The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-06
THE SCRANTON BUNE-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1900.

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has previously been intimated In these
columns, Is one tnat no young girl
should allow her mother to read, to
use modern parance. or all the In
sidious vileness of thought and sug-
gestion commend us to Gertrude Ath-
erton In fiction, and particularly to
her Senator North" Yet English re-
viewers call her Americas typical
novelist and her greatest Heaven
help poor America IL this lady, with
her bleached hair and her unbleached
views OF social questions is to be con-
sidered our greatest exponent. This
particular book Of hers is enough to
undermine the morality of saint. In
comparison, "a Lady of Quality" is to
be recommended for heading the list
Of a Sunday school library.
One Is forced to wonder what par
ticular woman or collection of women
formed Judge Grants studies for "Sel-
ma White" in "Unleavened Bread"
How the author does hate that wo-
man! How we all hate her as we see
her character unfold, leaf upon leaf.
She is certainly horrible example of
what we ought not to be, whether we
are club women or only innocuous no.
bodies who conceive the brilliant idea
Of chain of prayers for some Quix-
otic object. She Is enough to make one
shudder at the possibilities in our
selves, whether half educated, pro-
vincial, narrow and hypocritic like Sell
ma, or more advanced, more cultured
and with less conceit. We see her
prototype occasionally in the woman
who scorns society because it is false
and hollow and because people who
were therein tell lies. AS If they won't
do so anywhere else in the world! Sell
ma affected to be far above society's
frivolities; to have nobler, deeper
thoughts and loftier aims. All the time
she was making frantic endeavors to
get within the charmed circle and her
scorn of societys frivolities was chief
ly the result Of envy and chagrin. Yet
she managed to deceive most of the
people all the while and apparently
her ownself part of that time. She
really ought to be studied as a speci-
ment of what one ought not to be.
Judge Grant is a New Highlander
and the club women who furnished
him the material for his harsh and
biting sarcasm must be terrors. Yet
no woman, honest with herself, can
read his most brilliantly written book
without seeing at least tleeting
glimpses of her own possibilities in the
painfully unflattering mirror he holds
up to view. How he can be the same
man who wrote that perfectly delight
ful BACHELORS Christmas" is hard to
reconcile with reason.
David Harum'' was the most skill
fully advertised book which has ap-
peared in this generation. People
who tumbled over themselves to read
it and rave over it are now wondering
what they saw in it; but David" is
likely to be responsible for great
many limitations, more or less feeble.
"Eben Holden" is successor to his
claims, but Eben, although full of
touches of nature, beautiful and clear.
is most tiresome and unnecessarily
long drawn out story just as THE
Martyrdom of an Empress" is over-'
flowing with gush, school-girly and
ante-dated in it's style.
The Home for the Frendess has ar
ranged a rather unique feature for
Donation Day which has been fixed for
Oct. 25. 1t will be an entertainment
to take place on the evening of that
day at the Home when Miss Ross, a
famous monologuist and reader will
furnish the programme. It is seldom
that the inmates of the institution
have a treat of this sort. They are cut
off from the recreation and pleasures
which most other old ladies and chill
dren enjoy. Did you ever think what
it means to be old and friendless: to
have nobody in the wide world who
''loves you living, or would weep to
mourn you dead?" Did you ever think
what it would mean to be old and
have no little children to plan sur
prises for grandma" no fireside where
you would be the welcome guest. no
eager hands to make age sweet and
comfortable and dear; no daughters to
fashion pretty caps for mother; no
tails sons to stOop at twilight above
the grey old head and say "If it had
not been for my dear mothers influ-
ence l could never have been the
successful man I am today" to live
Just narrow dull round with only
the same other old women for COM
pany who have life stories as sad as
your own?
Did you ever think what it would
mean II your own little child, petted
and guarded and kept safe in your
warm home nest should suddenly be
sent out into the world friendless and
alone; should have no more dainty
garments made specially for it's own
small self. No little anniversaries,
save those provided by the kind mat
ron of some institution. No visits of
other children, no tenderness of blood
ties, no very own mother to tuck 1t
up at night?
Think sometimes about these chill
qrcn to whom their home and often
their parents are vcarcely as much as
a memory. Think of the lonely old
women and come to the Home for the
Friendless on the night of October 25
and help make it gala occasion;
bring silver Offering and enter into
the spirit of the occasion on this one