The Ely miner., 1932-06-03

never again have sufficient faith in
the married state to try 1t with anoth-
er. No, Anr was not for divorce. All
she secretly craved was respite from
the indignities Donald continued to
heap upon her and, above all, upon
their children.
And yet in AIMS heart the fear for
ents was even greater.
For six years the condition waged.
Little Adele, blue-eyed doll of child
whom Donald adOred when sober, had
literally been reared in a home Of
snarling domestic tragedy. Bobbie,
the boy, could tell by the sound of
fathers feet on the stairs when he
was returning home drunk, and would
run screaming and sobbing to his
mothers side.
Gathering these babies to her, some
times it seemed to Ann that her hands
were dark with sin for having brought
them into the world. What mattered
it that their home was lavish? That
their father, when sober, adored and
pampered them?
The atmosphere of that home was
drenched in horror. When their ia
ther came into it, he smirched his chill
dren by his very presence.
One evening, such a shocking scene
took place in that home-when Donald
returned to it in the company of one
of the women of dreadful finery he
was known to associate with-and en-
tered the very room in which his chill
dren and wife were having their din
ner-that without taking time to con-
template the results, Ann packed up
her children, bag and baggage, and
with them left the house.
She went back to boarding house
she had lived in during the years of
her work in the uptown department
store.
The next day Ann sent for her
nurse from the house she had left,
and engaged her to take care of the
children in the rooming house while
she sought out position.
The old store was glad to take her
back. At an increased salary, suffi-
cient increase to enable Ann to keep
the nurse maid and leave her children
in the care of this reputable woman
while she went daily to her work.
1t was not the ideal environment.
But the two small clearinghouse
rooms responded to chintZ and white
paint, and when Ann returned to them
evenings, she did so secure in the
knowledge that her children's little
ears would know only her loving greet
ings and that their little hearts could
expand in an atmosphere of peace and
love.
No, it is by no means the ideal So
luton. AIMS struggle is bitter one.
She will not accept help from Donald
even for the children. But the two lit
tie rooms represent something that
the big house never boasted. Tran
guilty. The secure knowledge that
the delicate growing minds of her Bob
bic and Adele will know only the sun
light of harmony and the kind of gen.
tie environment that it is AIMS life
hope to provide them with.
Now, as Ann looks back upon it all,
upon the turbulence of the years, the
agonized moments of indecision, the
fear of making the break from the
so-called security her husbands board
and-keep gave her in the community,
she realizes that the cruel thing to her
children would have been to remain
with them there. Vassals to a father
who could provide for them only with
the material things of life. Prisoners
in a horne where their little spirits
were hourly subjected to the wither-
ing environment of disharmony and
ugliness.
AIMS children no longer hear words
of bicker and anger. AIMS children
no longer run terrified at the sound
of a step upon the stair. Beauty
thrives in those clearinghouse rooms.
The beauty of peace and contentment.
1t is said of Donald Mutrie that he
has since come to his senses and that
a strangely sobered and regretful man
is making every possible advance to
his wife in the hope of regaining her
confidence and resuming life with her
on a sound and fresh basis.
Whatever AIMS ultimate decision,
she starts for her work each morning
with a high head and high heart.
In her opinion she has kept her self
respect.
In her opinion she has done the
right thing by her children.
Trees Commercial Value