Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-04-02

ing one selected woman OF sense as
we'll as charm, one who came Of good
stock and hence would he possessed of
good taste and good principles. She
need not be rich; she might even be
poor. So many women were design
ing. or at least light and highty; they
could not help serious man to sue
coed if they would. Everywhere. OF
course, was the worthy girl whom 1t
was an honor to marry, and it was
one of these he was going to choose.
But even with one such it was neces-
sary to exercise care; she might be
too narrow and conventional.
In the course OF time. having be-
come secretary TO certain somebody
he encountered in his own Office girl
who seemed to embOdy nearly all or
the virtues and qualities which he
thought necessary. She was the daugh-
ter of very modestly circumStanced
parents who dwelt in the nearby SUD-
urb of -, and very capable ste
nographer. She was really pretty but
not very well Informed, Girl who APP
peared to be practical and sensible
but still in leash to the tenetS ana III
structions of her home. her church
and her family circle, three worlds
which were ms fixed and definite ana
worthy as the most enthusiastic oil
those who seek to maintain the order
and virtue of the world could nave
wished. For instance, she was "p-
posed 10 the theater, dancing, night
dining or visiting III the city. as well
as anything that in her religious
world might be construed as deSecra-
tica OF the Sabbath. ! recall him de-
Scribing her narrow "OS vet" but he
hoped 10 make her more liberal IN
time. He told me that he had been
unable To win her 70 So simple an out
ing on the Sabbath as rowing on the
little river near her home, that never
would She stay downtown 70 dinner
As for the theater-it could not even
be mentioned. She could not and
would not dance. and looked upon
such inclinatonS in him as not only
worldly but loose and sinful. Al
though he prided himself on being q
liberal and even radical, to her he
pretended prufvsm$ indifference to
such deparureS fr0m conventions. He
thought her too fine ana intelligent a
girl 10 stick 10 such notions, and was
doing his best 10 influence and eli
tighten her. By slow degrees Che was
about the business Of counting her two
or three years. he was able To bring
her to the place where she would stay
downtown for dinner on a weekday,
and occasionally would attend n sal
cred or musical concert on Il Sunday
night. Also which he considered a
great triumph. he induced her 10 read
certain books, especially bits OF his
tory and philosophy which he thought
liberal and which doubt geserated
some thin wiSpS Of doubt - her own
mind.
With their marriage came a new
form Of life for both Of them, but
more especially for her. They took
small apartment in New York, and it
was not long before she Joined Il lit
erary club that was being formed in
their vicinity. where she met two rest
less. pushing. seeking women for
whom he did not care--a Mrs. Drake
and a Mrs. AIunshaw, both of whom
he insisted could be OF no value to
anyone. But Bessie liked them and
spent Il great deal of time with them.
visited them at their small apart
ment about this time, and found that
she was proving very apt pupil In
the realm to which he had introduced
her. II was plain that she had been
emancipated from her old notions rs
To the sinfulneSS of the stage, rs we'll
as reading and living in general.
Wray had proved 70 be the Prince
Charming who had entered the secret
garden and walked the sleeping prin-
cess to Il world such as she had never
dreamed OF.
Whenever he met me after this he
would coniide the growing nature Of
his doubts and perplexities. Bessie
was no more like the girl he had met
in his office than he was like the boy
he had been at ten years Of age. She
was becoming more aggressive, more
inqulsitive. more Self-centered, more
argumentative all the time, more this,
more that. She did not like the same
plays he liked; he wanted play that
was light and amusing, and she want
ed one with some serious moral or IN
tellectual twist to It, She read only
serious books now and was Interested
i'm lectures, whereas he, as he now
confessed. was more or less bored by
serious books. She liked music, or
was pretending that she Gid. grand
opera. recitalS and that sort of thing,
whereas grand opera bored him And
vet If he would not accompany her she
would 20 with one. or both of those
women he was beginning 10 deteSt.
They seemed To have no household
duties and could come and go as they
chose. II was they who were aiding
and abettinc her in all these things
and stirring her up to go aud do and