.
selves poor and out OF luck. compar.
ed TO me, were infinitely happier
than /, for they were laboring brave
~ for all that makes life vital TO
woman--for husband. home and
children
had been nothing more than an
actress. going thru any silly stunt
fate handed out TO me. My person
al affairs. AS / faced the New Year,
seemed to me a hopeless mess.
ITO he Continued