New-York tribune., 1911-01-08
Billie Burke
Says She Likes
Wedding Rings
TOUCH OF BARBARITY
Admits She Cherishes Ambi.
tons and Doesn't Deny That
She Is Serious

Most New Workers who go to theatres
at all take Miss Billie Burke far TOO
lightly. That is, they acknowledge tnat
she is good TO look at and has the Wis
dom of something that is popularity
known as the eternal feminine, but they
would hardly go to her to ma out
philosophy things. Now, that Is where
foo,lights are a barrier. They gather
I'M in their slow circle ones personality
and don't let more than teasing bit OF
n sift through. only the character part
can hurdle the lights and land sure
footed in the dark auditorium.
Is this 10 say that Billie Burke Is a
philosopher? The dictionary In It's
quaint, grave way says first that
PHILOSOPHER is one who is devoted to the
search for fundamental truth. Probably
no one would quite accuse her OF that
But 1t says further along that philos-
opher is one who deals in any magic art.
and that certainly includes young
actress who has the following among
both the grave and the gay that Billie
Burke seems to have acquired.
An amateur might attempt TO add that
philosopher is one who does not take
ones self too seriously. And here again
the slender young figure in the pink silk
gown who was discovered lying at ease
On the couch in her dressing room the
ether day would certainly come In. It
was on a day of two performances, ana
between afternoon curtain fall and even
ing curtain rise she was doing what
many New Yorker might envy her for
doing-that is, nothing.
| "Come in" she said. II want to talk
10 you about something was just think
ing of; something utterly new. assure
| Won modern marriage. There are
nhases. YOU know. Sit down" She
laughed the laugh that is bottled by
Burke only: none other genuine.
! Have you heard the latest little move
in the game as played few days ago by
q resident of a nearby suburb? During
the wedding ceremony this original
minded bridegroom, instead of passing
circle Of 14-karat gold over his wife's
traditional wedding finger. handed her
set of books by selected authors, such
, authors. for instance, as Balzac, the de-
lineator of souls: Victor Hugo, the
painter of scenes, and several others, the
appreciation of whom is usually ac-
cepted as one of the measures Of intel
lect
This is symbolism, you understand.
He explained that the ring was MS
torically a badge Of slavery. While the
gift of books stood for his acknowledg-
ment that his wife was poised on the
same intellectual plane with himself.
isn't that new?" She laughed. 1T
suggests such wealth of symbolic
things that might he done. II makes one
feel that by comparison ones daily deeds
are shamefully unimaginative.
"Why wouldn't a cunning little gold
cigarette dish given TO the bride at the
fatal point in the wedding ceremony In
dicate that the husband regards her as
his chum and after dinner pal? Then
there is a handsomely wrought Key.
That would he a token Of her privilege
to stay out after 10 o'clock. A pair OF
boxing gloves passed over her white Kids
would acknowledge her physical equal
ity.
There would be no end 70 the origi-
nality that a husband might display at
that crisis in the old-fashioned cere-
mony when the ring was given, and
thereby an occasion that is fast becom-
ing commonplace would contain the ele-
ment of surprise, and would again, per-
haps. have a symbolic value. Rejuve-
mating marriage! That is the modern
idea. isn't it?
seriously. though, do you think
women are civilized enough yet TO prefer
books to a wedding ring? l hope there
is a little barbarity left, small amount
of savage pleasure over beads and Jew
! els. l am not particularly fond OF be-
ing all glittered up with trinkets. but
I'll confess to liking for few bits OF
; fine jewelry As for wedding symbol,
$ IL is nice TO have some little thing ona
Continued second page.