The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-11-09
Writes Best Letter on Prob lem Offered in Davies
 Play, "Outcast"
MRS. R. F. PITTMAN
 GETS SECOND PRIZE
Mrs. Randy Answers Question: Should She Have Married Him?" in the Negative, and Mrs. Pittman
 Agrees-The Other Winners
Should she have married him?

should she have married him?
 The winner of The Age Herald's let ter contest, Mrs. E. C. Randy of Wood- ward, says that "wisdom of ages is in Miriam's instinct to refuse Geoffrey's offer of marriage
 Mrs. R. F. Pittman of 1918 South Twenty eighth street. also refuses to sanction the marriage of Miriam. Mrs. Pittman won the second prize.
 The list of prizewinners follows:
 Mrs. E. c. Randy of Woodward, first price, a S10 gold piece.
 Mrs. R. F. Pittman, 1918 South Twen- ty-eighth street, second prize of box at the Jefferson for tonight.
 The five other winners whose prizes are two tickets each for to- nights performance of "Outcast" at the Jefferson are:
 F. Bozeman Daniel, 400 Avenue E, Avondale.
 K F. Holt, box 917.
 Mrs. James l1 Peck, 2505 Avenue H.
 Mrs. F. S. Gillespie, the Richmond apartments.
 Austen L. Bennett. 2012 Second ave- nue, north.
 The contest was on the problem brought forth in the play, "Outcast," which comes to the Jefferson tonight and tomorrow. The letters were to be TOO words or less and the following synopsis was printed several times in order that the participants would have an excellent idea of what they were writing about:
 
 The Problem Presented
 Miriam is a cheerful, somewhat phil osophic and quite uncomplainlng girl of tlfe London streets. Chance brings her to the door of Geoffrey's flat at time when he is busily going to the bad with the aid of whisky and drugs, which he had sought for consolation when the woman he loved "chucked" him for a. more advantageous match The girl, recognizing perhaps cer- tain freemasonry, established by his utter misery, lends him friendly arm. They join hands as pals. She falls deep ly and desperately in. love with him, and her suffering is due not so much to the fact that he will not marry her, though she is wistfully eager for that but because she knows his ten derest feeling is for Valentine, the woman who had tilted him. It is Mir iam's speechless woe which, in the end, shows Valentine not merely that, Geof- frey cannot tear himself from this girl, but that she herself cannot tear herself from her devoted but quite un- interesting husband Godfrey then off, fers Miriam marriage in the casual manner of one offering something one does not value. But she will not have it that way. She has been reading the marriage service, and it has added something to her social philosophy "Whether you think of marriage as religious or as just human" she ob- serves slowly, its 8 pretty solemn business It is for good women. It is their reward"
 The dramatic editor of The Age-Herald with the cooperation of Miss Nett1e Beale of the editorial staff worked as- siduously reading hundreds of letters in which the views of "she should have married him and 'she should not have married him" were freely expressed. The letters were passed on in the following manner: They were all read carefully and those that did not meet with approv- al set aside. This brought the elimina- ton finally to about 10 letters, which were read several times and the first and sec ond prize winners set aside. At the con- cluson it was found that both judges readily agreed that Mrs. Bandys letter was easily superior to any offered. Mrs. Pittman's letter also was the unanimous choice of the judges for second prize. The other five winners were carefully chosen and their letters expressed above all, thoughtfulness--rathe than senti- The letters of the winners follow:
 First Prize
 Mrs. E. C. Randy, Woodward: Wis
 dom of the ages is in Miriams instinct
 to refuse Geofreys offer of marriage,
 h<nn hou ha0 y1rnxr
 that true and mutual love is the only test which can cheerfully stand the strain of double harness, but his sym
 pathy, power of sef-renunciation and
 home making instincts are not suffi-
 ciently strong in civilized man, as they
 often are in woman, to allow him to distort his hereditary ideals to include
 a wife with shady past.
 'sThefefore, she could not reasonably
 hope to become a tollerable substitute
 for his hearts best love. Mutual and
 far-reaching misery would result"
 Second Prize
 Mrs. R. F. Putnam, 101S South Twenty eighth: ''For her sake, no; because of her knowledge that Valentine was dearer to him.: that under normal conditions he would not desire it. and marriage could bring no mutual happiness, but might prove a serious handicap to him in fu- 
 ture.
 For Gregory no: because he could not give to Miriam all that was best in him.
 And no. because marriage is sacred relation. sanctified and made perfect only by mutual love. Above all, no. for the sake of possible children, who have an inalienable right to be born under better 
 Other Winners
 F. Bozeman Daniel Surely Miriam made heroine's choice: certainly one revealing independence, courage. lofty ideals, and unusual self mastery. She de- manded full reciprocation of her consum- ing love; that she be queen of Geofreys 8 heart. And this being withheld, we ad- mire her scorning the husk of food and shelter, indifferentl and mechanically of feEed. For what is marriage without com plete sympathy and mutual devotion? Only the supreme power of love can smooth the misunderstanding that will come, and make conjugal life indeed happy Would that Miriam's conception of the marital relation and duties were more general, then would divorce be less frequent.
 K r. Holt: Certainly she should have married him since it seems that neither was to give the other up. Miriam's deduc tion that marriage was TOT good women only. was faulty. for marriage is social
 <cnH<A.u~a = n~~> m-anv~N