The San Francisco call., 1910-06-26
. SCENES AND
HOW TO
AVOID THEM

TF YOU are a woman Of years Gust
admit it. now. for arguments sake).
u ycu will have had your lown partic-
ular share of scenes in pubic. together
with the experience they have afforded
you in the art of concealing; them.
You will also, If you are sensitive in
the least tdon't deny it. now, and stop
the story. have suffered ths tortures of
peoples scenes.
It is little hard to say which IS the
worse predicament in which 10 find your
self 1T is neither pleasant to be mar
tyred nor to be abe unwilling observer
of the distress of others. Anybody with
a spark of the womanly in. her nature
will, no doubt, admit her preference for
a scene of her own. The alternative is
too distressing; it is awful TO find ones
self the panied onlooker, torn in spirit.
standing with hands tied and lips sealed
in the presence of another woman tax
ing it, from a bulliragging husband.
There is nothing ike being free to
grapple with the unpleasant situation,
and when 1t is your own. much as you
may not care for it's absolute ownership,
you can nip it in the bud ID you are wise.
or II the odds are absolutely against
you you may be left only the possibility
of choking 1t in the act before too many
people are disconnected
Women are a clever lofr but none is
SO resourceful as those who have con-
tended with the unfeeSEng masculine
Their little devices for the checking OF
his rage are held withins the hollow Of
their hands, and with a % uch they may
dispel the Ill temper of a disgruntled
parent or an irritable husband.
Stroking in the right direction by
feminine hand will soohhe the brain
storm caused by a misl aid mileage or
button strayed. for which torture Is
meted out in the presence af guest to
the very wife who is usually pleas
ant blend of memory help and darning
needle.
The guest in the house is veritable
closet for family skeletons. If her stay
becomes protracted; she is treated to
scenes that are only egIaled by those
behind the footlights; bla if she be wise
hers is the vanishing habit and the
unseeing eye. Selfish Husbands cannot
put up with an excess OF invited guests.
and wives who wouldi avoid scenes
should use judgment I'M the assembling
of continuous house parties.
Man dislikes being dragged forth to
call or to dine when the 'humor isn't on.
and he would make his own engage
ments. Having made the egregious
blunder of employing his spare time to
suit feminine whim. ereat care should
be taken not to rub II in EN- route.
The scene Is usually an echo. 1t re-
peats or finishes what has, gone before.
and therein lies its deep disgrace for
wives. If the little tusSde can be ended
before the journey is, begun. there IS
nope of smoothing down the ruffied
plumage of this cock OF the walk before
the destination Is reached, and Of get
ting him positively pleasant before the
evening is half spent.
But mere is danger ssaead if here. in
the very presence of outsiders, he is
nagged or cajoled. Touchy people should
be left to their own devices or to the
pleasantries Of friends until i'll humors
wear of in the natural relief of an
evenings conversation or of arguments
foreign to the subject oH the tussle.
The one word, ''don'tf' should be the
all-inclusive warning to the woman who
has suffered from the oft<recarring scene.
and not your own. Don't try to cover It
up, because nine tines out OF ten YOU
will make a wider gap.
If you shrink from the scene between
yourself and those for whom you feel re-
sponsible, don't nag. Atpd IL the break
comes, notwithstanding your womanly
objection and avoidance kof 1t, rise above
1t by letting 1t pass uSlnoticed, II you
can, or say just as little as the case ex-
acts, and that right chsserfuIly. And or
all you do. don't apologize. at the time or
afterward.
And then, later on, let it be gently
firmly and forever understood that the
scene in public is not toSy your liking nor
to the credit of the cul rit. and that it
can never happen again4 And don't be
weak about it.