The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-22
JUST A GIRL
By JANE PHELPS
ZENA'S MOTHER.
CHAPTER 20

am afraid my talk sometimes
sounds as if l didn't love my mother.
did. devotedly. But l was more
afraid to talk to her than to dad. She
wasn't quite SO understanding.
Mother was beautiful tall stately
woman, divinely fair. She was al
ways perfectly dressed, and perfectly
poised"-T heard Mrs. Sheppard tell
Mrs. Wren that, so 1 cribbed it. But
l must stop using that word cribbed.
have quite fallen into the habit.
Our home was always delightfully."-
kept, yet never saw mother really
do any work. But she knew how to
manage servants. Our cook and but
Ter had been with us before I was
born, and the others from three to ten
years. Everything ran as ifNoiled.
1 noticed it more perhaps because
one of the girls 1 liked had an ''in-
competent mother" judging by my
own mother. Their home was always
in an uproar. and they were con-
tinually changing servants. Really, 1t
was unpleasant at times. l used to
wonder how Mr.. Gregg and Natalie
my friend-stood 1t. But they were
an awfully good-natured family. and
sometimes l had the jolliest kind of
time at their house.
1 spoke of it to mother, and she
said:
ut is a part of every woman's duty
to make a pleasant. attractive home
for her husband and family. A man
usually works hard in his office. He
doesn't want to come home to noise
and confusion; either to talk of SER
wants, or the running of the home.
Before you marry I shall turn the
management of the house over to you
for several months. It is unfair for a
woman to go to man ignorant of her
work of home-making.
Suppose I never marry"
81. III
elect to remain single, I would do the
same ~thing. But perhaps wait
longer"
II think would like it. mother
"It isn't easy to carry the details of
a big house along so there is no hitch
anywhere. Especially when one en-
tertains as much as we>do. But to be
a good hostess is a great accomplish
ment'
You are just lovely when we have
company. isn't she, dad?' I asked.
''She is always lovely" dad replied.
giving her a loving lopk.
81 know she is. but when we have
company she just shines! I feel so
proud of her sometimes 1 almost burst.
I want to tell everybody how glad
am she is MY mother"
There. .here, you two will spoil
mel" Mother interrupted. But we
knew better. She loved us both. just
as we loved her And I think that for
all her dignity, she loved to hear US
praise her.
Pattern after you mother. dear.
and you won't go far wrong" dad said
after she left the room. Il never have
seen more lovely character, take her
all in ALL
You are a real lover aren't you.
dad? That is what I want my hus-
band to be-if I ever find one
Some nice fellow will find you,
never fear. I only hope it will not be
soon"
He had rather neglected me, thinking
to pique me. 1 imagine. He had
stopped sending me flowers and bon
bons-alI mother would allow me to
to accept from him Now he started
in again. He acted as If he were try
ing to make up for lost time. and my
room was a perfect riot of color. He
surely had good taste in selecting
flowers.
With a gorgeous corsage bouquet Of
orchids came an invitation to the
opera-the matinee. HeS had asked
several of the girls and boys. He had
box and Mrs. Sheppard was to
chaperon us. Mother was deiighted.
and helped me to dress. She hadn't
said anything, but 1 think she was
worried when Jack stopped coming
or sending me things. She loaned
me her lovely, blue feather fan. and
did<everything she could to make me
look nice.
thought she had .ucceeded pretty
well when 1 looked in the mirror.
am not really pretty. but / am very
nice looking Claudia is the blonde
doll baby sort. and she has always
been rather a trial to me, because I
have always wanted, to be her type.
But that's one thing We can't change