New-York tribune., 1905-04-14

llAn sketches that the eye turns for relief TO
tne sort grays and light blues in The simplon."
VI 10 the modulated tones of "A Spanish In
'eiiOi' Win dusky spaces behind a whitehaired
mon "Here there are mugs and bottles under
heaIR a hanging lamp. There ia a brilliant
play OF light in the Spanish barracE drawings
'U 'heIe Is the realism of broad and close
oOser' 'Auon In the Venetian Trattoria" and La
salute out perhaps the best brushwor< is 10
Uuho IN A Gondola," with graceful girl
III oiue coat, large hat ana veil. standing out
against distant line Of marble nalscas ,,,tt
rich mists Of sunlight on the face Of the waters
Ihe Hardwicke Society Is learned body.
"hich entertains ambassadors. iurists and mas
teIs OF international law with formaIity and
ceeorun1; but 1t also has leisure hours. when II
ehoous Iohy as il flies" There is an annual
4adles night, when justices and barristers are
alio"eo 10 bring their wives and daughters for
Hsht refreshment. and IN place OF the oldtime
maSque or Elizabethan play there is a mock
trlai or debate in Gray's Inn Hall This wear
the wise men have admitted representatives Of
the other sex TO joint discussion of a fanciful
proposal Tor opening the jury box to women;
and everybody has tried 10 be as funny as possi-
oe- 1t was a comedy without serious touch
The mover Of the resolution naturaIIv had bts
Work cut out for him, with a series of time
honored jokes repolished and reset. The audi
ence knew before he started that he would say
that 1t was only step from the Jury box to
the bench, and that the justices in Kings Bench
would have the privilege ultimately Of sitting
with learned sisters; and II was not disappoint-
ed. II could also forecast the conclusion that
room must be made for women in the jury box
since they alone were unprejudiced and COM
petent to administer justice with impartiaIfty,
especially when nearly every action coming be-
fore the courts resolved itself into a case Of
cherchez Ia femme. It might not have antici-
pated Mr. Justice Darling's warning that with
mixed juries there would be no safeguard
against woEnen's inhumanity TO women: but it
could not have failed 10 crack every one of Mr.
Justice Kekewichs labored jokes before he was
fairly his feet. and also to foresee the rejec-
ton OF the proposal by an overwhelming ma
jority. Woman's night at Gray's Inn marks
the survival OF the oldtime toast to the ladies
at public banquets. Within the quaint inclosure
can be heard as in a whispering gallery all the
old jokes and pleasantries reserved for the final
bumper; and the solemn judges. without wig
gown, disport themselves with the spirits of
Humor and Comedy in grandmotherly way. as
Horace's Roman matrons danced with the wan
ton satyrs.
Mrs. Craigie seems to have paid a surprise
visit to this annual festival in Gray's Inn and
TO have abashed with her candor all the learned
Sne asserted LnaI women were no
toriously unjust, and when she had closed the
jury box door against them with a bang she
explained that this unfairness was the main
source Of their fascination and usefulness.
Where would men go for sympathy she asked IL
women were strictly impartial and where would
women themselves go for encouragement IL they
were TO cease advising one another abominably?
II women excelled men as confidants. It was
because they would not weigh evidence. inferred
anything they liked. and were only happy and
lovely when they were unfair Mrs Craigie ap-
parently unwilling 10 have women in
public life in the jury box, for she declared
that they were never intended to govern any
body to administer anything; and she brought
approving smiles TO all the solemn faces by this
sally: Although Justice is invariably drawn
as a female figure she is scrupulcusly blind
folded. which means that she cannot be trusted
as Americans say. to see straight" Mrs. Graf
gie's epigrams. it must be confessed. were much
better than the stilted jokes of the jurists and
barristers. Possibly she has saved the ladies
night" as one of the institutions Of the inns OF
court: and "cherchez la femme" will no longer
be a term of reproach in bench and bar when
they want genuine entertainment for them
selves. their wives and their daughters.
N F.