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

and strange she had been when he
first met her. how much she respected
her parents wishes. and now see. II
wish 10 God" he suddenly exclaimed,
"that | hadn't been in such hurry TO
change her. She was all right then,
If had only known it. She wasn't in
terested in these id new-fangled
things, and / wasn't satisfied until she
was. And now see! She leaves me
and says I'm narrow and trying to
hold her back intellectually"
1 shock my head. Of what value
was advice in the face of such stu
alton rs this especially from one who
was satisfied that the mysteries Of
temperament were not To be unrav-
eled or adjusted save by nature?
Nevertheless. being appealed to, ven
tured Il silly suggestion. borrowed
from another He had said that If he
could only win her back he would he
willing to modify the pointleSs opposi-
tion and contention that had driven
her away. She might 20 her intellec-
tual way as she chose. If she would
only come back. Seeing him
so tractable and so very wishful, I
suggested thing another had done
in Il related situation. He was to win
her back by Offering her such terms as
she would accept. and then, in order
TO bind her 10 him. he was to induce
her to have a child. That would cap
ture her sympathy and at the same
time insinuate an image of himself
into her affectionate consideration.
Those who had children rarely sepa-
rated-or so I said.
The thought interested him at once.
1t satisfied his practical and clerkly
soul. He left ME hopefully and l saw
nothing more of him for several
months, when lie came to report that
all was well with him once more In
order to seal the new pact he had
taken n larger apartment in more
engaging part Of the city. Bessie was
going on with her club life, and he
was not opposing her And then with
in the year came q child, and for the
next two years all those simple,
honey and seemingly binding and re-
StraiDing things which go with the
rearing and protection Of young life.
But, as l was soon TO learn, even
during that period all was not as
smooth as might he. One day in
Wray'S absence Bessie remarked that,
delightful as it was TO have child Of
her own. she could see herself as little
more than milk-cow with 4 calf. bound
TO its service until it should be able
to look after itself. She spoke Of
what chain and weight child
was to one who had ambitions beyond
those of motherhood. But WraY,
clerkly soul that he was, was all but
lost in rapture. There was a small
park nearby, and here he was to be
found trundlng this infant in 4 hand
some baby carriage whenever his du-
ties would permit. He liked to specu-
late on the charm and innocence Of
babyhood and was amused by hun
bred things he had never noticed in
the children of others. Already he
was planning for little Marie's future.
1t was hard for children to be cooped
up in the city. If he could win Bes-
sic 10 the idea. they would move to
some suburban town.
They were prospecting now and
could engage a nurSemaid 50 Mrs.
Wray resumed her intellectual pur-
suits. 1t was easy 90 see that, re-
spect Wray as she might as an affec-
Tomato and methodical man, she could
not love him, ana that because of the
gap that lies between those who think
or dream little and those who aspire
and dream much. They were two diff
fering rates OF motion, flowing side by
side for the time being only. he the
slower, she the quicker Observing
them together one could see how
/ proud lie was of her ana his relation
ship To her how he felt that he had
captured Il prize regardless OF the
conditions by which il was retained,
while she held him rather lightly in
her thoughts or her moods Having
won her back he now sought to bind
her to him in any way that he might,
while she wished only 20 be free. For
Surcease she plunged into those old nc
tiyities which had so troubled him,
and now in addition to himself the
child was being neglected or SO he
thought. The arriva. Of Marie had
not influenced her in that respect.
! And what was more ana worse, she
! had now taken to reading Freud and
/ Kraft-Ebbing and allied thinkers and
/ authorities, men and works he con-
sidered shameful even though scarce
I ~ grasped by him. once he said to
NE: "Do You know of Il writer Of
! the name Of Pierre oti?"
"Yes," l replied. 81 know his works.
! What about it,"
"What do you think of him?"
"Why, ! respect him very much.
{ What about him:'
"Oh, know, from an intellectual
point of view, aS fine writer, maybe.
! But what do You think Of his views Of
/ life-of his books as books to be read