The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-29

Over the desk in the private Office Of
Mrs De Mile. the play broker, hangs this
legend:
-.''..'.''---..'...'..
Plays arc moi writtea. but rewritten Dion
BoucicaUh.
A stranger not OF the cult looked ques-
tioningly at the motto. In reply Mrs.
De Mile said:
That is one OF my choicest possessions
First it ia absolutely true. Then It was
constantly on the lips Of the elder Bouoi-
oault, who knew so well the value Of it
and it has been the salvation Of scores OF
discouraged dramatic authors.
Women come TO me with their plays
and expect them TO be produced at once
and are down in the depths Immediately
when told that they must be reconstructed.
It's not their experience alone, tia the eK-
perience of every playwright living or
dead
plays must be written and rewritten
and written over again; they must be ruth
lessly butchered, cut and hacked until
they embody all the essentials OF plot
character and technique, and include that
vital something which means the success
or failure Of n drama when II is put on the
stage.
This IL bitter medicine to most dramatic
authors, but it Is particularly so 70 women,
who, as you know, dare to rush In where
angels fear 10 tread.
II there are yet women who think that
the superstition about wearing peacock
feathers Is still ingrained lin the minds Of
their sex, let them take a stroll up Fifth
avenue or through the park some fine
morning when the up TO date woman is
out exercising her dog or her baby, and
their minds will be disabused OF the notion.
For morning. wear 1t has become Tad
to have bunch OF peacock feathers stuck
iauntly through the band Of a soft felt
Fedora hat Glowing cheeks and the rich
blue-green of the feathers make charming
contrasts and the effect is extremely chic
On the other hand, the pet superstition
that good luck follows the finding Of horse
shoe has a stout believer in the person OF
pretty girl who was afterward identified
as the daughter OF prominent lawyer
1t was at the jun otion Of Fourteenth
street and Eighth avenue one very stormy
dav A horse had just cast his shoe and ii
lay in an angle OF the car tracks cleaning
bright and shiny in the rain. II was pour
ing pitohforks and the street was flowing
with muddy streams.
Most foot passengers were so busy try
ing TO keep dry and hold on TO their UNI
brellas that their eyes didn't strike the cast
of shoe. But the pretty girl saw ii and
stopped irresolute.
stopped and looked back at the good luck
s{gn which seemed TO beg to be taken up.
Like Lots wife, she turned back and was
lost.
out she trudged, with the eddying stream
coming UP over the tops OF her rlbbers
picked up the shoe, hid 1t underneath her
long Engli sh raincoat and down the street
she plodded a half smile on her face, as
though content that she hadn't left her good
luck behind.
Housewives who find il a bore to wind
the clock every seven, eight or fourteen
days, az the case may be. viii be pleased
TO know that there Ia a clock on the market
which has to be wound only every 400 DAYS.
Ten chances TO one they would forget 10
wind II at that
Wise ones long ago decided that it isn't
safe to predict where woman's fancy
will lead her
To Illustrate, not long ago a certain smart
photographer who knows womankind
slyly whispered that 1t was quite the proper
thing 10 have ones foot photographed and
mentioned one Of his patrons, noted for her
dainty feet as having started the fad. And
10 and behold the world was scarcely a day
older before he was besieged with orders
from fair clients for pictures Of their pretty
feet.
Consequently In the room Of the up to
date girl you would see. were you accorded
the favor, row Of photographs represent
ing the feet Of her dearest friends Some
Of them, they say. are match for thbse
Of Queen Wilhelmina herself. Of whom
II is said that so high srched il her instep
that stream Of water can flow beneath Il
without wetting her foot