The San Francisco call., 1909-10-28
I ENTRY OF EVIL
| BY CHOIR DOOR
Du Moulin Divorce Case Is
Cause of Much Sorrow
To Many Persons
BY MARY AsHE MILLER

M TO gain admission to the church
nowadays he undoubtedly aban-
dons the serpentine movement of his
original entry and comes in decorously
through the choir. The musical tenn.
sensitiyeness which engenders hurt
feelings" jealousy and other things
conducive to "envy. hatred, malice and
all uncharitableness" and when the
choir is composed of both men and
women there is also sometimes an un-
fortunate susceptibility to be reck-
oned with.
Choir matches, when tenor and con.
tralto or bass and soprano mate, oil
the organist weds a singer, have beer
known to be sources of unlimited do
mestic bliss But there have been less
fortunate marryings and direct re-
suit of this choir propinquity seems
| manifested in the distressing charges
made by Mrs. Jennie Gay. du Moulin in
her divorce suit filed against Rev. Wal
ter du Moulin.
Incompatibility, social, tempera-
mental, and of every other type, is
written large on every phase of their
married life which is given to the pub
lie and which may serve apparently
as an index to the rest He was q
curate, young and good looking; she 8
choir singer, likewise young and good
looking.
To a curate, if he be at all person
able, is apt to attach certain romantic
tinterest for the young women of his
parish and particularly those with the
musical temperament. His necessary
absorption at times in his religious ant
spiritual duties and occasionally, one
may venture to add. the 6ecomingness
of his vestments. give him a certain
detached atmosphere which serves tc
set him apart from the ordinary young
man of commerce.
This is considered especially danger
Gus for those who are very young oil
who are passing from middle age into
the dread beyond.
Likewise the good booking choir
singer may he menace to the Gu
rate Fer companionship-on may say
partnership-in the services estab-
fishes a little more of a fellowship
generally subconscious, than exists
with others of the worshiping throng
| occasions of meeting are more fire.
quent and thus propinquity aids il
the purchase of white satin.
This seems to have been practically
the course of the Du Moulin romance
and the disastrous ending after sever
years of married life comes in tn,
divorce court.
1t is more than ordinary pitiabIe
state of affairs because in the fall o1
the house of Du Moulin are inov1veC
SO deeply the happiness of others. The
mother of the young wife, whose home
is in this city, has expressed her griei
and bitter regret at the necessity of tht
separation. The state of mind of the
young elergyman's father. man higl
among the dignitaries of the church
may be imagined Then, too, all those
faith the young man stands will grievt
at the scandal brought upon one of this
priesthood---doublyg grieved, in fact, as
it would appear that he has been fal
from blameless.
Making due allowance for the pro
verbal jealousy of clergymen's wives
the specific charges can hardly be man
unfactured. The deeper one goes into
the case the more glaring becomes the
utter incompatibility and there was not
sufficient self-control evidently in the
husbands makeup to enable him to bear
patiently with his uncongeniaI wife.
To me the most remarkable feature
of the specific charges and the one that
arouses unlimited curiosity and specu-
laton refers to the early morning
strolls with feminine companions
Mrs. du Moulin declares that her hus-
band arose in the gray hours of the
dawning day to take these walks-se
early, in fact, that he had to have
an alarm clock to arouse him. One can
hardly believe that the reverend gen.
tleman made a practice of such excur-
sions unless his mind were affected
One walk of this kind might be the
result of a joke, or mild and innoc-
uous wager, or to view some particu-
lar scene by sunrise, but to make it a
custom would be verging on madness
Even should his trend of mind lead to
that sort of thing where would he find
women sufficiently devoted to join with
him in this up with the lark attitude?
Mr.. du Moulin is in Seattle, where a
fortnight since he entered a divorce
suit himself on the simple ground OF
abandonment. and Mrs. du Moulin Is
here and brings the more sensational
matter to light in her charge, so in tive
cities the family woe is declared. AL
of which goes to show that my original
statement as to the entrance of the
power of darkness through the choir
was not mere rhetorical effect.