Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 241, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 October 1911 — The GENEVIEVES I KNOW (Also their JAMES) [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The GENEVIEVES I KNOW (Also their JAMES)

By HELEN HELP

The Genevieve Who Wedpa^liftvT’hu

When a real grown-up elderly James decides that It Is time for him to range himself and getmarried, it is a season of rejoicing among all his friends. Lucky is the girl who Is chosen to share the sedate pleasure of his home —•because an older man Is so much more likely to think of his wife’s comforts than Is one of these careless, good-for-nothing boys who do no|'regard a single thing on earth except loving and kissing and such like nonsenseC'^-;!^;..' ; v ; . When such a James decides to take a wife, great is the fluttering among the wise mammas, because it is without doubt the case that James is well able to support a wife. And does he select a nice, quiet, grown-older Genevieve to do that little Hearts and Flowers grand march with him? Well, hardly! v The James 1 am going to tell you about was a very fair type of the gentlemen who have left their Boy-Jimmy days well behind them before bothering with that matrimonial noose; and the girl he honored by his choice was just Jenny, laughing, loving little Jenny, looking forward into life with such eager eyes, eyes that dreamed dreams and saw visions. They saw visions about a JimmyJames, stately and handsome and admired, and with a soul td match. And this.wonder did her the honor to woo her! She 'never stopped to think whether she loved him or not. She just tucked her little head down on his shoulder—half afraid of her daring—and vowed to make him ever so happy. Older by many years? Oh, what difference could that make? Besides, think how kind elderly men always

are to their wives! And dear mamma wai murmuring something sweet about an old man’s darling. James had been the giddiest of young Jimmies in years gone by, and he knew a lot bf sweet little Jennies theb, and demure Janies and stately Genevieves, but such a giddy young fellow was he that not a single one of them could hold him. He flitted and flirted about, snatching sweets from rosy lips and dimpled cheeks —oh, such a gay young Jimmy! But that was yean and years ago, and he was a James now and wanted a wife. So he weds Uttle Jenny with the dreams in her eyes, and all the dreams gone from his eyes long ago. and they settle down in that Uttle flat. It was a little flat, because in his gay days James had not saved much money. . I knew these two in what the society columns call their, ante-nuptial days, and my heart ached a trifle for both of them. There were so many possibilities! “Ob, James,” says Jenny one evening, after they came home from their wedding Journey. “James, I do so want to see that new play. Can't we go tomorrow evening?" *TU see,” grunts James. And Jenny Is happy about it all day because in the days of their courtship that had always meant “Certainly.” It is, true that he did not exactly grunt at her then. No, be beamed. The next evening she runs to meet him. “Where did you get the seats, dear?” she asks, eagerly. “What seats?*' inquired James, “what are you talking about?” and then: ''Oh, I never gave it a thought. Ton don’t suppose you are going to drag me down town again tonight, do your ■ Tes, be did. He said those very words. Little Jenny opened big eyes at him and wouldn’t believe the test!jnony of her own two pink ears. “Oh, but James, we’ve been borne nearly two months now and haven’t gone anywhere at all! Too know you think it so far for me to go alone over

to mamma’s. Of course, you didn’t understand how much I wanted to go—” “Well, I guess you’ll have to forget it,’’ says this poor, shop-worn imitation of her Jimmy-boy. “Because, when I come home, I’m going to stay here. I’ve had enough chasing around to do me for the rest of my life.’’ And this was true. You think no one could say just that to his little, brand-new Jennywife? Oh, but maybe you never saw one of those old men’s darling affairs from a really close viewpoint! . So James comes home night after night and eats his good dinner and goes to bed early.' Once Jenny tried to get him to stay up till nine o’clock and play casino with her—he declined to go out. Put he was so sleepy, poor fellow, Hunt he almost yawned his head off. Her friends say she is entirely changed. “Just like that husband of hers, she is getting,’’ they say. You see, they are young and disrespectful. >-• But she has to be. When she asked her friends to dinner they chatted and giggled till James came home and then they sat up straight and said, “Yes, sir," and “No, sir,” to him. And when she asked his friends' she did not chajtter and giggle at all, but sat up straight and said “Yes, sir,” and “No, sir,” to them. And then a dreadful thing happened. James yawned In the company’s faces right after dinner! “E-ough!” yawned James: “Well, you people know that eight o’clock Is my bed time,” and went to bed! That was Jenny's last effort. Because, in the morning, James growled at her, “I thought I’d as well teach you .sense now as later. I don’t want those fools here.’’ Once In a while, on a Sunday afternoon when the dinner has been satisfactory, James will become the old, gay Jimmy—in reminiscence. He has told Jenny all about his great times and the. Jennies and Janies and Genevieves he used to know then. And about some who had no names at all—properly. He laughed and chatted along, this blase man of fifty and more, and smote every one of his young wife’s illusions and ideals In the face so that they gave a horrified little moan and lay down and died. And Jenny was left gazing, dry-eyed, at the dry years. I told you thht I had been troubled about this marriage. It Is an old marriage now, all of five years, and James Is getting fat and very, very bald. Jenny is just twenty-five and amazingly pretty. .1 dined with them the other evening. He does not mind me. He says I have sense enough to go home when I am not wanted. 1 y . . Well, he came home and Jenny, loyal to, her ideals, though they are perfectly dead ideals now, went and held up her pretty iflouth to be kissed. Why, I’d have been willing to kiss It myself, woman that I am! “Aw, bother! We’re too old for such nonsense,” growls James, and shoulders past her. Oh, laughing Jenny and demure Janey and stately Genevieve, when they talk to you about being an old man’s darling, don’t you believe a word of It! Whist! Let me whisper! An old man hasn’t love enough left to recognize a darling by! What he needs Is a trained nurse. (Copyright by Associated Literary Press.)

“He Was So Sleepy.”