Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-11-22

spoke Of the dark basement and the
cockroacheS so hated by Hetty the
cook. Poor Hetty! Why, Hetty must he
dead these 80 years or more. She was
a dim memory. but she had been i'm
portant once in the lives OF two little
girls who used to tiptOe away from
their strict old nurse when her head
nodded after lunch, and steal INTO the
kitchen for jam puff and little oil
the spelling and affection they nun
gered for.
Sarah had needed it the most. All,
let him not speak about Sarah. A life
time might 20 by without healing that
hurt. 1t was possible to forget loss
for and 40 years, and there, when
YOU were reminded of it. was the pain
as bad as ever. A skinny child with q
pigtail. her legs encased in black wool
en- stockings, what was there about
Sarah that had stayed with her
through the years to torment her now?
The death of young sister, SO long
ago. was surely no great matter 10
twist the hear of a woman in her
fifties.
oddly enough" the quiet voice was
ever really loved"
Mrs. Prescott Smith lifted her head
to deny this palpably absurd statement
and instead, burst INTO tears,
The voice flowed on IS Il her tears
we're unseen and unheard. She soDDed
noIslly, but through her weeping tn
voice persisted with its tale. and SIN
found it impossible not 10 iis;en.
There was nothing hidden from nm,
she II a,izcd With growing horror SNC
knew that all her life was spread be
fore him. and steadily, re!cntLesS4y. ne
was unrolling 1t. as if II were a che
matograph film, in front oil her Ft-
scenes and people she had long
forgotten crowded in upon her; she
saw herself moving in the midst OF
them. and was dSmayed by what she
saw. 1t was not pretty picture. Inc
child. perhaps, was to be pltled. mere
was little affection in her upprlng :
ing, and after Sarah'S death the petty
restrictions. and the hard If vel! mean,
ing discipline her parents imposed
on her childish soul. There was no one
to turn to- 1t was then, the remorSe
less voice informed her, that the bully
or rather, should I say, that you
chose to give it life. There IS always
a choice. Eat or be eaten. Kill or be
killed. Bully or be bullied. You might
have turned the OLileI way, am - OttA
a mismanaged childhood could nave
sprung the silver fruit of pity, OF IN
dignation. OF reform. With your energy
YOU could have accomplished much.
From the same lesson men learn
greatly different things. You learned
to be on top. Never again, your sou!
said, will be at the mercy OF otherS
You allied yourself with the authorty,
that oppressed you, and determined
that. in the future. you would be the
aggressor. You have succeeded admir-
ably. You have bullied and pushed and
commanded your way through lie, ana
have angered. or made miserable, every
human brought in contact with, you
You have made your husbands lie a
penance and your daughter Mary lives
her days drearily, under the shadow
of your tyranny. She wanted to be a
nurse. But even this one wish, the only
desire she has ever expressed for a
life of her own, you have crushed, ana
made mock Of"
He paused, and in the silence that
followed she could hear her own words
as If they were ringing through the
room, my dear, don't talk such non
sense. I suppose you see yourself pat
ting pillows and being a mlnistering
angel to the sick. Let me assure you