Mary Heaton Vorse

“ Her older daughter called to her mother:
"It's such a beautiful spring day; why aren't you out on the piazza?"
"It's so bright outside," she explained, with a shade of apology in her voice, "that the light hurts my eyes to read."
Alice Townsend, the younger daughter, said in a low voice to her married sister:
"Don't you think we'd better go up-stairs? I think mother's watching us."
The other responded: "She'd be sure to think there was something afoot if we did. We'd better stay where we are." ”

“ She forgot her daughters inside the house, talking about the things she mustn't know, and breathed in deep the soft air. Formerly, as a young woman, on just such days as this, she had started off for a walk without stopping for her hat, just following the impulse of the moment. Not far below the house was a pasture, where, she knew, grew all sorts of pleasant wild things, young ferns and violets. It was hardly a step down there. Why shouldn't she go, just as she had in former times, bareheaded? Why should the adventure of spring come for every one else in the world but for herself? ”

“ Let me do the things that I feel strength for, whether you happen to think they're good for me or not."
She smiled at them, with the smile of tenderness that a mother uses to her little children.
"After all," she said, "I am older than you, and may sometimes know what is best for all of us." ”

“ It's as wet as anything, and the ground's awfully uneven. The boys will get you all the ferns you want."
She walked on a little farther, then, "I think I'll go back now," she told him.
All at once she felt tired and subdued.
"There!" he chaffed, tenderly, "I knew you didn't want to walk as far as that old pasture. You mustn't overdo, you know."
She submitted to it with her accustomed gentleness, submitted to being led back to her chair—back to old age, it seemed to her,—while Don went into the house to talk over the unknown thing with his sisters. ”

“ She put her hand protectingly on his shoulder. "I'm glad you're willing to do that," she said, "but you don't need to. You can marry Barbara and make your profession too. I've plenty of money for that."
At this the others, who had kept silence, spoke all together. Don's scandalized exclamation of, "Mother! you aren't suggesting to break into your capital, are you?" dominating the women's appeals of, "Alec, you can't let mother do such a thing!"
Mary Townsend checked them with a gesture. ”

“ At last the tension wore on the elder woman; she joined her daughters. She was met by bright glances. Both of the girls rose, and brought their mother a chair, and included her gayly in their little circle. ”

“ Marion groaned. "It's simply got to be kept from her; and when you think Alec insists he's coming home—"
"If he comes," Alice responded, "he's got to be muzzled. The idea of mother being bothered with his affairs now! Alec's got to wait till he gets through college, that's all there is about it ”