The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-02-16

dishonored she faced the cruel ediet
of society that bars its gates forever
against such as she become.
Beauty Her Only ASSET.
What was she to 90? How was she
TO live? What of the mother and little
brother that were dependent upon her?
She was only sixteen. and her only tai
ent was Der beauty She had no edu-
cation. no strength Of either body or
mind She had no ability. even as an
actress. except the ability to caper
around Ia a chorus and look beautiful.
and II Is an open secret that theatrical
homogeneous do not look any too IA
vOrable upon prudes.
Was II not then pre- ctically inevitable
that she should accept Stanford White
easy philosophy Of life. and start upon
the fiOwCr-strewn road that has ended
Ia such a thorny calvary for her? II
is easy enough 10 preach virtue. II is
easy enough 10 say that she should
have atoned for her first involuntary
Wrongdoln" by living a life that would
thereafter be beyond reprOach, that she
should have begged her bread rather
than eaten cake bought at such a price.
and that she should have fed from STAN
ford White and his kind, and from the
studios as from charnal house. but
whittier was she 10 fly?
Tempter Ever Near Her.
There was the tcmpter standing beside
her offering her all that she desired.
whispering 20 her that he would make
great actress Of her. loading her with
gifts. fattering, subtle, and smothering
her every scrIrle with lying sOphlstries
that she was too ignorant, too young,
too inexperienced to combat
Ii is no wonder that she yielded. No
wonder that little by little the horror
OF u all wore of and she accepted the
situation with the easy philosophy that
the man who had been her friend.
philosopher and guide had instlled
into her. No doubt every word shows
them To have been on the friendliest
terms, IL is true. That was Stanford
Whites greatest crime against Evelyn
what was best IN her so that She did
not know good from evil. lie even killed
the sense os shame In her.
Mothers Unenviable Position.
There is also this excuse ALWAYS 70
be made for Evelyn Nesbit-her mother
Mrs. Holman grows holly Indignant
when she Is accused Of having betrayed
her daughter. but there stands out the
unaltcrable fact that for years she lived
on Stanford Whites money-lived sump-
tuOUglN In smart apS rtm"ntS, ln smart
hotels. that she dressed beautifully and
had every appurteEance OF wealth about
her.
She declares that she did this In good
faith. believing the wickedest man in
New York had suddenly turned into
guardian angel for the benefit OF her
and her daughter, a kind Of benencent
fairy, who found his reward In simply
doing good and making life easy for
two helpless women. Such credulity Il
superhuman. IL is unbelievable
More Sinned Against Than Shining.
The complaisant mother is not new
figure. but it is the most sinister and
terrible one on earth, and we may we'll
pity Evelyn Nesbit n I'm her hour OF
need she had no mothers hand 10
snatch her back from danger. no
mothers voice 10 warn her, no mothers
prayers 20 give her the strength she
needed TO resist temptation I am not
seeking 10 justify Evelyn NeSbit There
can be no Justification for such a life
As hers. since we are all free 10 follow
the path we choose. but, whatever
wrong she has done, when YOU weigh
Il against her environment her youth,
and beauty, and ignorance, and the
great crime committed against her, II
Tits the scale iH her favor.
In tn. last analysis OF IL all she has
been more sinued against than SHINING.