The evening world., 1909-02-20

Iasr1:dszI11sHN1 neglected at one
time or another, so this intimate journal
OF woman Of forty-fve who sees her
husbands affections diverted by a
younger siren is sure OF large and
sympathetic audience.
| I have read the book, and have Just
one suggestion to make about H. This
concerns the title, which think might
read more properly, Why Men Leave
Home; or, a Little Journey Into Neuras-
thena." But this the reader can Judge
better for herself The diary opens
thus.
April 18th.
rs he with her again tonight? Since
| 10 O'Clock l have been watching at the
| library window, l try to sit quietly in
my room and read or sew. but In few
moments find myself back at the win
dow, gazing down the street, hoping
breahlessly that each coming figure
will be he. And then always my heart
sinks sickeninsly when the street lamp
at the corner shows 1t to be some pass
ing stranger. And yet how little dit.
ference 1t makes whether he comes
now or an hour later, feel that he g
with her-that he has been with her
all evening, II always brings that
sickenlng weight in my chest and q
trembling weakness Ike that OF fright"
Two weeks later there is this entry:
april q.
ION! Horacel"
my worst fears are verified. Oh,
Horace! Horace! how can you degrade
me SO? How can you come home rsek-
ing with another woman's perfume?
What have | ever done that must
bear such humiliation? And must
bear 1t in slence-I must pretend to be
blind. once he knows that | know l
would have to leave him.
1T was almost dawn this morning
when, after a sleepless night, | went
into the bathroom for some bromide
The door that led into his room was
partly open. could see that he was
/ asleep. his face turned from me. one
arm thrown over his head. His coat
hung on a chair near by. The desire
to touch IT, to breathe In the fain.
fragrance Of cigars that knew It
would hold, to comfort my poor starved
soul with at least this ssmblance OF
nearness to him, made me stoop over,
lift the coat from the chair and bury
my face against It. And then! Oh. the
slckening knowledge that CAME 10 me
then. From the arm and shoulder OF
the coat came q faint perfume. elusive,
subtle, and yet Enthusiastically a per-
fume, =
"He had held her in his arms. On the
shoulder where her head had rested
was the odor most perceptible. 1t was
true. then.
april IS
Sometimes feel that I would have
suffered less II he had died"
Such Purple Paragraphs.
Mrs. Kennedy, the neglected wife, has
been married fifteen years, but On May
81 the spring or something, got into her
tlcod. and she ind!ted such purple para
graphs concerning her husband as to
make the heroine OF Three Weeks
seem a Sunday school teacher By con.
trast A little later on she accuses her
husband OF being unfaithful to her, and
tells him he must give UP that woman
or she will leave him, never to return.
She carries out her threat. and hires q
room In Brooklyn, which some people
may think 10 not giving separation Il
fair trial. At any rate. she returns home
on her husbands terms. and continues
to live there In a state Of beautiful hys-
terra till the husband returns from d
mysterious absence. and says In voice
that was almost cold. "She died yester-
day at the hospital. The child died with
her"
Then they live happily ever after
ward.
saw the author Of "The Journal OF
Neglected WIFE at the Hotel Gre.
gorlan after had read the book
Tho Probe Of Neglect.
She Is q little woman. still young, with
winning manner that suggests that her
cruel degree the lash Of life, She is q
divorcee.
~ wanted to portray" she said. "the
problem OF the neglected wife. where the
wife 10 not shrew. the husband not
villain and the other woman not an ad-
/ ventures. My WORK Is Photographic
merely. take no sides, or. rather.
see both sides. Before writing the story
OF the wife. I wrote that Of tho other
woman. calling It The Obsession.' But
! was not satisfied with 1t. so 1t has not
been published.
MY book" Mrs. Urner continued. ~
illustrates the tragedy OF age for a
woman. Why should we deceive our
selves on this point2 A woman touches
the zenith Of hor beauty at twenty-three.
Every morning after reaching that age
she should say to herself, L am one day
older: have one more wrinkle; am so
much less attractive
Your book offers no solution for the
problem II presents" l suggested.
rs there a solutionT" shrugged the
author II have simply made picture
the tragedy OF many wives"
And your tnateriai-would you mind
saying where you obtained ~"
II don't think could say that" Mrs.