The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1915-06-09
AUNT MARY ASKS WHY GOOD.
NESS is NOT INTERESTING
Copyright. 1915. by the Newspaper
Enterprise Assoeiatlonl


| did not wake up very early this
morning. Dick was gone when
Aunt Mary came into my room and
said that Mollic had Just telephoned
that Mother Waverly was coming
TO luncheon. and that she tMollie1
was coming right over. as she want.
ed to see me before saw her
mother.
Aunt Mary IA not looking very
we'll these days. and this morning
her eyes we're particularly runken
aud her face was very pale. Don I
you feel well. dear Aunt Mary" !
asked.
Yes. dear. am perfectly we'll.
but I am 80 tired all the time late.
liz. guess II ~ because ! am get
ting old. Margie. and you know !
was out late last night 10 that fool
ish musical comedy. Those boys.
Dick and Jim. thought would be
shocked. but | Was not. ] was only
disguised. not at the play. my dear.
but at the fact that 80 many appar'
entity decent people, among whom
was included last night your Aunt
Mary. are willing TO spend money
and time while erroneously thinking
themselves amused
"Didn't you like Il at all. Aunt
Mary"
Yes. dear: some OF tho music
and one OF the women we're very
pretty. the dancing was graceful
the coioring OF the stage pictures
grateful to the eye. but. my dear
the whole appeal was frankly por
nographic. vulgarity hidden nn
der a show OF tastea paean 10 lust
in the Euise Of love"
MY. Aunt Mary" ! exclaimed
lyon are as smart and epigram
matte ms Smart Set story"
And my subject Is quite as OBJ
I jectionable as most OF theirs"
/ looked Mt her In surprise. | had
I not dreamed for a minute that Aunt
MARY had any idea OF the smart. up
Z to-date story that was almost al
ways dissertation. In epigram. on
the eternal triangle
"Margie." she continued earnest.
I ~. Il think our drama and most OF
our other literature is all wrong
! We, or. rather. YOU moderners pride
yourselves on the truth and 80 your
drama is mostly supposed history
OF shattering the seventh command
ment. or course. there are n few
thieves and murderers put in for
good measure. but the fact remains
that II by some alchemy the sew.
enth command OF God should have
fallen out OF the decalogue when
Moseg broke those tables OF stone
( literally. instead OF metaphorlcally,
We would have had very little 10
read In books or TO see In the thea.
tres today"
But. Aunt Mary. the temptation
OF the flesh was brought into the
world In the Garden OF Eden by the
devil. and the world. the flesh and
the devil have been inseparable ever
since"
But. my dear. the present gener-
alton liz coming TO think there Is
nothing interesting in the world but
the flesh and the devil"
I'm other words. goodness has
gone out of fashion," asked.
We'll. II has been pronounced I'M
interesting. and to be uninteresting
is to be damned forever.
"Why In vice more interesting
than virtue. Margie. today? ] think
Il In because goodness Is n negative
virtue and yielding TO temptation
implies at least action"
I'm other words. Aunt Mary, you
think one can be good without do
Ing anything. and that you cannot
be the least bit bad without doing
something bad"
You've got II. Margle." answered
Aunt Mary with n smile, as she un
consciously spoke In the somewhat
slangy language of Dick. I'VE will
never become good as a people un
III we make goodness interesting
until our great newspapers VIII put
their finest writer's and devote the
most OF their space TO the recount
ing OF good deeds. instead OF doine
directly the opposite. Just this
morning the whole front page OF oti
morning paper was filled with the
grewsome details of the murder o.
a woman. and little two-year-olt
baby by a degenerate boy OF Fl
while less than six paragraphs were
given to the boy OF the same ag,
who voluntarily gave one pint OF his
young blood TO save the life an amaze
mic mother 10 her family.
Isn't 1t possible to make this &C
ton az dramatic as the first"
Perhaps so. dear Aunt Mary,
said Mollie. who had just come In
but ia hate to try and he the on
TO mako the city editors OF any o
the newspapers see IT,"
Ito Be Continued Tomorrow