The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-03

FROM Harper weekly.
My transport of moral indignation ma
turally brings me to the subject of the
theater hat. which 1 am sure the ladies'
will wish to have treated of with the same
public spirit and rigorous tmpartiality as
/ have shown in dealing with another
abuse. At least l feel sure that no woman
of real refinement can be hurt by the most
unsparing denunciation Of this means Of
oppression. Fortunately the nature of the
abuse is such that one can enter fully into
q consideration of 1t without sharing in
the infiiction of the injury from it, and L
am disposed to invite the reader to a care
full inquiry concerning the Wearer of the
theater hat. Cruel and tyrannical as / find
her in effect, do not find her so culpable
in intention. I think that oftenest she is
a person of rather a simple mind, who
thinks that to see her empty little head
crowned with a CONNECTION of felt, ribbons,
and feathers of the bigness of half-bar-
rel will be a consolation to those IL keeps
from seeing the play. Perhaps 1t would be
hard to persuade her that 1t is not so.
It is possibly, even probably, the only hat
she has, and she has naturally come TO
overrate it's worth and charm. She cannot
imagine the trembling of the poor man who
has the seat behind the one she Is coming
to take his fluctuations of hope and fear
before she appears, or the despair he falls
into when she actually arrives and blots
out the stage with her hat She may be
young and pretty, her hat may be pictur
esque, but he has not paid two dollars for
the privilege of looking for three hours at
the back halr OF young ana pretty girl
in a picturesque hat. He has bought his
seat for the purpose of seeing the play,
and the person who prevents him from
seeing it plumbers him and Expresses him,
however unWillingly and unwittingly. l
believe he would rather the silly ma
rauder in front of him were only artificial
~ young and pretty, as she very often is,
with a color of hair and of cheek that can
not be mistaken for that of life any more
than the motive in a romantic novel. Then
at least he can think his thoughts without
conjunction, and can experience q wrong
which has no mitigations; one likes an in
Jury to be complete. But when it comes
TO the fact of the large hats in front of
one, the cup perhaps runs over. When the
vast hats the painted cheeks, and gilded
hair are tilted together, for the more in
innate exchange Of Impressions one suf-
fers a superhuity of outrage which is
wholly wanting in symmetry.
There is really no more recourse from
the vice of the theater hat Qt might be
more specifically called the matinee haO
than there is from the vice of public spit
ting. except in the civilization of the vi
cious. ] have sometimes imagined asking
al the ucket-ofiice, when | buy my seat.
Does this coupon guarantee me against
the eclipse of the stage by a woman
with a large hat in the seat be-
fore me?" But l knew very well that If
asked such a question / should not be
taken quite seriously; and yet do not see
why the theater managers, who are put
ting UP their prices higher and higher ev-
cry season, should not sell certain seats
with this guaranty. They might ask, say,
half a dollar more for such seat. and
forbid any woman in any sort of hat (the
most eXiguous aigrette in the simplest
todue can blot out heroine at the most
important momenD entering the rows of
chairs so reserved.