The National tribune., 1908-04-23

SS mpathy with the Suf1faSeIS OF Eng
land in the picturesque campaign they
are conducting in that country, or who,
perhaps, are themselves openly avowed
"Woman's Fighters" will have addi-
tional reason, if they read the little
book of Otto Weininger, entitled Sex
and Character" to lift up their voices
in; loud and excited protest. This Ger
man, only II years of age when his
tragic death by suicide occurred a short
time ago, says that the class of women
who desire the ballot are abnormal, be-
ing more masculine in character and
appearance than feminine, and to pay
any attention to the voice of abnormal
ity is a grave mistake. The normal
feminine woman, who is far in the ma
jority. has neither the desire nor Ca
pacity for emancipation in this sense:
that is, thru the ballot. Remarkable
movements, history shows, are recur-
rent, and this is markedly the case with
the woman movement. There was one
as early as the 10th century, and in
the 18th and 10th centuries the ques-
ton of woman'S inferiority or superior
fly to man occupied the thoughts and
pens of such eminent writers as Sir
Thomas More and Agrippa Won Nettes-
IHe 1OTilltI NIlOll ColiS4btISu
woman his equal and the latter his su
perior. If some scientific law could be
found to account for the return of these
movements it would then be necessary
to try to find some reason why : greater
number of abnormal people should ex-
ist at one time rather than another,
which would seem TO put the matter in
the hands of medical science. All of
which may prove interesting reading to
the n cI,ffV.a piCt which in iG
feared, will cause her angry passions
10 rise and provoke q flow of eloquence
for which scorned womanhood, since
the days of Eve, has been justly cele-
brated.
A certain amount of diversion seems
to be law of nature. and greatly to be
pitied are the men or women who have
too little of this in their lives. No more
serious mistake can be made by those
persons who wish to exert a normal,
healthful. helpful influence than to sup
pose diversion unnecessary for them,
and to allow their natural inclinationS
to become atrophied thru the mistaken
idea that they have not the time, or
that they cannot afford to give them
selves amusement. However, such cases
are rare, and it might justly be claimed
that the American people give too much
of their time and money to this matter
of being entertained and diverted. 1t
is the business of a large army of men
and women to cudgel their brains into
evolving some new and novel means of
amusing the people, and SO successful
are they in this that it would seem
sometimes as if the human brain must
be scraped dry of any ideas on this
subject But its fertility is apparently
inexhaustible, and novelties continue
to be advertised from the vaudeville
stage and other popular places of en-
tertainment. One of the latest in this
respect is the "Theatorium, which
seems to be combination of moving
picture and gramophone. The immense
gramophone used is placed behind the
curtain on which the moving pictures
appear, and is SO contrived that the
words and their corresponding action
are coincident In this way entire plays
and operas can be given, it is claimed.
summer Nights Dream" "Othello,"
Hamlet and other plays have been
prepared for reproduction in this way,
some of the light and popular operas
and three grand operas. There is much
to be said in favor of this new inven-
ton. 1t will presumably be a cheap
show, and thus bring within the means
of those who cannot afford our high
priced theaters the opportunity of be-
coming acquainted with the great plays
of Shakspere and the works of our
famous composers. Then, too, what a
toy for the rich mani If the invention
proves to be really satisfactory. as has
the Victor" phonograph, what could be
more delightful for the lucky million
aire than to have his own theater at
hand, to be able to select his play or
opera according to his mood. and to
choose his own time for their enjoy
ment. Hitherto this has been a privi-
lege confined to royalty, but now it
would seem to be within the grasp of
very large and rapidly-increasing
class.
They have a custom in the coffee
country OF Brazil of presenting new
born babe with sack of the best grade
of coffee, which is 10 be a part of the
child's inheritance. Usually the sack is
the gift of some relative or dear friend
OF the family, and is put away and tax
en- as much care of as If il were gold or
bonds. The sack is sealed and accom-
panied by card bearing the name of
the donor, the date of birth and name
of the owner, and all the particulars
regarding the pedigree of the coffee,
etc. No degree of poverty could induce
the parents of the child TO open this
sack; no guest could possibly be of so
exalted a rank as to permit of anything
10 contrary to all tradition. The coffee
Is kept religiously sealed until its own
sr marries, and then it is opened, with
much ceremony, to furnish the beverage
for the marriage feast. After this the
sack is again closed, and sent to the
home of the new pair, who are sup
posed to be very fortunate TO start life
with this desirable possession. Some
Times ii happens that both bride and
groom are the lucky owners of these
birth gifts, in which case they are OBJ
Iects of envy, indeed.
With Nine. Anna Gould and her
Prince safely out of the country, II
might be well 20 drop the subject of
their affairs, as il is, after all, very
small class who are at all interested in
them But the naivete of the Prince in
the statement he made just before sail
Ing makes il almost worth while men,
tioning. He tells us with charming in
Benuousness, evidently fully expecting to
be believed, that their eyes met and
they loved" But 1t was Nine. Anna
who spoke first, for ne felt himself toe
old for a bright young creature like
herself and should have allowed con-
cealment, like worm in the bud, to
have its way, rather than speak the pas
sion which was consuming him. Not SC
Nine. Gould. "Oh, Prince" says she
why didn't marry q man like YOU %
Could any man with any soul resist ar
appeal like that? Certainly not Prince
Helie de Sagan, whose chiyalrous in.
stincts and traditions bade him evel
rush to the protection and help of love.
ly woman. No; he had made careful
study of her character, knew her hopes
fhnfIOhtC nd fnpl