Omaha daily bee., 1915-02-02
Maternity" and Test
of Motherhood
Rr Mattel NJ. IRWIN.

was returning from the play. Ma
ternity." wondering how II were possible
that the public had boon admitted 20 SO
tragically realistic \ sex play, when my
eye CHANGED TO fail on the evenings
paper, telling Of the Hacffners and their
deserted children--thc death Of the babe.
deserted in a hallway: OF the indiffer-
cnco OF the mother. a. ovinced by her
attitude and words: II couldn't stand
them all in one room; they wore me TO a
shadow. and I don't care to give UP my
life Tor four children
II seemed as if must still be listening
to the play. and that this was but an
other act on the stage. save TINT the
scene had shifted, ana instead OF re-
sponsible maternity. which slew its I'M
born children TO save them from shame.
disease or poverty. l now saw a mother
who felt 30 little responsibility OF mother
hood that she was willing that her
children should perish after they had
been born and she had held them to her
breast.
Both seemed to me 50 tragic that
hardly knew which type Of mother most
drew my sympathy--she with a sense OF
responsibility almost mad In It's intensity.
or the other. with such an utter lack OF
II that she could have no realisation OF
her crime--one who killed her unborn
child because of her love for Il; the other
because Of love of self. sends her born
children out to perish OF cold or to be
mothered by strangers But In both in
stances. whether love OF child or love OF
self dominated the mind OF the mother.
IL spelled death to the little ones they
lI,aa natfna fran, Tho ttnkuurVn
This Maternity" that Monsieur Breux
has put into the hands OF Rlchard Ben
nett to be staged Is terrible thing an
expose of the underworld OF marriage;
Ia e.. that condition OF things which Is
fostered In the guise of legitimacy and
saorodness under the marriage vow; that
which makes OF won,en but an instru-
ment OF dobauchery In the hands Of lust
ful men. and maternity. motherhood, but
one Ions threnody.
il is "A terrible arraignmcnt Of man from
beginning 10 end--of man and of man
made laws-leaving man and laws with
out one redeenlng feature, with woman,
as mother, ever and always the victim.
Whether betrayed motherhood. enforced
motherhood. starved motherhood, Il Is
all the same. simply to be born q
woman-and a possible mother-is Il
pass under a curse, and all laws and al
customs but serve to perpetuate this
I cure. So ran the play.
After the uncoverIng OF conditions as
TO the minds of the author--they exist
after nothing was left TO the imagina
tion Of the audience. there they lay
8 naked and bleeding, with none to cove
their nakcdness.
y There Is almost no attempt to do an,
: constructive work on the play, there !
L no panscea offered TO problem attempte'
% to be solved. The only thing that couls
}. be heard. running az a keynote from
! beginning 20 end. that suggested con
q structive idea wss after. all. only mega
|. lively constructive. Since MOTHERHOOD
- consent--let all motherhood be honored
whether lawful or unlawful. was tn
plea, making the cross OF motherhoo'
easier TO bear by honorlng natures law
rather than mans
II this 'AIaternity' play Of Brieux's Il
dealing with the woes OF enforced moth
Is erhood, he but half as true as his reveal
IL ment Of the dangers Of the social evil Il
Damaged Goods" then the eternal mys
terry OF life consists. not In the fact tina
. one young and overburdened mother sen
: her little ores out 70 perish in the nigh
but that ten millions OF mothers hol
with such wondrous love their unwel
y coined babes to their breasts.
70 IAN evil exposed Ia half cured" 'Hir
that hath ears 10 hear let him hear"