The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-06-29
asked her to marry him: and she was

asked her to marry him; and she was
still more proud and happy.
And she said their married life, when
they started out, was just like that
beautiful dress, all shining and spot
less and perfect; but that it wasn't
two months before little bit OF tar
nish appeared, and then another and
another
She said she was selfish and willful
and exacting and wanted Father all TO
herself; and she didn't stop to think
that he had his work to do, and his
place to make in the world; and that
all of living, to him, wasn't just in be-
ing married to her. and attending to
her every whim. She said she could
see it all now, but that she couldn't
then, she was too young, and undis-
ciplined, and she'd never been denied
a thing in the world she wanted.
She said things went on worse and
worse-and it was all her fault. She
grew sour and cross and disagreeable.
She could see now that she did. But
she did not realize at all then what
she was doing. She was just thinking
of herself-always herself; her rights,
her wrongs, her hurt feelings, her
wants and wishes. She never once
thought that he had rights and
wrongs and hurt feelings, maybe.
She said a lot more-oh, ever so
much more; but I can't remember 1t
all. I know that she went on to say
that by and by the tarnish began to
dim the brightness of my life, too;
and that was the worst of all, she
said-that innocent children should
suffer, and their young lives be spoiled
by the kind Of living I'd had to have,
with this wretched makeshift Of a d.
vided home. She began to cry again
then, and begged me to forgive her;
and I cried and tried to tell her I didn't
mind it; but, Of course, I'm older now,
and knew do mind it, though I'm try
ing lust as hard as I can not to be
Mary when I ought to be Marie, or
Marie when ought to be Mary. Only
I get all mixed up so, lately, and l
said 80, and I guess cried some more.
Mother jumped up then, and said,
'aTut, tut" what was she thinking OF
to talk like this when it couldn't do
a bit of good, but only made matters
worse. And she said that only went to
prove how she was still keeping on
furnishing my happiness and bringing
tears to my bright eyes, when certain
~ nothing of the whole wretched busl-
ness was my fault.
She thrust the dress back into the
trunk then, and shut the lid. And
she began to talk and laugh and tell
stories, and be gayer and jollier than
I'd seen her for ever so long. And
she was that way at dinner, too, until
Grandfather happened to mention the
reception tomorrow night, and ask II
she was going.
She flushed up red then, oh, 80 red
and said, Certainly not" Then she
added quick, with a funny little draw
ing-in of her breath, that she should
let Marie 20, though, with her Aunt
Hattie. It was the only chance Fa-
ther would have to see me, and she
didn't feel that she had any right to
deprive him Of that privilege, and she
didn't think it would do me any harm
to be out this once late in the evening.
And she intended to let me 60.
TWO DAYS LATER
Well, now I guess something's doing
all right! And my hand is shaking SO
I can hardly write-it wants to get
ahead so fast and tell. But I'm going
to keep it sternly back and tell it just
as it happened, and not begin at the
ice cream instead of .theNsoup.
At the reception I saw Father right
away, but he didn't see me for long
time. He stood in corner; and lots
of folks came up and spoke to him and
shook hands; and he bowed and smiled
but in between, when there wasn't
| anybody noticing, he looked 80 tired
and bored. After a time he stirred and
changed his position, and think he
was hunting for a chance to get away,
when all of a sudden his eyes, rowing
around the room, lighted on me.
NV! but just didn't love the way
he came through that crowd, straight
toward me, without paying one bit OF
attention to the folks that tried to
stop him on the way. And when he
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