The San Francisco call., 1908-04-12

is a dress maker who spends her Naca-
tion shooting grizzly bears. and as
lightly takes position as trained
nurse upon moments notice. She is de-
scribed while standing on a step ladder
at her fashionable dress making estab-
Mshment: Her long. supple back was
toward him; he was as little the ex-
pert in womans dress as the average
American man. vet he noted her beau
tiful simple morning dress of dark
green cloth. with hat and stockings
and shoes 20 match--onc of those un-
obtrusive costumes whose costly per
fection shows in its being unobtrusive
and in the surprises of pleasures it's
intelligent and elegant details yield
TO the critical eve.
The author eXpends a tremendous
amount OF energy in denouncing physl-
cal decay. but lays little stress upon the
much more serious weakening of the
feminine intellect from lack OF interest
IN life. Even had Mrs. Murdock sprueed
up In appearance one cannot imagine
her and her husband being in any way
congenial comrades. She says herself
many times. II never felt at ease with
YOU after I came to know YOU" ard
that is the fundamental reason why
these two people drifted apart. Later
IN the book when another man appears
on the scene and awakens a real inter-
est in the stout Mrs. Murdocks heart
she changes rapidly enough. Then OF
her own accord she begins to exercise
and pull up. "Blagden, bent on having
Sophy as near 10 his physical ideal as
he saw she could easily be- had been
heguiling her into long and ever longer
walks. and his practical interest had
been stimulating her to take care OF
herself, to permit and even to urge
Katy TO make her toilet elaborately.
No longer was she slovenly In the
morning and dressed up looking in the
afternoon. and at all times suggestive
of bulk and semi-fluidity. Her hair was
washed and kept In condition
etc. ." etc. We are let still further
into feminine mysteries; "Details. such
as these eXtravagant purchases of
beautiful clothing TO be worn where no
man could see, are usually disdained
by biographers of characters But
these very details are gone into at such
length that one cannot but take notice
and understand the authors reasoning.
An entire chapter is devoted to the
"Agnes-Fleury" corset, that weighed
-four pounds and a half. and was a
combination corslet, backstrap and leg
gings all Of steel and stiffest buck
ram" When the French attendant
after "ffteen minutes OF artfully con-
cealed struggle and strenuous muscu-
lar exertion that showed not at all in
mademoiselle's serious smiling. affable
face" had squeezed the poor fat lady
into the corsets. she remarks, IF
madame viii wear 1t when she sleeps. re
figure viii grow TO her" Poor Madame
Sophy must have felt very much as
the young lady did who had just been
invested in her new "Irresistibles" who
said: If ! should drop a hundred dol
lar bill I'd either have TO scream for
help or fall on my face and pick II up
with my teeth"
TIE 6eScrinfion IF TOc+orS ,5isrt,ti,, @
during train wreck for the possession
/, of a rich patient, leaving the wounded
and dying unhelped, is, one hopes, a
picture overdrawn. Come along, gen
tlemen," cried the trainman. There
are so poor creatures crying for you
The phrase poor creatures" was un-
fortunate. Four of the doctors seemed
: not to have heard the appeal, but
pushed eagerly. almost menacingly
: round Murdock's couch. like swine a
a.hrough.
: One hears occasionally with indigna.
tion of the businessman grown rich anC
prosperous who tires of the wife of nis
youth and divorces her to marry {
younger and prettier woman Perhaps
this would be the deduction in an ordi-
nary. everyday account of Mr.. Muir.
docks divorce, but the home life of Iht
family as told in the novel places the
blame exclusively upon the indolence
and SloVenllneSS or the WIFE
Any woman nearing 40. inclined I,
: embonpoint. having a good appetite fol
three meals a day. to say nothing o.
e afternoon tea and late suppers, dis
d inclination to walk and a fondness fo
( sweets-San Francisco is filled Will
}. hundreds of just such dames-shoul'
e read "Old Wives for New" and get
:. few sharp shocks.
r The sermon in the book. to be sure
Y applies TO men as much as to women
T but they need II less. The stout, doubl
e chinned men with enormous girth be
e long to a passing generation. Now
g young fellow of 30 would be ashame,
y TO show himself in the street with
a waist measure out of proportion to hi
e height. Exercise. cold water. fresh All
[ deep breathing are the order OF the day
n and Mr.. Phillips sermons are neede,
n by but few men. But let the womel
4 read this book-and learn.