The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-07-30

NNf OF inc mllliOns Ol mnIks t"s'
1 shall never be able to under
stand about human nature is why
we cxalt the hideous and the sotdid and
consider that there is some peculiar
virtue in the disagreeable.
Why is il that when an author writes
a story that deals with the most horri-
bic side OF life when he takes his hero,
and heroine from the most degraded
specimens OF humanity when he fishes
his plot out of the gutter and suttuses
the story with the stencil Of the sewer
we speak of it with awe and admlra-
ton a. realism2
But when a novelist depicts what is
pure and beautiful in life, when he
makes a noble man and woman his
hero and heroine and lays hi, plot
amid scenes Of refinement where every
body is trying to lead the higher lie,
/ @why do we brand his story contemp-
tously ~ mere sentimental romance'
Surely there is more beauty than
ugliness in the world. There 10 more
virtue than vice. There are o good
men and women than bad.
Where YOU find one lady vampire
sucking dry the heart and pocketbook O.
a man, you will find a thousand loving
and devoted women unselfishly sacri'
ficing themselves for their husbands
and children. Where you will find one
man who i, a dark brown villain pur'
suing youth and innocence, there are Q
thousand Sir Gallahads ready to pro
tcct any girl with their lives IT neces'
sary.
Dora Copperfield and Molly Make
Believe are Just as true to lie, and IA
more numerous than Nora, or Hedd'
Gabler. or Anna Karanina. Yet, be
cause Dora and Molly are dears ant
sweets that you would love to have
around the house. and you'd loath'
morbid creatures like Nora and Held;
and Anna, who are always indecent,
exposing their souls, and wouldn't hav'
. them about at any price, one set o
characters are despised as the out
pourings Of vapid sentimentalism, an,
y the other is exalted a. a triumph o
{ realism.
: Indeed II almost seems that IL a nov
d elist wishes to get the reputation OF be
= ing " strong" and "tirile,' all that h
has to do is to be sufficiently nasty, all
n to discus" with perfect frankness phase
It of life that decent people shy ava
y from as they would from a cesspoo
L Why refined people should wish to a.
'e %sooiate in books with the sort OF me
D. and women that they wouldn't speak
l. in real life, is another Of the mysteri,
that keeps me guessing.
n However, this theory that there mu
Z be some sort OF occult virtue in an,
re thing that is particularly obnoxlo,
N runs all through lie. Take the matt
he Of truth, W. all have a sort of late
lie superstitious belief that the truth
only true when it is unpleasant.
We all believe evil more readi
i than good. Scandal is credited on
T. mere say-so, while praise has to
- backed up by a well-a,tested affidav
VI Any man who goes about habitual
'e praising his fellow men and calling a
y tention 20 their good qualities, so
" gets the reputation of being q ~flatter'
w a jollier, and is suspected ot havil
q, some Interior end, of his own to iu
ther. On the contrary, the mar who
brute and a knocker, and who nev
= has a good thing to say Of any hum
being, may be hated and feared but
is universally spoken Of as being
truthful and honest and sincere. '
are always a little suspicious of I
people who pay us compliments,
matter how much W. enjoy them.
Why we should take this a,titut
Heaven alone knows, None of us c
explain il. We know that at its wo'
human nature is a mixture OF good a
|. bad with the good largely in the pl
, dominance. We know that even
. Brown occasionally drinks a little ,
much, he is the kindest hearted a
most generous fellow on earth and
A adoring and adored husband and faith
We know that even il Mrs. Smith
t a high temper, she Is also a peri,
{ marvel OF a worker and manager a
n that she is the very backbone of
d husbands success.
a Why isn't II Just as true to speak
Brown as a good citizen and husba
and father as to speak Of him as
'e drinking manl Why isn't it as true
speak Of Mrs Smith as a woman "
d is an example Of what a helpmeet
! wife can he to a husband as to sp,
OF her as a shrewl