The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-02
AN OLD PROBLEM SOLVED.


or the Tiger. The question which Mr.
Stockton SO exasperatingly left open
when he wrote his entertaining little
story has never entirely ceased to oc-
cupy the minds of people with taste
for such problems and the recent death
of the author has revived interest in It,
Much has been said upon the subject
and many solutions of the rebus have
been offered but it has remained Tor
this writer to declare. with convincing
finality, that the solution is not that OF
a concrete problem. He asserts that MT
Stockton was far too clever to make II
a question relating to particular IN
stance, In which case. he says. the prob
lem would not be battling. but that ne
meant to put to us not what would a
barbarian princess have done but what
would a woman do. 1t is easy enough.
in his opinion, to decide what certain
woman, as Becky Sharp" or 'Dorothea
Casuabon'' or Little Emily would
have done. But what would a woman
just an abstract woman-do?
To the average mind his interpreta-
ton of the riddle quite robs it of its per-
plexities. What has, perhaps, troubled
most of us who have concerned our
selves with it has been its solution as
concrete problem. Who would have
any hesitation in declaring that woman.
any woman he knows. all the women
he ever knew, would designate the door
behind which the Lady waited? Wo-
man, as we know her. Is essentially
merciful. But what has always de-
TERED us from this solution has been
the consideration that perhaps the prin-
cess OF Mr.. Stockton's tale. of another
- n n
fuences of education. tradition and en-
vironment wholly different from those
of the woman of TODAY. would be NOV
ed by different impulses to q different
decision in her trying dilemma fthe At
lantic Monthly writer's hypothesis be
accepted that the problem is not what
that certain savage princess would have
done but what any woman would do,
there are many who will not agree with
him that the difficulties of its solution
are thereby increased. Indeed, viewed
from that standpoint. 1t becomes as
easy as the puzzle pictures in the Sun
day supplement
Consider the three women whom this
writer has mentioned, Becky Sharp,
"Dorothea Casuabon'' and Little
Emily" each of whom he seems to be-
lieve would have acted differently I'M
der the circun stances in which the
Stockton heroine was placed. Would he
have us believe that Becky" being
commonly considered the least admir-
able of the three, would have sent her
lover to cruel fate? Does he think Lit
tie Emily would have sat silent and
helpless in her terror and permitted the
prisoner to make choice for himself,
unable in her extremity of horror and
i1o 10 hal, hi i9 }rV1r
sible that the writer could expect any
thing less of Dorothea than to have re-
signed her lover to the arms of Lady
and herself to inconsolable suffering.
But it is only to the last presumption
that the knowledge which their creators
have given US of the characters and dis
positions of these women will permit us
to assent. Dorothea would surely not
have hesitated to save her lover from
the tigers gaping jaws and If we are
inclined to believe that Becky" would
have hesitated for the fraction of
minute we can not think that her final
decision would have been different from
"Dorothea's," although we may be
obliged to ascribe different motives to
her. We have confidence enough in her
wit and resourcefulness to be sure that
she not only would have made up the
time lost in deciding but that she would
give the sign 30 subtly, so slyly and
so cleverly that it would never be de-
tected. AS for gentle Little Emily if
she might have failed to let the prisoner
know which door opened to safety and
happiness it would be only because she
lacked "Becky's" rapidity of calcula-
ton and cool nerve and 'Dorothea's"
calm judgment. In such a. critical mo-
ment one would rather trust ones
chances to the cool head than to the
warm heart, but Little Emly's" inten-
tons would be above suspicion. There
was not one of the trio who, facing d
similar problem, would have decided in
favor of the Tiger. Jealousy is a strong
instinct but not SO strong in man as
| in woman. A woman can renounce, If
need be; what is more, she can re-
nounce to another woman. Her lovers
happiness is dearer to her than her own.
This would hardly seem to accord
with the character of Becky Sharp
as we know her, but what Becky
| lacked in tenderness she made up in
| practical common sense. Besides you
| remember that at the last even Thack-
cray, who was always SO hard on her,
| gives her credit for a good turn to that
poor, foolish Amelia" and incidentally
! to the laundering ''Dobbin" who was al
| ways SO rude to her and who had an
| noyed her by refusing to be taken in by
her little receptions and intrigues.
| Didn't that show that she was forgiv-
! ing? Becky" had a pretty hard time
| of it all her life and her experiences
undeniably hardened her, but she was
not the woman to decide in favor of the
| Tiger. Can you imagine her soliloquy?
1.-THE lady? No, I'm hanged if do!
| Why should I? What Is she to me?
| She shan't have him-he's mine-I saw
| him first. But then even If she doesn't
| get him can't. The tiger-No that is
| too dreadful. Let her have him. Here,
you stupid. will you stand staring at
| those doors like a great BOBBY and not
| glance this way where your deliverance
lies? Drat the mani He's blind as q