The San Francisco call., 1895-12-15

pains and joys that it has caused. All the
other interests OF humanity remain at the
door" True? What are the plays that
live? The love stories. Romeo and
Juliet. )" Camille" and all that long list
which tell the history of love, which
means, of heart. Again, and oh how
well this is known to be true by women,
he says, "Celibacy marriage and adul-
tery-this is the tragic trilogy in which
the life of women struggles. 1t is in this
that poets may find eternal dramatic sub
Jects. OF the three phases of the tragedy
the most painful is evidently the last
named" | turn over the page and | read,
wherever there are assemblages of men
and women there are souls to be won"
WHEN woMAN's HEART Is TOUCHED.
You think this isn't true, and yet before
me there arises the story of play, the
story of a tragedy in a tragedy. A great
actress was playing FrOu-Frou. In her
audience was group of people who rep
among them was a Woman and a man
who had once loved each other dearly, so
dearly that when he put the marriage ring
on her finger he believed that it encircled
all happiness for him. AS the years went
on these two people grew apart. The riffs
in the lutte were many, and the song of
love was hushed or had drifted into a
harsh discordance. Before the world
these two people were simply like many
they scarcely spoke. That night, as
the play went on, the woman's heart was
touched as it had not been for years, and
coming out of the theater she asked her
husband to come home with her instead of
to the gay supper where they were ex-
pected. He did, and when they were to-
gether she asked his pardon for all that
she had done that was wrong and she
begged of him to give her another chance
to prove that she loved him. That night,
for the first time in ten years, he kissed her
this beautiful woman-and bidding her
goodnight at the door of her room he said ::
Tomorrow we will be married afresh !;
Well start on our honeymoon, learn to
love each other again for always, and away
from all the rest of the world
THAT WAS GOODNIGHT.
The smile on her face was one of ec-
stacy. To his good-morning she gave no
answering word, for death had claimed
her in the night. In her cold hand was
the bunch of violets that she had taken
from him Just before she left him, be-
cause they were like those that Frou-Frou
pinned among her laces. She slept with
the violets covering her for four years and
then beside her was laid the body of the
man, who during that time had been alone
always, and who had never ceased to
grieve. because he had had no oppor-
tunity to make her happy in life. And
the reconciliation came because a master
in the art of playwriting and of reading
hearts had learned how to tell the story
of woman who was never bad, but only
weak. Do you remember when Frou-
Frou asks her husband to take her away
Think how different her life would have
been if he had done as she asked! How
different all life would be if each of us
could realize when the other Is reaching
out for help
Somebody says, "You are enthusiastic" !"
Perhaps.
ENTHUSIASM is A GOOD THING
it keeps people young-for 1t always
furnishes them with illusions. Ii | am
enthusiastic, my friend, | am truthful.
There is not enough money in the whole
wide world to buy my opinion. Years
ago, when knew-oh so we'll !--how much
little money meant, 1 took for my motto
these three words, "Litera scripta manet.
| translate it, ''What l write | mean,
and have never written what / did not
think to be true, and | can stand before
man and God and say that no opinion was
ever bought that was signed BAB.
Postscript-Once in while write one.
1t is usually meant, as it is now, for that
hard hearted person-the editor. Some
times, in some forms, he objects to per-
sonalities, but / beg of him, as special
courtesy, to put in the end of this letter as
1T is Che can leave out the postscript Ii he
hkes). 1t is my way of answering re-
quest made to me to say an unklnd word
about woman. Will you do this to
obIige BAB?