48 ADVENTURES IN IDEALISM 



farm raised would not count at all, and whatever 

 money my husband could save would be used to buy 

 cattle and give him an interest in the ranch. 



The farmer's wife and I had been girlhood chums. 

 For my husband, therefore, the attraction was not the 

 saving part, but my joy in visiting a friend whom I 

 had not seen for many years. We tried that plan 

 during the summer, but late in the fall the children and 

 I returned to Fort Collins, as my husband couldn't 

 stand the separation from his family any longer. 



I must mention here one instance of his humanity 

 and broad tolerance. One day, at noon, he, passing 

 the school grounds, noticed that all the children were 

 out playing in the yard, except a little colored girl of 

 about five years, or even younger (just a kindergarten 

 tot), who stood alone, seemingly unhappy and forlorn. 

 That evening at supper-time my husband asked his 

 eldest daughter, Marie, who was in the kindergarten 

 too, why the little colored girl was left alone and why 

 nobody played with her. Was it that she was a bad 

 child? 



"No," answered Marie. "Just nobody plays with 

 her because she is black." 



"Don't you think it wrong to do a thing like that to 

 a little girl for no fault of hers?" asked my husband. 

 "Would you object to playing with her? Fancy if 

 you should be left alone just because you are the only 

 little Jewish girl in your school? (As was the case.) 

 Would you like it?" 



