Smyrna times., 1932-03-09
WEEKLY SOCIETY STORY FOR
EVENING ROUND THE LAMP

! tVtNlNu iIUUNU ln[ LAMT
READING TO WHILE AWAY
TIME AFTER DAYS CHORES
''Ties That Bind" An Interesting
Short Story Written by Bertha
Leah Cross
NIAOMI STEVENS sat on the
~ back porch watching the dusk
as it settled over the garden. To
/ her. this time of day was the lone
liest, and the hour when she felt
the most let down, tired. old and
disillusioned. This night she was
feeling unusually SO because OF
the letter from Laura, the second
she'd had that week. In the lat
ter she pleaded even more urgently
with her to accept her invitation
to go to Europe as her travelling
companion.
IF / only could" she whispered.
But here | am, as always, stled
hand and foot by mother. If moth
er could only see. only realize how
terribly she hampers me in every
thing want to do. Talk about the
selfishness of the young-it's moth
ing in comparison to the old. They
! think only of themselves !"
All of her life Naomi had craved
a good time. She longed for travel
and excitement.
First it had been her father, who.
/ parsimOnious to the point of miser-
liness. had forced both her and her
! mother to scrimp and save; TO go
without and make over. while he
boarded his money. Then when he
had died, ten years ago, each had
lacked initiative and urge TO get
out of the rut into which their lives
/ had settled 1t had taken but these
letters, however, 10 light the fame
of desire in Naomi's crushed ego.
There's money" she told herself.
plenty of it. If only mother can
! be aroused :"
But the mother-a elf-effacing
little woman who had lived for
forty years under the domination of
her husband. Cowed. timid. shrink
ing, after these years of bondage.
What force could galvaniZe her and
make her forget her husbands re-
| iterated statement: "WOmen's place
is in the home" Could she be freed.
emancipated from that obsessiGn?
Naomi was now forty-fve She
/ had let her youth 90 by as she had
love. Fred had become tired of
waiting.
She had been a lovely girl with
a wealth of curly. brown hair and
large, wistful eyes filed with
dreams. Other men had been at
tracted. But they, like Fred. had
been appalled, by too much interfer-
ence, and later by too much pros
pective mOther-in-law. They had
passed by to other less hampered
| girls.
Now had come this opportunity
Galvanized into life, she let her
thoughts dwell on this chance OF
a lifetime. Even the words in the
letter were etched on her mind :
Come on. Naomi" her friend had
written Check your mother with
her sister and come with me-"
The tears came now. faster and
faster, stinging her eyes, overflow
ing-a perfect torrent of heart
breaking tears of longing.
Suddenly the tears stopped and
she SAT- up with snap. The fire in
her eyes dried the tears: I'm go
ing" she said aloud I'm going TO
/ Europe with Laura. Mother can 60
TO California with the LawsOns."
She began formulating in her mind
her plan of procedure. First she
would write Aunt Hattie that her
mother was coming. if she could
/ make her, and ask for her help.
| Then she would write Laura thai
she would arrive in New York
ready to sail the seventh of July.
''Pm going to spend. spend,
spend'' she said recklessly. Il am
going TO make myself young again
and see life For every dollar I've
denied myself. I'll spend two"
After supper she walked TO the
village for the evening mail. She
! posted a letter TO Laura telling her
she would meet her in New York
the sixth. 1--WE burned my bridges
now." she thought I'm going
straight home TO break the news to
mother. I'll find new interests, and
! life, and youth" she told herself.
Mother" she said abruptly. The
swaying rocker stopped at the
tenseness in Naomi's voice.
Yes? What is II. Naomi?" Her
/ tone held a mild surprise.
Pm sailing the seventh of July
with Laura"
"Sailing?" in a bewildered tone
"Yes, sailing for Europe on the
seventh. And I've made arrange
ments for you TO stay with Aunt