The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-11
WHAT OF THE CHILDREN (?

OF course it is entirely bromide, with refer
cncc 10 the practice Of divorce to ask, What of
she children. Yet it is in~t there, at he point
Of this natural and ununswerable question, that
rests the problem" Of society involved in the
numerous instances of men who had a wife
and couldn't keep her" But for the children
society could well afford to ignore he promis-
entity Of certain Of its lights, far as heir per
-onol matrimonial peculiartics are concerned.
However, since there are children and since the
question persists the innocent results of whlmS'>
cal matches remain as the growing interrogation
point Of civilization.
Six wears ago Frank Could was welded to
Helen Kelly. 1t was a match of youth, with
millions on either side. Two children lent it
charm and distinction. The Little God seemed
10 be in joyial humour. Then, however, it
speedily developed that the Little God the
tlst constituent Of this fusing of lives and for
fmcs Frank Gould took to the Music Halls.
His letters To actresses, exhibited IN court re
cords. show the lameness OF fancy of the rich
man straiung at scntimentality, Marital dis
cord grew apacc The Gould fancy waycred,
Pickering here and there over the chorrscs like
a spot light. 1t struck at length fair upon Edith
Kelly, mite Of femininity in "lIavanaN After
wards Edith Kelly went to London shopping
expedition. Could hied him TO Paris to rFce
horses Helen Gould obtained divorce
We would not treat Of this sordid and familiar
narrative were if not for the fact of the little
Gould girls. They seem To have been like two
spots. forgotten in he shuttle. For Mrs, Helen
Could the outraged wife. is taking another
millionaire husband. She was, in fact, 10 have
married him SO long ago as February, had it not
been for a death III his fmnily-a circumstance
that called for the etiquette Of delay as the Incl
dent Of a rcmarriagc could not do. So it APP
pears that, at the time Gould was making his
conspicuous pilgrimages among the chorus
ladies. Mrs. Could was preparing also 10 change
partners Mr. Could, il develops, had been
forchandcd in this matter Five weeks ago he
married hi. lady frou- Ilul4u4.- hat with great
courtesy RETAINED from giving the ceremony
publicity until hi wife should have taken a
yokc-fcllow. Upon the announcement Of her
intention 10 do 50, he could not longer restrain
his triumph To Mrs. Helen GouId's nuptials he
sends. as wedding present the advancement of
his own marriage 10 Edith Kelly
This Of course. Is a commonplace tanelc. In
its mcshc- the Httle Gould girls are entirely
hidden. They appear, in fact, only in the last
paragraph Of the romance. when il j. stated that
by common consent they are to be turned over to
their aunt, Helen Gould spinatcr philanthropy
ist, strange of-shoot of family whose members
seem TO be whircd between moncyhunecr and
eroticism. Undoubtedly she will be- better
mother than Helen Kelly Could there is no ques-
ton but that she win be 4 better father than
Frank Gould. II follows of course that these
innocent spawn Of millions Will grow up in
, luxury. will inherit wealth, What will they
do with it Is their destiny in the blood, or in
the training which they will receive from this
benevolent aunt taking sedate path through
= gold to chidess age, will they find in life a
new meaning Their future is one of the trag-
cdie~ of what we are pleased TO term high So
cicty" Let it be hoped that representing
the one pure incident of all the scandal, an carly
| adverse fate will operate to send hem mature
. deverance.
+ But what OF the parents who in their case
fail even in the elemental concern Of animals for
their offspring who themselves endowed with
everything that goes to ameiorate life, leave
. their children paupers III love- who, in the
promiscriitv Of a certain phase of modern exist
ence are even more cruelty promiscuous than
! the very beasts who roam the iungles and defend
with their lives the caves in which they rear
I their Young
1t would be well if, at the moment of this
conspicuous development, country that passes
from one sensation to another as the color> shift
in kaleidoscope that is as quick to forget as
il is instant in Indignation, should turn lis ewes
from Reno to Par. and New York and ccasing
TO reflect upon What of Johnson" consider a
proposition of infinitely more humane concern,
a, il affects nor only them but many hundred
, other American children
What Of the little Helen and Margaret Gould
SAFFRON TWINS.
N,,, shot II rraarlor bau ooid - ,rf t,,,s+ that