Making People Happy

s world. Her house in the East Sixties, just off the Avenue, was a charming home, dainty, luxurious, in the best of taste,

t he had rather neglected those acts of tenderness so vital to a woman's happiness. Some difficulties that disturbed him downtown rendered him often preoccupied when at home, and the effect on his wi

he domestic machinery. The servants, thus directed, were as those untroubling inventions of which she had complained. Since she was not devoted to the distraction of social gaieties, Cicily found an appalling amount, of unemployed time on her hands. She was blest with an excellent education; but, with no great fondness for knowledge as such, she was not inclined to prosecute any particular study with the ardor of th

delightful room, all paneled in rose silk, with furniture Louis Quatorze, and Dresden ornaments.... It was an hour yet before time for the dressing-bell. Cicily, in a negligee of white silk t

sparkle in the amber eyes, "we forgot to s

d not seem impresse

y real difference, dear?"

that was hardly calculated to deceive the astute

she questioned in her turn. Her mus

t's either seriously pitiful, or pitifully se

e of concern, and laughed he

enuine regret in her voice now. Then, she smiled again, with much zest. "But it was so amusing-stirring

e, too, was compelled to smile at the audacity of the achievement. "But," s

sten attentively to the presi

that fact, my dear, what does it all mean? Down deep, ar

woman must have something to do. As for me, why, I have absolutely nothing to do. Those other women, too, or at least most of them, have nothing to do, and they are all desperately bored. Well, that'

that sounded in her niece's voice while uttering the aspiratio

could be made something, with an object. I myself could be made something, with an obj

atiently endured by the orthodox aunt, who li

happiest person in the community." Her voice took on a tone of tender reminiscence, and a little color crept into the wrinkled pallor of her cheeks

otion on the part of her relative. She was, in fact, selfishly absorbed i

mber the happy time when they were brides. A bride's happy time is as much advertised as a success

corn of one who was looking forward complacently to the cel

impervious to the sar

e to be seventy. Mamma would have been alive if she hadn't been drowned. A good many live to be

ally horrified by her

t not speak in that manner. I'

was not to be turned

he announced, fiercely. "Au

e little graces of her form and the varied brilliance of her moods. It was because of the steadfastness of the two lovers in their devotion that Mr. and Mrs. Delancy had permitted themselves to be persuaded into granting consent for an early marriage. It had seemed to them that the constancy of the pair was sufficiently established. They believed that here was indeed material for the making of an ideal union. Their belief seemed justified by the facts in the outcome, for bride and groom showed all the evidences of rapturous happiness in

me, Charles has married-" She paused, one foot in a daint

elancy demanded, wit

oung wife spoke the accusation with

e more, the flush showed daintily in the withered cheeks; but, now, there was no hint of tenderness in the rose-it was the red of anger

tremulous tones, "all of

depths of the easy chair, whence she fairly gaped at her former wa

, you'r

; "only heartbroken. I am so mi

rgued, "it can't be that you a

itted, petulantly. "I said I was jealous,

ed to the men, too!" Mrs. D

lared in a burst

scapes-to every single thing about that horrid business of his! Oh, I hate it! I hate it! I hate every one of them!... And he

he had shuddered during the period of her misapprehension. In the first minute of relief, she felt aroused to indignation against her niece who had so needlessly shocked her. "I do wish, Cicily," she remonstrated, "that you would en

bride was not in an apologetic mood, inasmuch, as she regarded

er the first reaction from the stress she had undergone by reason of the young wife's fa

woman could," was the spirited re

h hitherto the carefully nurtured girl had been in total ignorance. Cicily was at first astounded, and then dismayed. But, in the end, she regained her poise, and reverted with earnestness to

of our being in such things as this. We women haven't any occupation, and we

offensive to the old la

band's business, Cicily," she said

ed from such admonitions. She did not

t's business first, last, and all the time-and marriage just nowhere. I tell you, it's all wrong.... I know you're older," she went on vehemently, as Mrs. Delancy's lips parted. "I guess that's why you're wrong.... Anyhow, it isn't as it was intended. For the matter of that, which was f

of years by the winsome blandishments of her whilom ward. She had no answering gentleness for

to make your husband choose betw

ient to destroy the momentary equanimity evolved out of a mental achievement such as the argumen

d of hesitancy, "of course not. Charles

ble questio

the truth that business has now come to be first in the lives of our American men. And, my dear, you can't overcome conditions all by yourself. At heart, Charles loves you, Cicily. I'm sure of that, even though he does seem, wrapt up in his business affairs. Yet, he loves you, just the same. That's the one th

head slowly-doubtfully; t

ll have more, or-" She checked herself abruptly, and once again the arch of h

at lie between man and woman in the way of love. It was broken finally by Mrs. De

really dependent on Cha

hearer with distress and surprise. It would seem that Cicily had been

e went on, more firmly, but with the voice of despair. "That's the pity of it. That's what makes us women nowadays turn to something else-to some other man, or to some work, some fad, some hobby, some folly, some madness-anything to fill the void in our hearts that our husbands

y, as to that, Charles is dependent on you now. You h

ness in the young wife

evening together in weeks. We haven't had a real old talk in mo

mea

e theater and a little supper after-only us two.... I wonder if he will r

ner of cheerful certainty. Nevertheless, out of the years of experi

usually poised so proudly, now drooped dejectedly;

ght out that Carrington box factory five months ago, and be

ery wife whose husband wins in this frightful battle with business. Years ago, dear, I suffered as you are suffering. Your uncle never told me anything. I've never known anything at all about more than half of his life. He rebuffed me the few times at first, when I tried to share those things with him. He said that a woman had no place in a man's

ain, very softly, with a persistence that would have surprised Mrs. Delancy, could she have caught the inaudible murmur. Presently, the faint rose in the pallor of her cheeks blossomed to a deeper red, and the amber

exclaimed, joyously. "It's somethin

ng big to do. For my part, I joined church

!" With her characteristic impulsiveness, she sprang to her feet, as Mrs. Delancy quie

clared enthusiastically. "You darling!... Making people happy! It would be s

d by the swift succession of moods in the gir

unt Emma," was th

ned at the door,

u're getting to be quite as ret

stead, she was saying softly, over and over: "Mak