The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-12-14
9OaFEssEOMS
OF BRIDE
Martha, Too, 1t Seems. Isn't Quite
A. HannV NJ Mna Summoned.
Copyright, 1890

AAAAA 49, w " A@h 49,
AS Happy ~ Was Supposed.
II guess they are pages from the
Book OF Life" / said TO Martha as
l threw my little story OF Deborah
into a drawer OF my desk. ANY
way, they wouldn't read much like
felton," l chartered. Real life is
a lot more exciting. isn't it,"
And much NOR tragic" Mar
tina whispered sadly. Then che
kissed my cheek softly. She was
too proud to wipe away her tears
and they wet my face, and for the
first time in all the years | had
known her. l guessed that Martha,
surprisingly beautiful. super-intel-
Iigent, economically independent, 4
girl who had married for love, q
mother of an adorable son. wasn't
quite as happy as she was supposed
to be!
regarded Martha as the perfect
embodiment OF all that intelligent
women want most in modern life,
an example OF what feminism and
suffragism. higher education and
beauty can do for a woman. And
II didn't seem TO me that life could
possibly hurt her.
She had everything that wo-
! men desire except wealth.
saw plainly that my charming
friend had changed since | had
! seen her last. What caused her
d~eprcSsion% Not husmGss-mere
dollars had no power to upset her.
Then It must bc-her heart, But
il was not Tor me TO be curious
about my friends heart affairs. 1
considered myself adroit when |
implied that u conversation was
entirely im%pcTSonal.
"Ordinavy stories are tame. /
fancy. compared 10 those you hear
in your profession"
There are no ordinary stories.
There are no duplicates in human
experience any more than in hui
man faces" said Martha. Every
| body has Il romance. To every
man and woman there comes 4 Il
premc hour, sometimes of joy and
sometimes or misery.S
And we never know what TO do
with our big hours when they ar
rive" | ventured. 1T seems to
me we make an awful mess both
of our joys and sorrows irony
from sheer ignorance!"
Say, rather, from sheer selfish
ness! From human greed! We
want tho whole world for a play
ground and pout when We can't
have 1t, After all. we are tiny
human atoms and can fill, at best,
only a nook! But because we can't
I'LL the world. We rage and ruin the
nook!"
glanced at Martah and decided
1t Was time 10 think Of "pleaSaAter
things.
"How's Lorrie?" I inquired. We
were all delighted when the Pal
mers gave our family name to their
! son,
In the best shape. thank you.
Gutter, sweeter, smarter every
day." Martha's lips found their
soft curve again You recall his
Christopher Columbus spoon? One
of the set of old silver, with por-
trait handles. which Madame Lor-
liner gave him"
nodded.
Really. you must let me tell
goa how clever Borric is The 9TH
or day that four-yCar-Old asked,
Where Christie Columbus live2" 1
explained that ho isn't living any
more. Me sorry said my son
Ne did want to give him back
hims ]spoon!"
We screamed with laughter,
/ and both of us would have prolited
! by tiff I had not asked carelessly:
"And how is Ewart?"
Well" was the wife's brief re-
/ Spouse.
a silence followed the m~onosyl-
liable. \ dizziness, = sadness. re-
/ placed tho maternal softness which
had glowcd in Martha's face.
Martha was off guard with me, |
knew, so completely off guard that
she let me perceive her h~eartbreak
in the tone of her voice. in every
variation OF her features.
/ asked myself what need Fate
had TO be so vicious that 1t couldn't
spare al least one girl from the
general hurts and the doubts and
fears which bcsct the path OF
most Of my married friends?