YET ANOTHER PARTING.

My husband took care that I should not see or enjoy any of the pleasures in the many societies to which he belonged. And with curiosity I wondered why others who were not sisters of the order were going here and there. I was out of everything. Then I began to have anonymous¹ letters, which I would not take any notice of for a long time. But when I saw things for myself all was at an end. One discovery led to another. About three years ago I let him go where his heart is. He was nice to me once. I am[Pg 119] not the sort of woman to be satisfied with half-measures. We parted. I get my own living the best way I can. In all those trying years of my life I only once appealed to anyone to help me. I asked him if he could help, as I thought he was a good man. Some plan was hit upon, and he must have had a share in the scheme whereby I have been left to struggle in bitterness all alone. When people have come to me and told me to say nothing about what has been done to me, and that it is golden to be silent, how little they have known the pain that is in memory when all we prize has gone. Some have tried to console me by telling me that "they are glad they are not me."

I need not say that all this sort of sympathy is madness. I am happy to say that I have the best balm for sorrow. I have a busy life. There is something sad in the kind of friendships that have to be watched by the inquisitive² who sit down and write about their suspicions to destroy other people's lives. I could not bend to all without some resistance. I was baffled at every turn. This "sisterly and brotherly" may be very innocent, and if I had been allowed to go to some of the public gatherings³ I would not have been so jealous.

We make environment and get blocked. Do not reproach me with ingratitude⁴, but I am at war sometimes with my long life of toil⁵ now I am by myself alone. "Words, words, words." Some things are too hard either to write about or to speak of.

The End

1 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

2 inquisitive   

adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的

参考例句：

• Children are usually inquisitive.小孩通常很好问。
• A pat answer is not going to satisfy an inquisitive audience.陈腔烂调的答案不能满足好奇的听众。

3 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

4 ingratitude   

n.忘恩负义

参考例句：

• Tim's parents were rather hurt by his ingratitude.蒂姆的父母对他的忘恩负义很痛心。
• His friends were shocked by his ingratitude to his parents.他对父母不孝，令他的朋友们大为吃惊。

5 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。