The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-03-04
She Married an Averaee Man
BY ZOE BECKLEY

Centerville! can't believe it, but
here we are-Jim and daughter and
lat mothers house in old Center
vile. I am glad now l made Jimmie
sneak a couple of days off from his
work to come with me and start me
on my visit. It's all so blessedly
rounded out the three years since we
have seen the little town where life
began for me.
Life? Yes, but ony in a sense.
My physical life commenced here. But
>'as | look back, it is as if l had been
brOping in a fog without vision, with
out purpose or ambition or compass
or hope until l married Jim and
definite problems arose. Everything
was vague. l simply drifted.
Now all is clear to me. Jim and I
have come through tempests of mis-
understanding onto smoother sea,
We are closer, stronger, happier than
ever before.
Work is at hand Jim has his: 1
have mine. They are different, but
equally important. He shall push his
engineering project to fine success.
shall engineer our home, administer
domestic finances, tend my daughter,
mother other children, perhaps.
And all the time | shall be ripening
and mellowing and learning life.
Then the future.
What are you writing about so
. busily, Anh-girl?" says Jim, coming in
suddenly and kissing the top of my
head
About the future, Jimmie" l say.
with warning finger upheld lest
daughter in the next room should be
waking hungry from her nap.
THE future, dear, will be better
than the past. We understand each
other better. Success is coming,
thanks to the game chance you took.
And we've got-her!" l knew then
from Jim's face that he didn't mind
little daughter not being little son.
Yes, Jimzie, dear, and we're going
to bring her up exactly as if she were
boy-husky and honest, sincere and
worthwhile, with a solid education and
a definite trade, whatever she wants
to earn"
"Bully!" cried Jim with hug that
lost me two hairpins. We'll make
her into a regular guy! Perhaps
she'll go into the engineering business
with me some day"
What a gorious stunt that would
be! You see, Jim, the world has al
ways been made for men. It's moth
ing womb full for a boy to turn out
clever and famous. But to have a
girl do it-thats a real stunt. She
is to be an engineer-it's all decided,
Unless her brotherd rather be it,"
Brother" said Jim. looking a bit
dazed.
Some day she may have ONE
said | merrily. Two Riddles would
not be too many. would it?'
But l thought you were so keen on
having a literary career ON your own
hook. Pussykit," argued Jim. CA
year ago he would have frowned down
the very idea)
And why can't have ito" l chal.
lenged. Because a woman's wife
and homekeeper and the mother OF
children 1t doesn't end her chances OF
succeeding in her own work. III
give myself five years. BY that time
daughter will be beyond the infant
stage and son. if there is one, will be
emerging into pants Your amuse
ment park will be running full swing
and We'll have fat cook and house
maid, gardener and a man to run
our car. Then l shall go back to my
writing, Jimmie, and be all the better
fitted for it. | shall know more
about managing marriage and every
thing else that counts than l do ever
now"
You shall do it, dear, murmured