The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-05-24

uOtneF she naQ ever known; that
was too devoted. she feared sometimes,
for l made Eunice all my world, TO the
exclusion Of Jerry and everything and
everybody else. But that she was very
sure, because i was so devoted, and
loved Eunice SO dearly, that would
never deprive her of q fathers love
and care
| shivered little, and looked quick
ly into Mothers face. But she was not
looking at me. / was thinking Of how
Jerry had kissed and kissed Eunice a
month ago, when we came away, as IL
he just couldn't let her go. Jerry is
fond of Eunice, now that she's old
enough to know something, and Eunice
adores her father. I knew that part
was going to be hard. And now to
have Mother put 1t like that
began to talk then Of Jerry. just
felt that I'd got to say something. That
Mother must listen. That she didn't
understand. I told her how Jerry
loved lights and music and dancing,
and crowds bowling down and worship
Ing him all the time. And she said yes,
she remembered; that he'd been that
way when / married him.
She spoke so sort Of queerly that
again I glanced at her; but she still
was looking down at the hem she was
turning.
went on then to explain that I
didn't like such things; that 1 be-
lieved that there were deeper and
higher things, and things more worth
while. And she said yes, she was glad,
and that that was going to be my saw
ing grace; for, of course, 1 realized
that there couldn't be anything deeper
or higher or more worth while than
keeping the home together, and put
ting up with annoyances, for the ulti-
mate good of all, especially of Eunice.
She went right on then quickly, be-
fore could say anything. She said
that, Of course, I understood that I
was still Mary and Marie, even if Jerry
married a man that wasn't always con-
genial with Mary, she was very sure
Mary had enough stamina and good
sense to make the best Of Il and she
was very sure, also, that IL Mary would
only make a little effort to be once In
while the Marie he had married,
things might be lot easisrfor Mary.
OF course, I laughed at that I had
to. And Mother laughed, too. But we
understood. We both understood.
had never thought of it before, but
had been Marie when I married Jerry.
/ loved lights and music and dancing
and gay crowds just exactly al we'll as
he did. And it wasn't his fault that
suddenly turned into Mary when the
baby came, and wanted him to stay
at home before the fire every evening
with his dressing gown and slippers.
No wonder he was surprised. He
hadn't married Mary-hez never knew
Mary at all. But, do you know? I'd
never thought of that before-until
Mother said what she did. Why, prob
ably Jerry was just as much disap-
pointed to find his Marie turned into q
Mary as L
| But Mother was talking again.
She said that she thought Jerry was
! a wonderful man. in some ways; that
she never saw a man with such charm
LudSucllSuI, VI OHc WIZ COulu 81
readily adapt himself to different per-
sons and circumstances. And she said
she was very sure if Mary could only
show a little more interest in pictures
| Especially portraits), and learn to dis
cuss lights and shadows and perspec-
tives. that nothing would be lost, and
that something might be gained; that
there was nothing, anyway, like CON-
munity of interest or of hobbies to
bring two people together; and that ii
was safer, to say the least, when it
was the wife that shared the eommu-
nifty of interest than when it was some
other woman, though of course, she
knew as well as | knew that Jerry
never would She didn't finish her
sentence, and because she didn't finish
1t, it made me think all the more.
Then, In q minute, she was talking
again.
She was speaking of Eunice. She
said once more that because of her
she knew tnat she need never fear any
serious trouble between Jerry and me
for, after all, it's the child that always
pays for the mothers mistakes and
short-sightedness, just as it 10 the sol
der that pays for his commanding Off
GERS plumbers. That's why she felt
that had had to pay for her mistakes
and why she knew that I'd never com
pei my little girl to pay for mine. Sh'
said that the mother lives In the hear
Of the child long after the mother i:
gone, and that was why the mother
always had to be-so careful.
Then. before knew 1t, she was talk
ing briskly and brightly about some
thing entirely differents and two min
utes later I found myself alone out
side of her room. And / hadn't tolC
her.
But l wasn't even thinking of that
/ was thinking of Eunice, and of tina
round, childish scrawl Of diary up
stairs in the attic trunk. And / wa
picturing Eunice. in the years to come
writing her diary; and I thought
what If she should have to
went upstairs then and read tina
diary again. And all the while / wa
reading I thought of Eunice. And whel
1t was finished / knew that I'd neve
tell Mother. ard that I'd never writ
to Jerry-not the letter that l was 60
ing to write. l knew that.
7