The sun., 1915-05-29
A ROMANCE OF FEMINISM
AND SUPPRESSED EGO
One Woman Goes Mad Because Unmarried Another Though
Married Is Unhappy. anda Third Unmarried, sRadiant
Because Of Her Personality

In Alice Gerstenbcrg's story Of
"The Conscience Of Sarah Platt"
"a. c. McClurg and Company. Chi
caeo), a story In explanation and be-
half of "Feminism." It will be noticed
by the detached reader. and will per-
haps puzzle him, that Sarah Platt
went mad because she was not mar
ried, that Agnes Jannicky. though
married. was tremendously unhappy,
and that Keturah Quinn. unmarried.
was radiant because she was con-
sciously exercising n glorious individ-
uality.
The unhappiness Of Agnes Jannicky
was owing to the circumstances that
while strongly desiring to have an In
dividuality her aspirations in this par
ticular were suppressed. "When you
leave your schoolroom your work Is
done; mine never Is. It's bake, sew,
cook, scrub. dust all day long. II
snatch a minute for the newspaper 1
feel like a culprit. and as for reading
a book-I'm actually getting illiterate.
Are you still brushing up on medi@vai
history" Sarah, to whom the que>-
t,on was addressed, was still giving
some attention to that study. but we
need not linger upon the point. Agnes
loved her husband and her children,
hut she hated cooking. She was tired.
BEFORE she married she had been
school teacher, as Sarah still was. The
story gives us a glimpse OF the house
hold when Mr.. Jannicky came home
IN dinner. He was genial man. de-
partment store floor walker and bald.
He said that the potatoes we're
scorched. but he did not say II harsnly;
4, was the merest observation. Agnes
wished for change. She wished 10
be a school teacher again and 10 teach
ideals. She had ideals; they clamored
in her. desirous OF expression. she
felt herself thwarted in her natural
her loudly calling vocation. The house
affairs called her thence. as the case
was with Desdemona. How different
the case OF Mr.. Jannicky. He had
his male inheritance OF individuality'
He walked out every morning free
man. He told something at dinner
about his enjoyable studies OF III"
ladles who came shopping to the place
where n. was employed. He was un-
hindered. His soul had its fling.
For twenty-five years the romantic
heart OF Sarah had cherished the
memory OF John Allison. The two had
heen schoolmates in New England.
and John had gone away 10 old Eng
land where he had married. The story
brings John back TO New YORK. lie
was a rich merchant dealing in teas
and cofYees and spices. He had whte
hair. an imposing and handsome
phys,oue. and he wore black rimmed
eyeglasses. H. took Sarah about To
theatres and restaurants. He took
her TO A feminist meeting al Cooper
Union. where she drank In the heacy
doctrine with surprise. She was
shocked by some of Il: she thought II
immodest. At chatting dish Gran
meat supper at the Belmont Grill af-
ter tn meeting John advised Sarah
To read. Charlotte Perkins Gilman's
"woman and Economics 1t was AT
the metropolitan Museum on another
day that John and Sarah met keturah
Quinn.
Sarah was well informed in matters
Of ancient art. See the vivid colors
in this earth bitten bronze Jug" said
Sarah to John in the museum. blue,
purple, green, ochre. The greatest
faSElnatlOn t0eSe HoIIle uttiiSIls hu'V
to me is the eye evidence they give
us TO reestablsh in our imagination
the life OF those days. Realize that
these lamps We're filled by hands long
dead, that these very ones now be-
fore our living eyes once lit up those
ancient scenes We read about. Nis-
ualize a Greek interior, John-group
these mirrors. pitchers, cups; there's
a waterspout: there's spoon; mag
Nifty these statuettes to life size-see.
here Is an actor with his comic mask!
Now. imagine more" She discoursed
easily, with animation; by her
scholarly attainments and inclination
she was suited to her theme; John
listened 70 her with pleasure and sur
prise. Sarah. where do you store
1t all?" he cried. II was while she
was trying to draw his attention to
Holbein's miniature OF Henry VIII.
that Keturah Quinn was encountered.
The three went over to the Plaza
for tea after Miss Quinn had charac-