The Washington times., 1915-06-26
Bigger and Better Gossip
Womdn's Contribution TO
Viezvs on Public Life
Interest in Character and Personalities Msnamed-Ad-
vancng Femnism May Offset Blight of Sententious.
ness in Husbands, Says Mary Heaton Worse.

w Hat :::.; ;':: salt on: :. ''; ;;.:':: NJ:
Wv sense" Is Mary Heaton
vorses. Her points Of
view have smiles of wisdom, In them.
"It doesn't seem to me, she writes
optimistically in The \ Woman's
Home Companion. that woman
stands in any danger Of losing her
essential feminine qualities as she
enters more and more into public
life. But I do think she stands a
chance Of acquiring a vice from
which, up to now, she has been COM
paratvely free.
IT mean tho vice OF oratory.
I'VE are used to It from men. Ora
tors stand in our pulpits: We can
not escape them at dinners. whether
1t be to celebrate q coming together
Of alumni or q gathering OF travelling
statesmen. Wherever a dozen men
gather together for a meal orntory
Is in order-oretory pompous. bonn
bastio and infinitely depressing to
the blithe Of heart;
There is an insidious poison In tho
love of oratory which saturates many
mems whole spirits; and the home.
wild, free place, a man can there in
dulge himself in this vice unchecked
What ! mean can be we'll illus
trated by taking the case Of my
cousin, Elizabeth Saunders. whom
often visit In the summer.
hours " what 1 could get from tho
Saunderses would be this: will
have from Elizabeth sort OF
comedie humane Of the whole town
Of Worthington Before my eyes Will
pass the sllhouettes Of a score, Of
men and women, their history. their
aspirations. their meannesses, tteir
high courage, their self-abnegation.
their griefs, their sorrows.
Women and Gossip
John In :hc meantime will con-
tribute several ANECDOTES that he has
read In the newspapers, honiiies on
the meanness OF men. the inn =. ,nce
Of children. the ingratitude OF sons.
the gossiping qualities of women.
If the high cost Of living comes up.
Elizabeth will tell you about 1t In
this way:
Well I said to the butcher, Mr..
Jones, I'm going to live on beans.
"I don't blame you said he. I
wouldn't buy a leg of lamb myself.
not while prices are what they are.
this subject.
ION the one hand. you get your
philosophy as a live and vibrating
thing, taken out of human speech
and human experiences. and. on the
other, you get II trussed up in tire
some phrases. And this difference Is
one which Is to be found In almost
all average families. Women gos-
sip. which In another way of say
Ing that they take an interest in life
and character and personalities.
"At least. simple women do-the
common run Of the women of Euro
pean origin. They gossip so well,
their words are 40 trenchant, they
so, often find the perfect phrase,
that there have been great play
wrights who, to get living speech,
have gone eavesdropping at the door
of cabin full of Irish peasants, 1t
Is said that even their men are ca
pable of this plastic and vital talk.
Art of Conversation.
This Is also true Of women at the
extreme opposite end Of the social
scale have known one or two
women Of European countries, Of
the kind entitled to be called great
ladies, and. while their gossip was
Of the worldwide kind that dealt
with politics and movements In art
and literature as we'll as the per-
sonalities Of the people making
these movements. these subjects be-
came fluid and alive. They had sac
riticed none of the f1rst-hand obser-
walton Of the woman Of the people.