The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-26
Theft of Leonardo Da Vinci's Beautiful
 Mona Lisa Causes Family Squabble|
Clever Woman Writes Letter Dolly in Which She Says That Her Happy Home is Almost Broken Up by Her Illus bands obstinacy Certain Points Concerning the Great Masterpiece -Gives Data Re
 garding Her Impressions
BY DOLLY DALRYMPLE

about the copy which was given us as a
 wedding gift 10 years ago, and how we had to be told it was rare and wonder full. Since then have been more care full in expressing my views in crowd about so great work of art. for fear of being considered an empty headed and silly ignoramus. But do you know. I've met some per fectly nice people in the last few days who turn their heads to one side apolo- getically and admit that they really can't appreciate Mona Lisa, as do the French. aNd we all agree 1t would have baen no temptation for us to steal her and sit the rest of our lives content to gaze at her in some secluded nook, as that poor .'blonde suspect" must have to do, to escape those gendarmes. Just think, there she will sit in her chair and smile at him all his life. maybe, and never let that smile wear off or break into a rip pie of laughter. but forever must she sit and (excuse me) grin!
 But then could but see the original might not be so plebeian and crude in my taste-nevertheless she is still, and
 
 Someone told me today that after seeing the picture she visited in the coun- try, where the original had lived among those old castles and estates, where so many tragedies had been enacted of which Hugo has written, and, she said, she un- Iderstopd Mona Iiisa's smie-and lad mired it as she had not-for it pictured one who had seen and experienced terri ble atrocities and was still serene, for that best expresses that fixed smile, be- hind which, if one studies it carefully, can be seen the innermost spirit of gen. tie soul.
 It's too bad to quarrel with one's hus- band about an old stolen picture but that's what I did, but at this writing am in perfectly good humor. for you know I told you came out victor.
 He contended that Mona Lisa was one of the Madonnas, and l said it wasn't. He said Mona meant Modonna, and I agreed, but. there was no child, there- fore 1t was not regular Madonna, so he showed me the Century dictionary. Now, you are convinced, aren't your" he asked and I said, NO" Whereupon he said T want no other authority" I said, .Ill ask some artist" and so we had it back and forth until he slammed his old Century down and went to town to watch the election returns. Well. everybody I have talked with seemed surprised when told them what the Century said, and only one woman stuck it out as I did. that the picture was not Madonna. but a. mere portrait.
 Well, at dinner war was declared again, and l told all had heard.
 The library was lighted up and each silently went to work to find all they could to carry their point. thought my arguments most convincing. but that stubborn man listened to nothing but | the Century. I pulled down books and | searched and rummaged. and Eureka! This is what I read in the regular Gen. tury distionary:
 Madonna. CD My lady. Madam. An Italian title of address or of courtesys equivalent to madame. CID Specifically, the Virgin Mary tour lady)."
 1 Still that did not satisfy my opponent, and so I read this to him from the Amer | ican Encyclopaedia:
  | Madonna, "a word originally equivalent | in Italy to the French madame, and as | such used as a title of deference and honor but now applied almost exclusive | ly to the Virgin Mary. The title has also given name to great number of pictures in which the Virgin forms the sole or prominent object. The pictures of Madonnas without the infant Christ belong only to modern art"
 Read that again, Dolly, and see if I am not victor, and can you see how on earth that man had the audacity to say:
 NO; I still place my confidence in the Century book of facts.
 Now, what do yo uthinl6 of that? I'm right. am I not? Say, Dolly, you know I'm right-women always are, aren't they? Your perfectly good friend. VICTORIA Tn this case at least 1t semes to me l you are, my lady.ss