The evening world., 1911-07-24

49,
We MdbeI-ds for a. I
~,,x0rtr could make out,
GRIZZLY. SMITH her husband found
that she meant to divorce him by
noticing that she Vore a ne,o engage.
ment ring"
or course. this is the latest criti.
cism Of New York society. and
equally. Of course, you infer It was
written by some frankly impressed
outsider. some foreigner on Q critical
~furlough. perhaps.
Not at all. It Ia merely . random
paragraph from the latest story Of 30
ciety's official monitor. Mrs. Edith
Wharton. that etheriaiized muse. who
once descended from the peaks Of Gull
ture long enough to become the author
Of a best seller. The House Of
Mirth."
Other Times. Other Manners" Is the
title Of the two-part story of New
York's moral somersault which Mrs.
Wharton has contributed to the July
and August numbers OF current
magazine. Our greatest artist in dry
point literature. Mrs. Wharton, etches
a picture OF a woman divorced, re.
married n socially exiled. who re-
turns to New York I find that her
daughter has split the dance Of life
between two partners in the same man.
ner but with far different results.
Mrs. Lidcote Is tho name Of tho eli.
derby pilgrim who had left New York
follow their W desires was strewn
with p~enitential ashes. perhaps with .
Samaritan intention Of preventing them
from further slips. She 10, according to
her creator. q oma with . past, ac-
auired in the good old days when
'pasts" amounted to something In New
York society and were kept in the closet
with the family skeleton instead Of be-
Ing hung on the front door, a. they are
to-day.
MOTHER Is NEVER ALLOWED
TO FORGET "PAsT!s
when she va alone It was always
tho asst that occupied her. writes Mrs.
Wharton. she couldn't get away from
It. and she didn't any longer care to.
During her long years of exile she had
made her terms with It, had learned
.td>accept the fact that It would always
be there. huge, o~bstructins. cucumber
ing. much bigger and moro dominant
han anything the future could possibly
c~on1ure NJ. And, at any rate. she was
sure Of It. she understood It. new how
to reckon with, It; she q learned to
screen and manage and protect It as
one does an afflicted member Of ones
family.
There had never been n danger of
looked out At her from tho face OF every
acquaintance. It appeared suddenly In
the eyes OF strangers when a word en-
lightened them: Yes. the Mrs. Lidcots,
don't you know"
The mother had hoped that ''having
so signaliy failed to be OF use to Leila
in other ways she would at least serve
her az q warning"
And now Mrs. LAdoote could hear the
whole Of New York saying With one
voice. Yes. Leila's done Just what her
mother did. With such IN example,
what else could you expect7"
The mother lands In Now York to
find q now and radiant Leila. radiantly
In love with a now husband and pre-
siding in her new home over a house
party made up OF the friends and &C
Quaintance Of her first marriage.
SOCIETY CONDEMNED ONE, CON-
bones THE OTHER
Everywhere 10 . new note of toler-
ancs. even OF championship for the old
sins. The uncle OF her daughters frst
husband Is actually using his influence
at Washington to get the second hus-
band, Wilbour Barley, a s~ecretaryshir
to III American Embassy At Rome,
And the amazed victim OF the old order.
after a talk with the narrowest old man
in the family. thus describes New
Works moral metamorphosis:
It's extraordinary. Everything
changed. Even Susy has changed: and
you know the extent to which Susy
stood for old New York. There's no
old New York left, 1t seems. She talked
in the most amazing way. She snaps
her fingers at the Purshes, She told
meme. that every woman had a right
to happiness. that self-expression was
the highest duty. She accused me OF
misunderstanding Leila, she said my
point OF view was conventional! She
was bursting with pride at having been
In the secret. and wearing a brooch that
Wilbour Barkley'd given her."
But the mother finds hat New York
has not changed its attitud. toward
| her, that wtile society takes her daugh-
ter and the new husband to Its heart
It still has only q cold shoulder for her,
And the subtle moral of Mrs, Wharton's
tale seems to be that one must not sin
ahead of one's generation.
You say" the mother an
81 aisaa bssagn she hussies back &c