Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-04-11
HAS CONFIDENCE IN
AMERICAN WOMEN
docs the Average American
Woman Really Delight in
the Saccharine and Scented
Dope That Is Handed to
Her?"
BY MRS. WILSON WOODROW

All signs to the contrary I have
can woman, an almost touching be-
lief in her inherent common sense,
her breadth of mind, her sweetness
and sanity of nature"
l made this innocent remark to
Agnes. Her spine Immediately stiff
fened, her mouth set, her eyes gilt
tered.
What do you mean by all signs
to the contrary" she asked icily.
Il think American women are the
most splendid, and wonderful, and"
80 do J." l fastened to agree,
and that neither hypocritically nor
automatically. But, to paraphrase
the heroine of one of Mr.. Howell's
earlier novels, My name is Luella
Blood, and l want to know
And one of the things L want
to know is: Does the average Amer
can woman really delight in the
saccharine and scented dope that is
handed her in the form of popular
plays, novels, motion pictures. etc.
I'VE are assured that they exist
by reason of feminine patronage
that the producers and promoters
and builders of them are giving wo-
men the mental food and stimulant
Lney. crave anu DO lOJ lHS
boXoffice receipts prove it.
" Iadmit that boXoffice logic is ir-
REPUTABLE, but 1 maintain that it is
not the last word, or the last half
dozen words. All that keeps my
tottering faith from falling into the
ashcan is that not only the cock
sure boxoffice but all the moss-growr
traditions which surround it are con-
stantIy getting a hard jolt.
Old Age Plays Lead
For instance, theatrical producers
have held 1t as an axiom from time
immemorial that no play can be sue
cessful unless the young-love theme
is the dominant note, and yet the
critics have been commenting with
profound amazement upon the fact
that in some of the most successful
played the leading roles.
Does woman really admire her
own distorted image in that mirror
held up to artificiality, her so-called
favorite fiction?
"If so, she has no taste for va
riety, for there are just three in
variable views of her.
First, pretty girl in pink frock
giving her young heart to an 'ad.
vanced dresser type of leading man.
goes through all kinds of hair
raising adventures for her. and finally
when, by supreme daring he has
knocked to smithereens all of the i'm
passable barriers betW cen them. she
ends her life as far as all other in
terests are concerned at the altar in
white satin and grandmother's lace
veil to the tune of Mendelssohn's
Wedding March.
Every pretty reading for Sixteen
but does stout Thirty-fve. stouteI
Forty-five, Increasingly stout Fifty
really enjoy it as we are led tc be-
lieve?
"The second fayorite imaginary
I portrait is the Misunderstood Wife
A perfect but sad and wistful crea-
ture, with that unbreakable sweet
ness, that omniscient wisdom. that
superior spiritual nature, which IL
enough to rouse any husbands latent
brutality. And there is always o
knightly soul in the offfng who wor-
ships and understands and appreci-
ates this pearl in the brow of a swine
HE kneels at the foot of her ped.
estal and swings the incense burner
before her. There are any number
of passionate but pure love scenes be.
tween them and their one big thrill
ing, terrific renunciation. which
should draw tears even from the eyes
of her own callously insensible hus-
band.
"Tha third portrait is the Siren, a