The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-28
ILL-BRED CURIOSITY.
Woman Pays n Higher Price for Pubs
Iicify Than Man.
From the London Queen.

From the London Queen.
Woman pays a higher price than man fon
publicity in any form. Men can afford To
be more Indifferent to the worlds tongue.
and, besides. no one dreams Of torment-
ing them with the impertinent questions
ing to which a woman in similar circun-
stances is subjected. One of the most
formidable foes a public woman has to
combat. and one against which her shield
of natural reserve is often an ineffectuaH
weapon, is the ill-bred though possibly
well meant, curiosity of the world at largo
into her private life. People call AZ TAX
ing an interest" To take an interest In
public women and their charact eristics
is natural enough. but to wish to pry into
the inner recesses of their private lvess
TO dig into their past to ruthlessly draw
aside the curtain they would wish kept
closed, Is surely a cruel act, and Is far
kindness.
the fore in any public branch-say in lit
eratufe-the questions at once arise Who
is she? What is she? Can you tell ma
anything about herr The one who cam
tell something about her Is listened to-
eargerly--so eagerly that the temptatioM
to draw on the Imagination and lend a.
little local color is irresistible. "Whisper-
ing tongues can poison truth" and in this,
manner good names and regulations ara
gOssiped away every day Why should
a woman, because she has, by her own in
dustry and talent. made a name for hers
self be worried with useless and idle
questions by people who only meet hen
for few hours in society and will probe
ably never meet her again?
People do not mean to be unkind, but
they let their curiosity get the better
OF them. If they cannot CLEAN the infor-
nation they want in by-ways, they have
to 90 to the tountain-head-itsef. and
probe in a roundabout fashion until the
public woman is plagued to death by their
questions. She may not choose to tell
much, and probably makes up her mind
hpfOrehand r. nnfhinR a
10 refuse to reply to certain questions
gives rise to suspicion, and leaves the
impression that there Is something In tho
background. Therefore the hapless vic
tim Especially if there is something In
the background writhes beneath the tor
ture, and, If she is a nervous, sensitives
woman, suffers untold agonies. A literary
woman gives the world in her books
as much of herself as she cares to give
no comment but literary criticism, and
why she should be Vfvisected to satisfy
the curiosity OF the world az iarge y an
open question Why should the PECULIAR
tiles of public women. their love aHalrs,
their places of abode. their dress, their
domestic arrangements, in short, every
detail Of their private affairs, be trumpted
forth to the world2 Kingsley says: The
pasts our own-no fiend can take that
from u.s." our present ana our future
are ours too and ours alone. One woman
of the writer's acquaintance, holding a
public position, lately thought right 10
change her religion. This act, which one
would have thought a purely personal
affair evoked so much criucism,- and
evolved her IN so many dlsagreedp1aie M
to the stake, she has practically suffered
martyrdOm.
love notoriety. This is not SO. Too often
N Is thrust upon them by the necessity
TO earn, and when such Is the case surely
IT is not an unreasonable request when
the public woman asks 10 be allowed to
cherish her own eve lamD--lne Sacfedneaa
OF her private lie.