San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-30
Living Down
Her Past
BY Beatrice Fairfax.

Wanda, I love you!" cried Oriel,
trying to restrain the young woman
who was struggling to elude him.
Her fiance managed to grasp her
shoulders but he had entered the room
too late to prevent her leap to death
on the street far below. Wanda killed
herself because of a mistake in her
former life which she was afraid to
make known TO the young man she
loved and had promised to wed.
Wanda's death was the end of an
altogether tragic love story. When she
was 10, pretty, ignorant, and romantic,
Wanda became the victim of an I'M
wise love. She disappeared from home
with her baby.
A year ago she rented a room for
herself and her child in a nearby city,
representing herself as a widow. Here
she found peace and true love. For the
son of the woman who owned the
house, where she made her home, loved
the sweet, shy young woman. The two
worked side by side in a factory.
They became engaged, Wanda said
nothing of her past. hoping Oriel
would never know the truth. She
feared that through telling him she
would lose his love.
Then the first man came back. He
met her on the street one day, fol-
lowed her home, prosecuted der by
threatening to expose her. Wanda
kept to her room, weeping bitterly. At
last her fiance coaxed her to tell him
the reason for her grief.
He said nothing-hurt and shocked
for the moment. When he sought
Wanda again, she had locked herself
from him.
Oriel, realizing that his love was for
the fine. high-Drincipled Wanda he
had known. regardless of her past mis-
take, went to the girls parents, as
surfing them that their daughter was
alive and well, their little grand
daughter strong and sweet and happy.
He planned with them that his we'd
ding to Wanda Ghould take place at
once at her parents home.
Returning to Wanda to acquaint
her with this glad news, he arrived
lust too late to prevent her from tax.
ing the three-story leap that ended
her life.
Wanda fought valiantly to "come
back" But. after her long, uphill tight,
her courage gave out at the darkest
hour of her trouble just before the
dawn. Had she only persisted one day
more in her fight with fate, she would
have realized that happiness and un-
Outstanding, true love awaited her at
last. -.
There are many Wandas in this
world. struggling TO atone by life OF
blameless honor for past mistakes.
The Wandas always pay dear for their
breaking of social law. Let us not
make Tie path harder for them by
hard. unthinking condemnation.
As / write / have before me let
ter from "Disillusioned."
Seven years ago." she writes, II
made a fatal mistake. was still IN
school, as was the boy. told my
mother and he told his mother. They
decided that young as we were we
should be married.
But fate decided otherwise. A
few weeks later the Boy died and l
was left to my own resources. If you
ask me, it is next to impossible to live
down a serious error.
Il have now met another man for
whom j care a great deal. l intend
to tell him the truth. If lose him
I'll have only myself to blame. l love
him. Can l hope to win him under
the circumstances"
II you have truly lived down your
past, my dear, by keeping your pres
emit above reprOach, if you have held
your standards high even when it was
easy to let them trail in the dust, then
there is every hope that you may win
happiness.
You are right IN telling him the
truth. A marriage founded on decep-
! ton is always wretchcd.
Never let love be your excuse for
breaking a law of life or sacrificing
principle. Love without high prin'
ciple to control and guide it is harm
full and destructive.
The girl who has loved unwisely,
wrecking her life, may atone and
come back" even though her road
seems narrow. steep and beset with
| difficulties. Such a girl may-if she
persists in keeping to the straight
path and proving her fincness by her
iife-may eventually find the JOY of
lasting love and successful marriage,
Thousands of girls have come back
and are happy today.
Let us use all our influence MS citi-
zens and women, to bring about wiser
laws and more kindly care for the
girl who is tempted and is not strong
enough to stand firm for the right.
Let us try to provide for every such
girl. a chance to do better and come
| back" At least we can withhold
unkind comment and harsh criticism
which may thrust her further from
the path she is trying to follow, lead