oman cannot take up any burden that she
wills, and carry it faithfully even as far as the gates of death! And
this duty before her she would not even think of as a burden. There are
some women who never know what love is, who marry a man because they
respect and like him, and are good wives their life long. She would be
even as one of these. Suppose love to be something she had outgrown;
the idleness of girls. Now was the season of her womanhood, and the
realities of life left no room for folly.

How long since she had felt so well! She sewed through the morning, and
had but little trouble to keep her thoughts always forward-looking. She
sang a little to herself, for who but must sing when there is sunlight?
She ate when dinner was brought to her. Then she prepared to go out for
half an hour.

Clara just then came up.

'Ah, you are going out! Do come with us into the park, will you? You
haven't to go anywhere. My husband has taken a half-holiday on purpose
to skate. Reckless man! He says you don't get skating weather like this
every day. Can you skate?'

Thyrza shook her head, smiling.

'No more can I. Harold wants to teach me, but it seems absurd to bruise
oneself all over, and make oneself ridiculous too, to learn an
amusement you can't practise once in five years. But do come with us.
It really is nice to watch them skating.'

'Yes, I will come, gladly,' Thyrza said.

And so they went to the ice in Regent's Park, and Mr. Emerson put on
his skates, and was speedily exhibiting his skill amid the gliding
crowd. Clara and her companion walked along the edge. Thyrza, regarding
this assembly of people who had come forth to enjoy themselves,
marvelled inwardly. It was so hard to understand how any one could
enter with such seriousness into mere amusement. How many happy people
the world contained! Of all this black-coated swarm, not one with a
trouble that could not be flung away at the summons of a hard frost!
They sped about as if on wings, they shouted to friends, they had
catastrophes and laughed aloud over them. And, as she looked on, the
scene grew so unreal that it frightened her. These did not seem to be
human beings. How came it that they were exempt from the sorrow that
goes about the world, blighting lives and breaking hearts? Or was it
she that lived in a dream, while these were really awake? She was not
sorrowful now, but light-hearted pastime such as this was
unintelligible to her.

Clara chatted an