The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1923-06-29

dDOui, SSulltTeu ou SildlFS, HCruSS
open drawers.
She had gone about doing this In
a trepidation of haste, as child des
perately hastens who has been threat
ened by Its parents with being left
behind. And hurrying, she had been
crying; sobs had sounded In this lone
ly room as she hurried.
Finally, to larger burst of woe.
coming probably from some last small
straw (perhaps one Of her shoes had
refused TO button, or some hook had
been found without an eye, or some
ribbon had slipped back into Its
sheath), she had thrown herself across
the bed to give way, altogether uncon.
trolled. And weeping thus, had fallen
asleep
Standing here, his eyes upon this
past scene which he saw so well, Peter
remembered that which he ever prom
Used himself TO remember and which
ever he forgot. That she was child.
After all, but child,
As In the days when she had waited
for him at the stile, so now she was
child, The rest--the robust matrons
ready, almost rough assurance; its
firm contempt for all that which WAS
haze, and halo ard opalescence and not
core-ail that was mere front. She
was child.
He should remember that always. OF
course, he should always remember 1t.
! Peter lay down by his wife, and
found her hot lips, and awakened her /:
she clutclled al him convulsiyely.
They murmured together, Pm sors
ry, Peter; I'm sorry
Then later: "Petef, you do so mad
den me at times, dear. With your airs
no, l don't mean that. But You do
shut the door upon me. Peter-you do
shut me out so muehl'
Stln later: "And, Peter, you are of
those that like the flowers but not the
gardening
polished floors. but not the polish.
ing"
II know, dear. know"
peter, listen: | am of the earth.
| accept. You're always somewhere
Up above"
Il know. dear Not far above,
either. A fool place, in between. l
know"
II accept. | am getting old, Ev-
| eryone does, Peter | am willing TO
grow old"
She whispered now. "Peter--fm
even willing to die y
a., h,,f "a
desolate helplessness had come back.
You, Peter-you are such n rebel,
Peterl How you shut your eyes and
flghtl Trying to hold what cannot be
held. And hating me because ] can't.
For ! can't, Peter, | can'tl'
This child? A strange child No
"a child Since in children was wis.
dom. Was this wisdom? A spasm of
revolt frightened his heart.
But she was weeping now, softly,
! against his breast, He regathered her
In his arms, and with this gesture felt
new large tenderness fill him. A
tenderness which was not only for her,
but for many others-for the whole
world. The whole poor purblind peer
Ing world which could not see straight
| which could not see clear. which suf.
fered dimly. IN sort of vague hot
delirium.
Near the end OF the day Peter stood
what had passed In the afternoon, he
felt something like embarrassment, a
slight distaste, that strange revulslon
we feel whenever we have made the
gesture of plumbing life's emotional
depths. AS IL there were something
wrong about 1t, something unnatural
as if life We're meant to be lived al.
! together on the surface. carefully on
the surface.
He felt the need OF leyity That Is
what, perhaps, made him remember
the ants; the ants which had been the
/ beginning of the afternoon.
A slight breeze. rufling the pool,
and the eggs in pitlful dead huddle
against bank
where did they come inr' he asked
himself
lie and his wife had this day made
one of those complete circles which
] as IL by some natural law, REQUIRED
almost at certain intervals. From a
state of hostility into which they had
slipped. through a crisis. TO renewed
gentleness Of each other. They were
happy once more, Daisy and he. But
/ what about the antsf Where did
| they come ini II WAS over their backs