Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-21

Il Asst summer in the midst of Il salt
Ling party when the boat was sweep
ing across the blue expanses of French
mans Bay with Bar Tlarbor town and
Mount Desert growing more and moro
dreemlike behind us and the islands
beckoning US on. / thought az } looked
back for a moment at the group Of
Youngsters singing and laughing round
the young chap nt the tiller, and the
reminiscent smile on the faces OF the
few grown ups who were there 10 keen
me company. that I had seldom expert
enced q more carcfreG hour Or fallen
IN with a tighter. hearted lot Of people.
And yet few moments later my
hostess moved over TO the seat beside
mine and under cover Of the singing and
chatting. asked me question that
showed me that ono. Ut least. of thc
party was far from light hearted
Perhaps il was one Of the pretty girls
Of the group that reminded her OF
another much prettier girl whom none
of us was 10 see again this side OF
eternity. Probably some futterins lock
Of hair, some tone % Il voice or ges-
tore had reminded hnr with fresh
pcignancy, as little things are apt 10
remind us Of our great losses. Of that
Young daughter Of hers whose death
had made two homes seem cmptied ~
the joy Of life.
uER question, spoken low 30 that her
IL husband could not hear ii. and
be reminded, vas this:
Have you found that death is =
complete separation? When your
mother died. was that the end OF your
nesrness To her? Or did you have .
feeling or heri at times that was like
her voice speaking. ana Yet not liS2
her--thc essence OF her? Perhaps YOU
don't know what mcan---- she ended
looking at me. doubtful how to explain.
But she did not have to explain, be-
cause knew exactly what she meant.
although. as for her it was hard for me
10 express by words what | had dis
covered.
I had always supposed. in thinking
about death. that with the body put
away forever ns q recognizable part Of
her and with the life that had gone out
Of the body swept into some vortex OF
oternity beyond this hour "f time
and place" ali that | could pOsScPS Of
my nothe" would be the very poignHnt
memory OF her. And that beyond tn"
pain which all hey little belongings l"ft
behind entailed, and the responsibility
which nll Of her one time possessions
and occupations involved, thor wol
nothing Of her but the memory to carry
on into life.
And with this certainty and great
depression heavy on my soul 7 watched
her 20. and walked out OF thai ruoW Of
death sIpposing ! was m"therles,.
THEN slowly and with Il quiet in
l. sistence, now bv this token of her
~ .Rs- 80 gstT -
that, the knowledge grew within NE that
in spite nf the pain TIM wnE greater
even than dreaded. and In spite of the
stab OF her ''little things left be =
hind. she was not only great nemor7
she was a real and vital influence with
love to rest back upon and 60 ahead
on in nll our lives.
did not need 70 consult mediums
A. ouija boordB or study books on
cccultism. or read books OF consolation
written for bereft persons, such as
Does God Send Trouble" or Gates
Ajar,' or in Memoriam.' or iitt.s
verses sent by kind friends. or the
latest theory Of the Seven Planes. II
the most natural way-just Gs she
would have done it had she been IL th'
house somewhere near her soul has
spoken 70 my soul.
THE fret time | was sure rnat tins
l. was 30 was perhaps { month after
her death when I waa sitting with >
friend who knew US both we'll and
loved my mother and all her amusin2
and natural characteristics.
She was smiling l!ttlc over some
thing we both remembered and ther
she asked me- if had in my possession
many letters of my mothers. and
was regretful over the fact that hac
not kept more than one or two, notably
q, not the last one, and had no very clee,
notion Of where the few l possessed
were tucked away.
She. said: ~ cannot imagine yOuI
mother Indifferent to letters from 90,
all. even in heaven, can you?'
1t had been joke in the family tia
in European travel more than once eve,
Venice had 10 wait while the letter!
from home were read and re- road OF
their arrival. and Naples had been
complete failure because tn" bank ha,
forgotten to forward them
I sat thinking Of that; and a.
thought wistfully Of how lovely il Lac
been TO write 10 her. | reached acros
10 my desk and pulled out one Of il,