New-York tribune., 1918-05-19
In Belinda;s Garden
Delia,. Hauing Just Returned From
School at Paris, Inquiries Into the Pres
ent Number of Her Mothers Suitors

tThe play opens in Belinda's garden
in Devonshire on an afternoon in April.
Betty, the maid, is putting up ham
mock. Enter Belinda-Mrs. Barring
ton. She inquiries anxiously If the
hammock is strong enough.)
BELINDA. l asked them at the
stores if they were quite sure it woulo
bear me and they said it would take
anything up to- forget how many
tons. know thought it was rather
rude of them.
belinda disposes herself in the ham
mock to wait for callers. To keep her
company she has "Review" with Mr..
Baxter's article on "The Rise of Lunacy
in the Eastern Counties" and Mr.. Dew
enish's book of poems, "The Lutte Of
Love" Enter Della Della is Belinda's
daughter, who is just back from school
IN Paris. Belinda is surprised to see
her-she thought it was next Thursday
Thursday So confusing, both having
the same name. Mother and daughter
are evidently very fond of one another.
Della wants to know all that has beer.
happcning.)
DELLA It is like the Count at Scar
borough!
BELINDA. My darling, what do you
mean?
DELLA. Don't you remember the
Count who kept. proposing to you AT
Scarborough? l do.
BELINDA. Dear one, you were the
perest child, padding about on the
bSach and digging castles.
DELLA. l was old enough to notice
the Count
BELINDA. And I bought you a per-
fcctly new spade. How one deceives
ones self!
DELLA And then there was the
". P. who proposed at Windermere.
BELINDA. Yes, dear, but it wasn't
seconded--I mean he never got very
far with it,
DELLA And the artist in Wales.
BELINDA. Darling child, what
teachers are pleased with you.
(Then Della must know all about
"this one," and Belinda coyly admits
that there are two.)
DELLA. Is it really serious this
time?
7 ,,.H N,,1 Sv,t&
"this time" Della. 1t seems so unro-
mantle. If you'd put it into French
-cette fois-it sounds so much better.
DELLA. What l meant, dear, was
am to have a stepfather at last?
BELINDA. Now you are being too
French, darling.
DELLA. Why. do you still think
father may be alive?
BELINDA. Why not? It's only
eighteen years since he left us and he
was quite young man then.
DELLA. Yes, but surely you'd have
heard from him in all those years if
he'd been alive.
BELINDA. Well, he hasn't heard
from me and I'm still alive.
DELLA. shall never understand it.
BELINDA. Understand what?
DELLA. Were you as heavenly when
you were young as you are now?
O.. BELINDA. Oh, was sweet.
DELLA. And yet he left you after
only six months.
BELINDA. wish you wouldn't keep
on saying ne left me! I left him too.
DELLA. Why?
BELINDA. Well, you see, he was
quite certain he knew how to manage
women and / was quite certain I knew
how to manage men. If only one of
us had been certain, it wouldshave been
all right.
DELLA. What really happened,
Mummy? I'm grown up now, so think
you ought to tell me.
BELINDA. That was about all, you
know-except for his beard.
DELLA. Had ne beard? How
funnyl
BELINDA. Yes, dear. it was, but he
never would see it. He took it quite
seriously.
DELLA. And did you say, "If you
really loved me, you'd take it Off?
BELINDA I'm afraid did, darling
DELLA And what did he say?
BELINDA. He said very rudely that,
il I loved him, I'd do my hair in
different way.
DELLA. How ridiculousi
BELINDA. OF course, didn't do it
like this then.
(belinda goes on to admit that they
probably ought never to have married
and also that when her husband went
away he did not know that there was
going to be any Della. Della wonders
why her mother didn't tell her father.)
BELINDA. Well. you see. if had.
10 might have wanted to stay.
DELLA. But
BELINDA. II he didn't want to stav