The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-02-24
The Story Of Julia Page Kathleen Norris

1 instead, they seemed 10 JuHa lnt1n- | itely soothing and refreshing. They | seemed to carry her along with the restful sweep of a river. She cried, | hardly knowing that she cried, and 1 with no effort to stop the steady cur rent of tears.
 And when she presently sat back and dried her eyes, a delicious ease and relaxation permeated her whole l body. Like a convalescent, weak ami air, rejoicing that the devastating fever and the burning illusions were gone, and only the quiet weeks of getting we'll lay before her.
 Shs sat in the church a long time, staring drean1i1y before her. Odd thoughts and memories drifted through her mind now; she was again little girl of eight. slipping into the delicatessen store in OFarre1l street for pickles and pork sausage; now she was bride, with Jim in New York, moving through the dappled spring sunlight of Fifth avenue, on the @of rocking omnibus. She thought of the settlement house: win ter rain streaming down it's windows, and she and Miss Poland dining on chops and apple pie, each deep in a book as she ate; and she remembered Mark, poor Mark, who had crossed her life only to bring himself bitter unhappiness, and to leave her the sor- row of an ineffaceable stainl
 Only 30, yet what a long, long road already lay behind her, how much sorrow, how much joyi What mis- takes and cross purposes had been tangled into her life and Ji1n's Marks and Richies, Barbara's and Sally's and Ted's-into all their livest
 Perhaps that is life" unused Ju- iia, kneeling down to say one more little prayer before she went away. Perhaps my ideal if a c1ean-swept, austere little cottage,and a few books, and a few friends, and sunrises and sunsetS-isn't life! It's all a tangIe and a struggle, ingratitude and pov- erty and dispute all mixed in with love and joy and growth, and every one of us has to take his share, I have one sort of trouble to bear, and Mother another and Jim suppose. a third: we can't choose them for our selves any more than we could choose the colour of our eyesi But loving each other-foving each other as love Anna, makes everything easy; it's the cure for it a1I-it makes ev- erything easier to beari' And in a whisper, with a new appreciation of their meaning, she repeated the fla niliar words, Love fuIfils the 1aw!"
 The next evening, just as the au- tumn twilight was giving way to dusk, Julia opened the lower green gate of the To1ands' garden in Sau- sadto, and went quietly up the steep path. Roses made dim spots of col our here and there; under the trees 1t was almost dark, though a sift light still fingered on the surface of the bay just below: From the drawing room wind cws pale lamplight fell in clear bars across the gravel but the hall was un1ghted, the door wide open.
 Julia stepped softly inside, herj heart beating fast. She had got no farther than this minute. in her hast fly made plans; now she did not quite know what to do. She knew that Barbara and the boys had gone back to Richie in Mi11 Valley. Captain Fox was duck shooting in Novato, and Constance had returned to her own home. But Ted and her little son should be here, Janey Jim, and the widowed mother.
 Presently she found Mrs. Poland in the study, seated alone before a dying fire. Julia kissed the shrivel- led soft old cheek, catching as she did so the faint odour of perfumed powder and fresh crepe.
 Where are the girls, darling, that you're here all a1one7" she asked af- fectibnate1y.
 ol, JUHs QesfI ISn't II nlce 10 see you." Mrs. Poland said, land so fresh and rosy, like breath of fresh airl Where are the girls? Bab's with Richie, you know, and she took her boys and Ted's Georgie with her. and Connie had to go home again. I think Ted and Janey went out for a little walk before dinner"
 And haven't you been out, dear?"
 Ready tears came to poor Mrs. To- lands eyes at the tender tone. She began to beat lightly on Ju1ia's hand with her own.
 "I don't seem to want to, dearie" she said with difficulty; "the girls keep telling me to, butt don't knowl I don't seem to want to. Papa and I used to like to walk up and down in the garden"
 Speech became too difficult, and she stopped abruptly.
 I know" Julie said sorrowfu1ly.
 "It would have been 35 years this November" Mrs. Poland presently said. we were engaged in August and married in November. Marriage is wonderful thing. Julia-t's 8 wonderful thing! Papa was very much smarter than I an-I always knew that! Burt after a while peo- pie come to love each other partly