The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-25

announcer Inree WEEKS MI W -"
Gin. Published by the Life Publish
ing Company. New York.
We announce with some pride that, in
one particular at least, we are rather an
exceptional individual. We have NOT
read sThree Weeks" This is not because
of any undue b~ashfulness as to the class
of works that touch upon q subject COM
monty and decently avoided in polite con-
vefsation 1t Is merely that, ethical con-
siderations apart, we have had so much
of the same thing dinned into our ears
from the stage that it has become an IN
tolerable bore. At the same time so inter
minably has Three Weeks been ex-
plotted IN the public prints, we do not
feel thai OR abstinence has saved us
much. From all we have been able to
gather from what we have not been able
not to read. the book is simply nastiness
for nastiness' sake without a Vestige OF
literary or artistic quality to mime 1t
to any but the IDLY curious and the
pruriently minded. It's author is a shrewd
self-advertiser who has discovered the
truth Of p. T. Barnum's estimate of the
American people and who is acting upon
her knowledge without reference to the
demands of good taste: that is all.
Life has always been noted for its
accuracy in mailing humbug and sham and
piercing the cloak of pretentiousness with
the shafts of It's keen satire and polished
wit That Is what. though with weapons
more blunt than usual, II is engaged In
doing In the present instance. Three
Weeks lays itself readily open TO bur-
lesque and Life is not the sort of pub
~lication to let the opportunity slip. 1t mas
seized upon its time-honored prerogatiVe
with avidity and produced one of the most
merciless screeds it has ever been our
---I re Ma. nIy, 1nAg mt
sauirm when she cons over the following,
which we extract. ii will be because she
has forgotten how; and, II those American
women who have done so much to give the
book its notoriety do not do a little blush
ing on their own account, when they, too,
read, it will reflect small credit to their
sensibilities:
asked her, absent-mindedly running his
fingers through the great waves OF purple
hair.
tise my book, and Ii [ can bring 1t about, 20
be dramatized. Now, 10 you Know, my
Paul.
paul at last realized the terrible truth.
This wo1nan-was only a fakir, a selt-ad-
v%ertiser, % mere vulgar person, VINO would
expose herself, who would spread dlrtincss
broadcast, who would do anything TO- see
her name in print and sell her writings.
But he conquered the momentary feeling
OF repulsion, OF loathing for II woman 50
lost to every Instinct OF Womanly dellcacy.
He might be mistaken. He sought TO Snow
j do not quite understand, replied Paul
in his stupid British way. 1 never was told
that decently brought-up, elean-mindeu
women cared to put themselves or Their
names In the public view in connection win
topics that are usually left to doctors, po-
licemen and sensational preachers
Let me explain TO you, my DaDy Faul,
she said. 1t IS true that ] did not dare
bring out my book in England. | know, as
well as you that. although the brl,sls
pubic Is rotten in many ways, there are
some things 1t will not permit a woman TO
do
Still. | do not understand why you had
to put your name to the book ami come 10
America just when it was published.
. Again you are silly and stupid and
British, my little Paul. his lady answered.
You do not understand that IN the United
States foolish women are powerful in many
ways. The real men of the country are 90
busy making money that they let tne
pleases many women 10 chase tue latest
Tah.. so / thought | would come over here
and make myself and my book it.
"'Mhat?' asked Paul.
"'The latest fad, stupid boy! she, an
swered.. Don't you see? l write a book
in which ! talk openly about things that
sort of common regard for decency are
not usually written about for general
reading. | have the courage or the nerve
or the immodesty or whatever you may
UMlI lIA L " EIAb hlO Nv hh14@ -
| come here and show my curious per-
sonality and my purple hair conspieuously
In public, and the American reporters. al
ways gullible about persons from our SIDE
OF the Atlantic, begin to mention me IN
their newspapers.
.well?' querted Paul.
That starts the endless chain. The
reporters never speak Of me that they
don't mention my book. My publisher sees
10 /. that silly persons who write ABOUT
bootcB IN American newspapers and maya.
ZINES lnot guilty that tlme) get a lot OF
gossip about me and my family and my
purple hair and a little about
the book. II you had ever read anything
except the parliamentary reports In the
PINK I'm. you would understand that IN
America people don't read books much;
They DO road "A whole lot of gossip about
the persons who write books. But II You
rnt something IN a book that makes them
;nik about the book itself-not anything
o. any uee. mind you, but something that
= sensational or cheap or n~asty-then they
ona another TO buy the book because they
have eeen you and also because they have
heard the book talked about as some
thing they ought not TO read. lew taught
our ser 10 love forbidden fruit
Put said Paul. L don't see why you
ehouldn't have put some other name to
The dirty book and then have let your man
not dirty. Paul she said. her
strange eyes bearing tenderness and moth
erlv passion: 1T is all idealized by our
great love. I know, darling. TINT dirt is
dirt, hut when you idealize it with a
great love and put 1t into a book II be-
comes something else and your publisher
will pay you a handsome royalty on 1t