The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-12-04

The week. a brilliant one socially nas included both formal events and those where small and congenial little parties nave gathered for afternoon tea TOT lew games of bridge for small and de- hghtful little dinner and after-the- theatre suppers.
 The fact that there are from three to four entertainments almost every day savors of a phase of social life seldom found outside of those cities that enjoy prestige of years (and only years) over Birmingham.
 Social life is growing every day more complex, demanding more and more Of ones time, until even the men and women whom the world considers are devotlng their entire time to society are heard to express a desire for opportunities in which to accomplish other ends. This expressed desire for more time Tor less excitement, comes from the very class of people who create our society, and the very conditions of which they com plain are those which they and they alone are responsible, Beyond this wish 10 lead less extraVagant lives, to take an Initial step towards dropping out to certain extent of the continuous ex- eitement, is a natural desire to remain part of it all, to return year after year the same hold on people, There are some relations In life that are made the stronger by relaxation, but there are others that require a constant holding to- gether. People are afraid of being for gotten and one of the sins of society Is forgetfulness. So that really after all, II the very persons who complain of their social exactions, were to ever become less a part of social life they would show as unmistakable signs of satisfaction on re- suming their gay life as MT. --awtrey did the other evening on discovering that his sovereigns and bank notes were in- tact inside his fur lined coat.
 Speaking of Mir. Hawtrey, the young English actor, who by the way, Is an Oxford man, recalls some London stage gossip that appeared recently in the London Mirror. At the Shaftesbury the atre Olga Nethersole is presenting "The Flute of Pan,' written by John Oliver Hobbs (Mrs) Cragie) and, who, in dis cussing the scientific aspect of play writing, says that to present life pre- cisely Is out of the question.
 ''The modern theatre has, happily. lost many of It's cramplng convention" Mrs. Cragie is quoted, "and it is therefore possible for authors to enjoy greater elasticity in choosing themes, and in dealing with them, than was ever the case before. One may now try as many ex- periments in play-writng as in musical composition.
 "But 1t must be owned that, in this country, the public which supports the hlgh-class concert halls has a more edu- cated taste than the public which sup- ports the fashionable theatres. Any one is considered fully competent to judge of play. Few, comparatively, are allowed to offer their opinion, as experts, of new music.
 This may be because the writing of symphonies and the like is regarded as a science. The composition of theatre work is a science also-a very difficult, elusive one, and 1t may we'll be com pared with the orchestration of certain themes and moods and passion for musi- cal instruments.
 ITO present life precisely Is out of the question. It is not the business of an artist to present the whole of life: he has to offer diagrams as pleasing, or as strong or as grim, or as fanciful as his own personal temperament may be. If his own temperament is sympathetic to a large number of other persons, his work, no matter how merely suggestive on one hand or crude on the other, Is popular.
 Tn The Flute of Pan, I have offered to those who see life as I see 1t, a comedy of feelings and manners. The people are not offered as types, but as individuals.
 ''I do not say that we all talk as the Princess Margaret and Lord Felder- shey talk: I do not know how we all talk have not two friends or acquain- l tances who talk alike or who think alike. To me everybody is an individua1: that is why I find everybody extremely interest ing. My comedy, therefore, is about indi- viduals; and the scenes are scenes con densed from existence as I know it. I do not doubt, therefore, that 1t will be ac. cepted in that spirit by those who have never yet failed to understand my inten- 1 tion
 But although my method in work Is careful, the story of the play Is a love story, and if there is a moral my excuse must be that every story in the world must have one whether 1t will or mo-" A visitor to Mobile during federation week writes a personal letter to a Bir- mingham woman, from which am per- mitted to use some extracts:
 Were I to describe one 1.-the of the lovely things this hospitalle city has arr | ranged for the club women, this letter would beggar me In postage. Enter tainments, private and public, clubs ] thrown wide as to doors and welcome, de- iightful drives, the Circulating library parlors rendered as offices by Miss Moses, and a thousand heart-born little atten- tions-all punctuated by the infinite knife and fork. It makes ones head swim and one's heart throb
 Perhaps the most charming feature to