The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1937-03-26

WAS EKl ~ 1AkAts
ana tatze the consequences
BY the tune Uas % had had six OF
otaet Offers less f1s,ttering. but | had NJ
/ VA ID nax thirtieth year when our
of my own age. ood-loolzirtg III an unc
Gus. Well educated. ideahstie. We had
months before anytaing was said sbou
his story
Legally speaking, he was a married n
had neither seen nor spoken to the Wof
whom he was permanently separated
in MS early twenties and extremely DO
do Catholic family
So there was no divorce The girls
one and the man had neither the mon
action against a woman whose only faul
to hold his love and to make him haps
When ! realized the situation, / comics
cal resolutions. | hesitated
I was no longer a foolish. imputsiye
girl and knew the step was a daIiug
one even iii this age. Ii took me sew
eral months to make up my mlnd, but
al the end OF that time felt the deci-
sion had reached Was the only right,
fair. ard couTag geous one.
We should have been married, rad
we been able but that was impossible.
MY conscience was absolutely clear
/ was breaking up no home. WAS
stealing no ones love. had no family
OF my own to consider.
Under the circumstances, To hold out
for legal marriage seemed to me not
only unreasonable but ungenerous sul
coNardls as we'll.
WITHIN three months, |. who had
been so sure that legal marriage
was something | could do without,
found myself wanting. as never
wanted anything IN my life before, the
things that every normal woman has
wanted since time began-a love that
could declare itself IN the open. a home,
. husband. a child, and that sense Of
stability. protection and security which.
in ouf present social system. only mar
riage can give.
Much IS talked of the evils OF fras-
tration in the case Of the woman wtla
denies herself the physical expression
OF love In my opinion that IS as Rottl-
ing compared to the Illustration suffered
by the woman who seeks happiness in
love outside OF marriage II IS a trapped
blind ALLEY feeling that only one VINO
has experienced il can appreciate
Ii this we're all. one might bear It
But there are other Things
Had anyone hinted Wnea took nv
stand for unconventional loSv. tttat
should ever feel any sense OF inferiofsty
or guilt Is a result Of my position
should have regarded the suggestion as
an unpardonaole affront implying that
was indulsjng in something Whici' |
considered unworthy and shameful
whereas the exact opposite wss ttae
case
Yet the time did come when felt
both these things SO keenly and over
whelminglv that found myself. many
times, wishing Tor death 10 eus an end
10 nv lntolerable situation
In the first place, / was continually
catching glimpses OF myself as OTTER
people sax me and those gAmpsas were
hufniliatine and degrading
These flashes brought home - me
with a sharp and sickening sense OF
shock the fact that. 50 far as society
was concerned. was no different from
anv other woman who has chosen 90
live With a man without benefi of
clergy
BY my own action had placed my
self. categorieally in the slasdoWy ana
unsapory company OF gay and transient
mistresses. kept women and cheap
aslventtifesses | knew / was none OF
these Rtt others did not know and
probably would not have believed. Eia1
they been told