Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1921-05-05

The editor Of this Department yields
gracefully to the following letter, which
speaks eloquently for itself. L. P. R.
My dear Mrs. Russell
Since the Woman's Forum is open
with such generous hospitality will YOU
allow stranger to venture in? 1t is a
line thing the Post Dispatch has done, to
grant freedom Of speech to us women
whose strength has for so many ages been
to lie in silence. Did you ever
think about it? know you have. If
his Stlnslness forced us to sell old clothes
to get the money for our missionary dues |
we must smile and pretend that we pre-
feTed giving what We had made by our
own efforts. If his SelfiShness kept us
chained in one county for twenty years
we had to murmur something about too
many children to either leave or take"
But | want to explain, not complain.
Not long ago | was one Of four ladies at a
card party; we were strangers to each
other and they were much younger than
|. They were speaking Of an approach
ing wedding among their friends and one
Of them said: Il cannot imagine why old
folks like they are want to get married
again, why she has grown children and
he has two grandchildren" She spoke
so sconhlly and was so pretty and sure
Of herself Like Brer Rabbit lay low
and said nothing because was guilty Of
that very same crime and glad Of it. |
was widow. had several grown chill,
dren and grey hair and | had married
again and | want to say why and settle
this yexed question for once and all
married young, reared and helped to
educate five children, was left widow at
lS2 My sons found employment and
homes in distant states; now and then one
would appear with bride to be petted
and admired. The boys reminded me
Of the family cat bringing in a rabbit to
be wondered over. The brides were
strangers to me who thought me "a nice
old thing" One daughter married a Cath
olic q am a Baptist. At last the young
est chose for herself and drove off with
an artist, | think she said they were
going to develop along individual ten
denotes" They did so. wandered a.
round my empty house, sat for moment
at the head Of my vacant table, wiped
my eyes and proceeded to be free" For
several years | visited among children
and friends, spent one winter in New
York, spent one whole year with a sick
relative. Everybody welcomed me,
thank the Lord for that, and everybody
found plenty for me to do. Grand children
came and | nursed and knitted and serv.
ed and told stories and boiled milk, won.
derine all the time when freedom" would
really begin. And it came to pass that
strange accumulations Of "mending" a.
waited my coming; no one seemed to
touch needle, but grandma. 1t was
daughters and daughters. in.law who went
off to parties and rides and luncheons and
trips and / stayed al home and looked
after the children and knitted and mend
ed and did just exactly what | had been
doing for nearly forty years. The young
folks had their friends, their amusementS,
their interests, their future, I had nothing
! but mendine and memories. In way
was glad to be able to set them fret"
to pursue their various ways, but the
lonliness Of my own life appalled, me, i
so strong and healthy and losing the fine
things Of life, poetry and music, Art and
religion. wanted contemporary com.
panionship," someone to whom | could
say don't you remember" and lets dc
so and SC" Why | loved to 90 to church
and to read Gods word, and if ever one
Of those young folks opened Bible
never caught them at it One summer
went to the beach With my son and his
wife and while they were in the surf
was watching the children" tho | can
swim better than either Of them. On
turning a corner | came upon an old Gen.
| tleman with book upon his knees but
his eyes were gazing seaward with the
look one sees in the eyes Of lost dog