The San Francisco call., 1899-11-27

~
him, thought" She burst into tears. NOT
into the explosion OF impatient temper
SSnst mat her father evidently expects. She
moruncation at what people will say: but
with that. and deeper than that. is the
ths tteeiihns OF disappointed affection. No
dawning regard for him TO be the first
step in his tanning discipline. and M
Was a very shrewd one
rms tanning process, all through Is
marked by certain refinement IN spite
OI Us outward cOarseness. and IL de-
mands as much dellcacy and dtsc=etle4s.
S1r Ihe actress who persOnates the
Shrew. As generally rendered on the
stage, II is simply brutal and appeals only
10 the most degraded taste The plav re
comes rude and vulgar farce Ike that
on which Shak- spna~a founded M but
which ne took so much pains TO elevate
and refine.
Petruchio's purpose throughout is 20
snow Kate an exaggerated reflex of her
sell, and 10 make her feel how unreason-
able and unworthy such a Character IL
but he does II in a thOroughIv good-ns
tured way. He shares all the discomforts
that II brings upon her. and makes AZ All
appear 70 De done out OF love FOR her. As
sue herseH saws 10 GrumlO. "He does 40
under name OF perfect love" and ne In
the soliIoquy after he has cheated her out
OF her supper on the night OF their arrival
at his house. says:
Ay. and amid this hurry intend
That all is done In reverend care % her
or course. this makes the moral lesson
the more impressive and effective M be
SUBJECTS ner 10 all this privatiOn and dis
appointment and modification with OBJ
Vious malice she could perhaps nerve her
self 20 hight against IL, but when III IL dOns
ostensloly out Of pure kindness TO ker,
what can she say? Must she not accent
the lesson, that ungOvernable temper ana
unreasonable impatience and overbearinr
wlllfulness, whatever may be the motive
tnat inspires or eXcites them. can only re-
act disastrOusly upon the person who
gives way TO tbem7 They can only tend
70 make him miserable. as we'll as every
bOdy about him. Kate Is compelled 10
say to herself: This is what am coming
10 IL go on as / have begun: let me en-
deavor 10 reform myself first. and then
my husband, for We are "A couple OF fools
10 is interesting 20 note that one ~ the
first indications OF her better temper Is a
consideration for others rather than her.
self. When GrumiO Is telling Of their ride
home, he says: How he beat me because
her horse stumbled. how she wadcd
through the dirt 20 pluck him of me-
which was wonderfully kind under the
circumstances: and later. when Petruchio
berates the servant for splitting the water.
she says: Patience. / pray you: twas a
fault unwilling and when the meat has
been thrown at the heads OF those who
had brought IL. she excuses the mush-
abused cook by telling her husband thar
the meat was well enough II he were 80
cOntented. There Is nothing OF all this In
the old play.
II is not TO be wondered at that now and
lnen the OH snreWlshneSs reaSserts
Itself. especially when Petrucho NEEDLES
with her millinery and dressmaking. That
would try the patience OF a female SAINT.
and we cannot expect Kate who Is far
from being a saint. TO endure 10 tamely. IL
Is remarkable. however, that she bears N
well as she does. Is there a woman
among my readers who would not have
scolded worse under similar prOvocatiOn7
Imagine how the Kate Of maiden days
would have raved n Blanca or anybOdv
else had presumed to dictate the size OF
her cap or the cut OF her gown
Note-This study OF Katherine and Pc
truchio" by Dr. ROlfe will be concluded
ON Thursday