Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-04-13
CHAPTER discontinued.

didn't even think of asking Faith
er, of course. l never ask Father
questions. Nurse says did ask him
once why he didn't love me like other
papas loved their little girls. But I
was very little then, and don't remem-
Der it at all. But Nurse said Father
didn't like it very well, and maybe
did remember that part, without real
ly knowing it. Anyhow, l never think
of asking Father questions.
I asked the doctor first. / thought
maybe twas some kind of a disease,
and If he knew it was coming, he
could give them some sort of medi-
cine to keep it away-like being vac
cinated SOS not to have smallpox,
you know. And told him so.
He gave a funny little laugh, that
somehow didn't sound like laugh at
all. Then he grew very, very sober,
and said:
I'm sorry, little girl, but I'm afraid
haven't got any medicine that will
prevent-a divorce. If / did have,
there'd be no eating or drinking or
sleeping for me, I'm thinking-Td be
so busy answering my calls"
"Then it is a diseased" 1 cried.
And l can remember just how fright
ened / felt But isn't there any doc
tor anywhere that can stop it?"
He shook his head and gave that
queer little laugh again.
\
for it's being disease-there are
people that call it disease, and there
are others who call it a cure; and
there are still others who say it's
remedy worse than the disease it tries
to cure. But, there, you baby What
am / saying? Come, come, my dear,
just forget it. It's nothing you should
bother your little head over now. Wait
till you're older"
Till I'm older, indeed! How hate
to have folks talk to me like that!
And they do-they do it all the time.
AS if / was child now, when I'm
almost standing there where the brook
and river meet
But that was just the kind of talk
I got, everywhere, nearly every time
asked any one what a divorce was.
Some laughed, and some sighed. Some
looked real worried cause I'd asked
1t, and one got mad. (That was the
dressmaker. / found out afterward
that she'd had a divorce already. so
probably she thought I asked the ques-
m nc 10 IL hAx,
nobody would answer me-really an
swer me sensibly, so I'd know what it
meant and most everybody said,
run away, child" or "You shouldn't
talk of such things" or, "Wait, my
dear, till you're older; and all that.
Oh. how / hate such talk when
really want to know something! How
do they expect us to get our education
If they won't answer our questions?
don't know which made me angri-
est mean angrier. pm speaking
of two things, so / must / suppose.
hate grammar To have them talk
like that-not answer me, you know
or have them do as Mr.. Jones, the
storekeeper, did, and the men there
with him. -s,--,es's- rs's.isfs st.s,.s@ -,
1t was one day when was in there
buying some white thread for Nurse
Sarah, and it was little while after
l had asked the doctor if a divorce
was disease. Somebody had said
something that made me think you
could buy divorces, and had suddenly
determined to ask Mr.. Jones if he had
them for sale. (Of course all this
sounds very silly to me now, for I
know that divorce is very simple
and very common. It's just like a
marriage certificate, only it unmar-
ries you instead of marrying you;
but didn't know it then. And if I'm
going to tell this story I've got to
tell it just as it happened, of course.)
Well, asked Mr.. Jones if you could
buy divorces. and If he had them for