Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-05-15
ADAM

mere SeemS W DC quite d ulVtIoi-
~ OF opiaion In this country con-
cehning Adam, our primary pater-
nal ancestor. And. curiously enough.
a variety of expressions concerning
him have cropped out here am there
of late that may be worth consid-
ering says the Washington Herald.
A Baltimore man has just erected
a $40 monument TO Adams memory,
averring that he is entitled 10 at
least that much tangible evidence Of
appreciation, IL not more. We quite
agree. too. If his memory was worth
even SO much as 80 cents when he
passed away, it must be worth $40
now, as a little calculation at a low
rate OF interest will quickly demon
strate.
But while Adam has his friends,
he also has his ietractors. There
have long been people in the world
who think Adam was a pretty poor
proposition as a man; and we must
say that his unpopularity in femi-
nine circles has always been marked
and well defined. We were, there
fore, not greatly surprised to learn
that while the aforesaid Baltimore
man was erecting his marble shaft to
Adams memory an Illinois club wo-
man, Miss Austin, was busy show
ing up his faults in her neighbor-
hood. albeit all unconscious OF the
Baltimore incident at the moment.
large gathering Of her sisters, charg-
ed Adam With having been 1.-The
first gossip Ia all creation, the first
| adverse critic OF woman's attire, and
the first man to shield himself be-
hind a woman's skirts"
We rather incline to take Adam S
part and defend him from Miss Aus
| tin's all too sweeping assertions, ac-
knowledging at the same time, new
eItheleSs, that Adam had his limi-
tations and was not all that he
might have been, OF course. We
hold, for instance, that 1t was quite
| impossible for Adam to have been
the first gossip all by himself. 1t
| takes two to gossip, and If Adam
was gossip, Eve, the only possible
| )arty who could have been accessory
% the fault, was coinciientally gull
and can in no sort of manner es-
ape equal responsibility. AS to his
having been the first adverse critic
Of woman's attire and the first man
to shield himself behind a woman s
kirts, there are unQuestionably ex-
| tenuating circumstances in Adam s
.avor, even If we admit the two-ply
charge to be true in all of its posi-
bic meaning. If he was the first
to criticise woman's attire-as a
natter of fact, we suspect 1t was her
ack OF attire he really fused about
surely that was very, very small
thing indeed; and the contention
hat he hid behind Ewes skirts is
most unhappy, for the amply suffi-
cient reason that Ewes skirts during
hat part OF Adams life with which
we are most familiar were purely
imaginary, and one cannot hide very
effectively behind imaginary things.
TO be sure, we do not think it was
very gallant OF Adam glibly to put
the blame for the apple eating ep-
ISOLDE and it's consequent unpleas-
antness largely on Ewes shoulders
but be that as 1t may, AMI admit
ting for the sake of the argument
that it was the truth, 1t was mere
ly confession and plea In avoidance
and that is not the worst thing in
the world, for is ii not written. "A
sin confessed Is half atoned for?"
And so we are glad that Adam
Is to have a monument. 1t is all
very well at this late day and after
all these years to say how many OF
us might have made much better OF
our opportunities had we been situa-
ted as Adam was I'm the beginning
.of things, but, after all, Adam doubt
less was something OF a victim OF
circumstances, and we are sure he
was not ali bad.