The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-12-31
BEWARE Of THE
WOMAN GENIUS
THIS Is THE ADVICE OF DR..
RAPPoLD, HUSBAND OF GRAND
OPERA PRIMA DoNA WHO Is
SUING HIM FOR A DIVORCE.
Special to The Journal

New York, Dec. 3o.-The man who
n1arries a woman genius, whether he
is one himself or not, throws his life
away. according to DR.. julius c. Rap
pold, husband of Nine. Marie Rap
pold, the grand opera prinna donna.
Since she became a great favorite at
the Metropolitan opera house, and has
been acclaimed one Of the world
greatest singers, Nine. Rappold has
been growing cool to her husband,
from whom she is now separated.
While the diva occupies sumptuous
apartments in Riverside Drive, the
physician, who has a small practice
in the Williamsburg section of the
city, lives in a modest fiat. over a
tailor shop. Nine. Rappold wants a
divorce, but denies that she has any
intention Of marrying again. DR.. Rap
kpold, to whom she has been married
eighteen years, thinks she has matri-
nlonial plans in view and declines to
accede to her suggestion that they
dissolve their wedding
Il still love her." he said the other
day in discussing his troubles, but
she is a genius and considers that I
am too far beneath her now-or-''
and he grew serious-"perhaps it is
she has risen too far above me.
"One professional person in a fam
lily is enough. 1t is perhaps bad
enough for the husband to be such,
especially a physician. And there are
some I know who say a doctor of
medicine would be better unmarried.
That may or may not be true But
in the case of a woman there is only
one side to the argument. She never
should marry. There has just been a
very good example of 1t in France.
Madame Curie and her husband were
the best of friends until she discover
ed that she was a genius. Then
what? Pouf! The light was out.
AS for marrying one who already
has achieved success in profession
who already realizes that nature had
endowed her with powers beyond the
ordinary and feels that, like 'Theo-
dora she is a gift of God'-neveri
There should be laws against it. I do
not say that a woman is not fitted
for a profession. I say that a woman,
sufficiently gifted to follow profess
sion, should not marry. 1t is only my
opinion.
'Conjugal happiness seldom can en-
dure when the wife is a genius and
her husband is not-not even when he
is following the dictates of modern
science. Usually when soldiers go to
battle, they count more or less upon
an unknown foe. Spies and scouts
have estimated the strength of the
| other side, but they cannot always
be relied upon, and it is the unknown,
uncertain quantity that is really faced
Just so when man picks a genius
as his lifemate. And, therefore, my
advice is, that, as love and marriage
are not quite the same sanquinary af-
fair as war, beware of the genius in
woman when selecting a wife,
DR.. Rappold refused to say word
personally about the diva. ''She is a
good woman" he said, but she is a
genius and says she cannot live with
me. You say she has said some other
things-that I do not love her any
more and have not proper parent
feeling toward my daughter.
"All 1 can say is that she is be-
yond me. She is upon the battlements
that 1 cannot reach until she lets
, down the drawbridge. Genius is
genius, but common sense is likewise
common sense. My conscience does
not permit me to talk of the divorce
Some of the things attributed to my
wife I am certain she did not say.
But, speaking in the abstract, I tell
you that the man who marries a
woman who is-or who even thinks
she is-a genius, comes pretty near to
throwing his life away"