South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-10-22
GraY-Mairs Gifts

~ Ell hair is white, dear me,
II how white it is!
= = 1t used to be red, they say.
and curly and there was lot Of il.
and those who used to know her de-
care that she had pair Of bright
eyes that laughed ana cried and
talked. and she was slender, too,
and light Of foot and when she
danced-welL you just ought TO hear
some Of the old-timers try to tell
how she danced
She's had a good deal of trouble
and she has been rich and she has
been poor. She was once an invalid
for two years and could not take
step alone, and0One of her children
lies fast aeIesp on a high hill by the
Md sea. and one has married and
gone away, but one remains and is
he comfort and pride of her heart.
ID. appointment she has Anown-
l-iUusi0n. too and that is the Dit
e IS, they -ay, of all.
one she owed and trusted de-
eiyei Ier. ana one She believed to
- -rue proved 20 be utterly false.
,Iany Of he aest friends are dead.
Ut she lives on serene and happy.
Nes I sometimes think she s. hap
e. now than he ever was in her
life
a.i h,r abou, Il the other day
Ie re sad you que sed
aDpy-happ.er han
weE-y md a n usaus
e. pier than the arerag-
oman u thir.y I think is my
1ite hDir
There is something about white
lar, il ~een1s TO clear your brain.
Things hat were so puzznng
when my hair was red are as c.ea.
as daylight now. I can see around
things and over them and unier
them And before my hair was
white I could only see one side-just
he eide that happened TO be turned
toward me.
When my hair was red. Il was
awfuIly important to me to be happy.
I just couldn't live if I wasn't happy
and I tried so hard and Of course,
l never was-happy.
Happiness runs away when you
run after It too fast But il you
stand still and look pleasant-all at
once-you Will see happiness at
your elbow, laughing and laughing.
Il had 70 wait until my hair was
white 20 find that out.
And then I wanted 70 be admired /:
dear me. how important that was
the admiration!
My hat must be just so. my dress
must be the prettiest of all and "a
for my shoes-when I think OF the
hours I spent bullying shoe clerks
Just so my poor little feet would
/ look even smaller than they were.
Love That was the great thing.
[ too. Romance. infatuation-I
/ couldn't live in peace without these
] r. ngs I was like a KIND Of breath
les runner tearing through life,
/ chasing first one swift phantom and
I then another. and I never caught a
/ thing I ran 80 eagerly 10 catch-noi
a thing
But now that my hair is white
and l don't run any more, here they
I all are on my doorst ep-friends hap
( piness. a mild kind OF success. peace
or mind and all the time in the
world for me 20 laugh in.
You never really laugh until
your hair is white-not really deep
Down IN your heart.
he laughter Of youth is very
close 10 tears. Didn't you ever no.
tice it?
I've forgotten all about tear.
since my hail IS white. don't have
time 70 remember them. II one
OF my friends ia in trouble or sOr-
row. I can't CRY with her-there ar,
so many things 10 do 10 help pu'
her straight with the world again.
And then 7 make so many friends
now that my hair Is white Peopl,
are not Jealous OF a white-hairec
woman or ofraid OF her or enviou.
OF her good fortune She doesn'
have 10 pretend any more II she4
poor, she can just be poor and Sak'
her comfort in cup of tea and
piece OF bread and butter. and le
/ II go az that. II she's rich. Wh6
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