CHAPTER NINE

A few days later, Margaret had a small party at her home, in order for Mrs Wilcox to meet some of her friends. The party did not go very well at all. Margaret found that her neighbor did not share her and her friends' interest in art and books. In fact, Mrs Wilcox remained very quiet throughout most of the conversations, and, when she did speak, she would only complain about the weather or ask how Helen was doing in Germany.

Margaret was trying to keep a balance between continuing the exciting conversations with her friends and entertaining the generally uninteresting comments her new friend kept making.

When an argument arose concerning whether Germans could appreciate beauty or not, Margaret expressed that they seemed to have a natural ability to enjoy poetry better than she. After everyone else expressed their opinions Mrs Wilcox was asked what she thought about it.

"I found Margaret's opinion very interesting. I don't think much about those kinds of things, myself, but my husband doesn't trust any other country in Europe other than England. So my children feel the same way."

Margaret felt that Mrs Wilcox was, in her simple way, above everyone else at the party. She did not view the world in a negative way, and did not say bad things about people, even as a joke. This made the things that Margaret and her friends were talking so excitedly about seem so unimportant. And yet she seemed so far from the real world, as well.

"I'm too old. My ideas are different from yours," said Mrs Wilcox.

"But we'd love to hear your ideas," Margaret answered.

"Well ... I think that it's best to just let the men discuss such things."

"But are women just to continue to be less than men? Are men to keep moving forward all on their own ... to leave us behind?" commented Margaret, beginning to give one of her speeches.

"Well, I'm afraid that I have to be going," said one of her friends.

Mrs Wilcox stood as well and Margaret walked her to the front door, apologizing for boring her so much.

"I had a nice time today, actually. You don't need to apologize. Young people have so much energy. Their minds are running about here and there, questioning everything. I don't always agree, but I always remember that we are all living together at the same time and in the same world."

Then they shook hands and Mrs Wilcox left. Margaret went back in to her friends, who had all decided that her neighbor was very boring.

(end of section)