Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-09-23
Why
We Quarreled
No. g. This Wife's Story
of Trouble Concerns a
Husband in Love with
His Own Cleverness.
by virginia Terhune Van de Water

Nv husband is an artist. He also writes
= says on art. He Is clever In his line
and is considered by many to be an
authority on matters pertaining to his
profession.
He knows all this, and that is why we
Quarrel.
Not because he In clever, but because
he knows he is, and Is, therefore, con-
ceited.
His talk about himself and his work
sounds fearfully blatant to me. / actu-
ally suffer as he boasts of his accom-
plishments. l feel my face grow hot
and / can hardly raise my eyes as
listen to some of his assertions.
Again and again have asked him not
10 talk so much about himself.
"Let other people discover your clev-
crness." say. you do yourself an in
Justice by blowing your own trumpet
'You are the only one who does not
appreciate me-" he accuses.
But I do appreciate niTn and love
him. Therefore 1t hurts me to have
him show his worst side to the public.
7 recall enc dreadful evening when
I'VE were invited to meet a well known
novelist. whose name is familiar to every
Intelligent reader. We were among the
friends house. The novelist was modest
and said little of his own work
AFTER IA while my husband turned to
him with somc remark about an article
: that he himself had written for one Of
the MAGAZINES. The novelist showed
poIite interest and asked some perfume
tory question. This was enough, and
nv husband RECALLED him for at least ten
minutes with his theories with regard to
sculpture and painting.
"The art magazines are willing to pav
TOE almost anything ia reason Tor ny
papers on these subjects" he said.
shuddered for l remembered that
heard that this novelist got 10 cents
word for his stories. do not Know
whether this is true or not. But knew
that my husband never got more than ?
cents a word for the little papers he has
written. Art is not popular enough 70"
lreatises on 1t to bring exorbitant prices.
tried to change the conversation by
making some remark about a loan exhi-
bition I had recently attended. The
novelist followed my lead but my hus-
band was not TO be checked.
4 II was amazed" he remarked. at some
OF the miserable daubs in that exhibition,
They were actual travesties.
! Were his hearers thinking. l wondered.
Df some of his "daubsr' For no artist
makes masterpiece every time he puts
his brush on canvas.
4 ct thought the whole collection very
fine" I ventured, thinking TO draw the
tire.
II but IL was useless. Speaking OF the
specimens there reminds me- my hus-
band said. "of the bust OF DR.. Blank
which did last year. Did you see TT
I He looked at the guest OF honor. The
author shook his head.
" mo" he said, poitefuIly regretful.
III did not
you have doubtless heard OF it," my
husband asserted. Then, as the other
made no reply, he went on:
4 1T is really quite as good as, IL not
rather better than. anything OF Robins
Yves, he actually said that. I know
that people will not believe a man could
be SO conceited-yet this is the truth.
And died a dozen deaths OF shame. Our
hostess did not smile, but saw her quick
glance at her husband. Then she began
to talk very fast about something else.
This experience was too strong for my
discretion, and on our way home that
night 1 asked my husband II he did not
think It was in rather poor taste to make
such a statement as this to a whole
tsbleful of people.
They may not all agree with YOU
added.
''Nonsense!" he exclaimed. IF not
then they don't know enough about gen.
uine art to be worth consideration. NY
dear, you forget that II a man does moi
speak we'll of his own work, nobody else
will. The world takes one at his OWE
valuation"
Perhaps" / admitted slowly. "but 1,
is Notifying to one who loves you"
WHAT" he calculated.
Yes" 1 said. determined TO speak this
truth now that had begun. II know
how clever you are. but others must thinf
you fearfulIy coneeited. What would yoJ
think II another man talked of his worl
in the terms that you use in talking Of
yours?"
IF he did the same kind OF work thai
dol mean as good work. would thinl
that he was justified in saying anything
laudatory that he pleased about II.
tell you-as / have told you often before
one must advertise oneself
A few weeks later. when 1 had sal
through another such ordeal as I hav'
described. attempted-for. hope, the
last time-to make him see things as
saw them. I tried a different prelude t
my timid suggestion.
Dear" / said gently. your work is 81
well known now that there Is no longe
any need for you to advertise 1t by talk
ing Of II as you sometimes do"
He turned on me in anger.
You have told me that often enough
he burst forth. FOR a wntle / could no
understand vour attftt,da Now I hayl
come 20 the conclusion that. because yo'
are ignorant of every rule OF art your
self, you are jealous OF me and my thor
ough knowledge OF the subject. That
it-yOu're jealousl"