White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1930-11-28

mother from Wn0m ne ndQ lnnerlteQ
so much of that fortitude.
And then, to the stupefaction OF all,
when Ed was not yet even In his for
tieth year, this fellow, so perennially
good-natured, so tolerant and indul-
gent Of his mother, so successful In
his enterprises, SO outstanding in his
community, suffered what is technical
ly known in the phraseOlogy Of be-
wildered doctors as nervous break
down."
Ed Cooke went to pieces. His re-
sistance seemed suddenly to snap. The
sound of a person entering the room
was enough to send him into tears.
He took on a melancholia. The mere
sight of his mother would induce
hysteria which his doctors regarded
as most acutely serious. Ed Cooke
was in a bad way.
Forbidden to enter her sons apart
ment, deprived of what she consid-
cred her divine right to succor this
child who was begot Of her very be-
ing, Mrs. Cooke felt abject terror lay
hold of her heart. She was frightened
into a new kind Of submission. She
was catapulted into a new kind OF 81
lence. 1t was nothing for her to
crouch outside the closed apartment
Of her son for six, eight, and even ten
hours at time, until doctors and
nurses dragged her away by force.
She took to puttering among his be-
longings She took to sitting for
hours with one of his neckties, or one
of his kerchiefs, spread in her lap.
She took to fumbling among his
drawers for this and that, searching
for objects which might give her
solace, even venturing, in her frenzy,
to pry open locks that she might
browse further.
One day she found the Journal
about which the chambermaid had
tattled, and for hours she sat with it
open on her lap, reading, crying the
great retching tears Of those who
have scanty tears to shed, moaning
into her hands and beating in a curl
GUS fashion, with her long, strong
hands, against her breast.
After that, there was some talk
among the physicians and nurses OF
sending Mrs. Cooke away. But there
were limits to her submissions. She
defeated them one and all. Planting
her big body firmly in the room ad.
| joining that occupied by her son, she
refused to move. She defied them
She snapped her fingers at their in
sistings. She rose in all the curious
power that was hers, and she won
Mrs. Cooke would not leave her rooms
adjoining those occupied by her strick
en- boy.
In the weeks and weeks of his
struggle with the adverse health that
had overtaken him, she waited an6
watched and in her peculiar way, she
prayed. 1t was horrible to see hel
pray. Submission came so haltingly
to Mrs. Cooke. Pleading wasnot part
Of her makeup.
Then one day, no one was ever t.
know how, the mother Of Ed Cook
forced her way into his bedroom. n
was seated there alone in chair be
side window, looking with unseeine
lusterless eyes upon the scene below
ed" said his mother, and az
preached him without preamble, "wha
Is this l hear about you and cir
called Betty Simmons?"
1t was as If she had struck him II
his already stricken face. 1t was a
If the pallor that was already Their
had receded into still more devas
tating kind Of pallor. 1t was as /
hearing his mothers words the yer,
heart of Ed Cooke had turned in tn
grave of his body.
And then automatically this sicl
man. her son, employed with his poo
tired BRAIN the formula of psycholog.
he had so often employed before. $
don't care thing for Betty Sim
MONS he said, the lie fluttering from
his lips like so many dead leaves, g
never want to see her again"
And true to precedent the figure O
the mother of Ed Cooke Strengthened
and out came her dominating voice
II want you to marry her" she said
"She is the only girl have eve
known whom l want you to marry
That is that
After an incredible half hour will
his mother, playing his game a
he had never played 1t before, e,
Cooke appeared reluctantly to acqui
esce to the demands of his parent.
That was the beginning of his con
sistent and complete convalescence.
The marriage of Ed Cooke and Bet
ty Simmons is in its tenth year o
fine fruition.
People say, Of course, that the moth
er Of Ed Cooke managed his marriage