The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-08
Sad.

Mabel Herbert Urner's book called
The journal of u Neglected Wife" (B. W.
Dodge and Company sets forth. as
perhaps might be suspected. a very
unhappy state Of affairs. No reader will
he likely TO complain that the sadness Of
Il does not come up to expectations. Let
us glance here at a page well toward the
end, when the neglect has reached an
advanced stage. On December 10 we
find the wife writing; Il have seen a child
beating its hands sgainst a door In wild.
impotent rage. / think that Is how I
now feel toward life. ] am beating
myself against barriers before which
am powerless; l am wearing out my
strength, my vitality. fighting conditions
that only elude and bafie me-
Surely the child beating upon the door
was not fighting anything elusive. We
need-not dwell upon the point. which Is
unimportant. In the journal for Deoem-
her 20 We read: Il am sick-siok with
strained emotions. To-day it is the
sensation one has whom a too smooth
running elevator stops with a sickening
mrch."
Better than II 1t should stop with a
.ickening thud; it is relieving to think
that conditions were still not at thu worst.
Quite happy fancies we're still possible.
The neglected wife records further: If
II could be proven to me that my husband
was not unfaithful, that there was no
other woman in his life, / would be we'll,
perf, tly WE'LL II 1t were not q time Of
trouble we might wish that the journalist
had said should instead Of would. II IL
not a vital matter.
The other had not been seen by
the neglected wife. but she had been heard
through the wonderful convenience af-
forded 10 the world by Mr.. RelI. Re-
ssrdine his we read: Her voice haunts
me constantly. Even over the telephone
it was very low and soft. Somehow I
have always pictured her Al tall and
striking But now I think OF her az small
and slight And I know it is the type
Of woman. the frail, delicate woman,
who would appeal to him.
We had thought TO draw the veil here.
for these condolences affect US pain
fully, but under date OF December % the
words stared at usinitalics: He has gone
After this 1t seems to LIE that we are bound
in ordinary kindness to report that over
the page under date OF December u 1t is
recorded, again In italics: He has oome
back We may add that though he sat
up all night with q revolver fulgently at
hand he did not Use 1t. To his wife in
the morning 'in a voice that was almost
cold he said: She died yesterday at the
hospital. The child died with her.
In the last entry. dated January 10. the
journalist records: Il am going to stay.
am going to stay because he needs me-
II In the course OF the next few months
we catch anybody reading a dark red
book and weeping we shall, as the saying
is, put this and that together.
She Had Mind and Ardor and Outlines.
Lawrence North's story Of 4syrinx'
Dufield and Company tells US Of a
young woman who said 'Damni' on dis
covering that her watch had stopped. 1t
is recorded that she said il deliciously.
20 doubtless the fishes in the river and the
birds in the trees in the neighborhood
Of Pangbury Church were not greatly
startled, The young woman padded her
boat back to the place where she had
hired it and set out TO walk to the railroad
station.
Nearly all her days. we are told. she
had seemed to be in quest Of her own
soul. Just now particularly she was
hoping not to miss tho train. for this was
the night Of a supper. Of a .Carlovlngian
banquet at which q number Of artistic
and unconventional souls Of both sexes
we're expected to meet and regale them
selves. As she walked in the growing
dusk she regarded with frank emotion
the slow spangling Of ths armament.
She stretched out her arms 70 the planet
Venus. 'oh. Aphrodite. Queen OF Heaven!'
the cried. She fell to reciting Sappho's
ode to Aphrodite. A scholar who was
leaning wei a gate embowered with
roses7 overheard her and was glad, be-