The Washington times., 1903-02-08

many. NaIdonado end Trenwith are far
clearer types TO the male intelligence.
Only q .-oman can follow Iris through
2II her sTuggI- g and take home 10 her
self, personally. the lesson to be learned.
Let me say risht here that these lessons
are not these OF imitation. but Of Illus
tration. No woman VIII ever Initiate the
life Of Iris BeHamy. The manner Of her
downfall is too plainly told for that.
DO not believe the same can be said Of
many Of the so-caIIod harmless" plays,
especially 50 fer as The young are con-
ecTncd. Until the reasoning faculties
are we'll developed most OF life is an i'm
iaticu Of cEe sort and another Chill
drcn initiate their teachers. their pa
rents. any che they admire with whom
they come in contact. Their attention is
naturally attracted by the characters
most nearly their own ages. no matter
whether it be On the etage or in the pull
pit Few CT the 6-+ -htGuI persons in
the drcrgs r. the aay VIII stand the
test of ,..--..~u There are more ideas
than enc &c tie afas-ion of morality in
plays
Imitation Is Not Suggested.
When say that only woman can
Thoroughly comprehend Iris" I do not
mean thar woman must necessarily be
an Iris. Far from it-she may be the
most chaste imaginable, she may be as
certain Of herself as anyone who ever
lived. II she be intelligent with her
goodness Iris" viii make her think
Logical thinking is what the world needs
today on the part Of both men and
women. Iris is a living example of a
woman who does not think she has all
Eoou qualities. but that one-the ability
TO confront a -.tuation ard reason her
way out
IN her twenty-siZ years-Jhdt being
the age 1fr. Pfnero has given hcr-she
has never been crossed in n single wish
Her husband clearly humOred her every
whim. i is only fair TO suppose that
her father and mother. or her guardians,
as the case may be. did the same thing
before her marriage We nave all seen
girls raised in just this manner They
learn the gcntlcT accomplishments, TO
play. to sing; they are fine linguists.
well read. after d fashion, and good con
yersationalists. Yet. they have no def
mite aims or ambitions in life. Their
faculties are only rubbed bright in spots.
not kept evenly polished by constant
use.
Time. which should sharpen and
bring outside details. only dulls
and piles high the heaps OF worldly ac-
foundations. Under such circumstances
il is small wonder that a voman's real
nature is lost sight of. unless some
event. or emotion comes into her life to
dig out from The depths her genuine in
nermost heart Never tried. no one knew
the real nature Of Iris. She drifted along
on the easy flowing current of her life
as a ayriad-tiuted butterfly drifts with
the rose pcrfuuned summer breeze For
her. as for the butterfly. the skies were
blue and life q round OF innOl~ IT enjoy
ment. No more than the butterfly was
she nistrustfuI Of men and women. She
must have been al this or she would
not have been called Divinity" by her
school girl friends
AS an Illustration ne conversation
In the first act between Fanny Sylvan
gho IS the most intimate friend OF Iris.
and her niece is most significant.
We'll. how do you like herr"
she is adorable.
All" uriumDhantIyJ
When did you first know each other2"
when she was fourteen We were at
school together. Even then :here wasn't
q girl who wouldn't have sold her little
white soul for caress from Iris. And
the spell she casts never weakens. Here
am a woman Of thirty, ana believe
she is more attractive TO me than ever
School girls are not apt TO be follow
ers of a girl who is not everything a /
school girl should be That one descrip- I
ticn OF Iris tells exactly the manner of /
girl she was, the manner OF woman she /
grew into. Iovable and beloved. ignorant +
or anything else but that OF ease and (
wealth st the age Of twensy-sfx this I
creature of circumstance is a widow I
OF more money than she .
knows how 90 spend Through years of +
her vromanhood she has still experienced /
no crosses