The Washington times., 1919-03-30
Mrs. Arthur Stringer at Home as a
Wife, Part She Did Not Play
With Success.

what my husband thought. was a mere
conjugal echo.
My conception Of marriage at that time
was that the woman who was a good wffsc
was one who had failed or would fail at
all else. know that that was mistake
The woman who keeps house wen and
brings up her children as they should be
is not failure
IL was an incident regarding a phase
OF the servant question that was the match.
that set the fire that burned down the
structure OF. our lives together. Help was
scarce in the community in Canada whers
my husband had farm and where we
spent our summers. We had tried to get
help and failed. All summer 1 had cooked
ana baked and washed and scrubbed
thoughts that seemed reasonable visited
me-,
IF I went back to New York and acz
cepted that Winter Garden engagement I
could earn enough to hire an armv of
maids | thought. But l went on scruh-
bIng and dusting and baking and washing
dishes.
One day my husband said he would 90
70 town and make another effort to find
help. During the morning a wagon drove
up. Out of it stepped a woman of whom
mad heard. She was the mother Of two
children, but had waived the ceremony OF
marriage. / took her about the house and
we mad agreed upon wages. She said, as
an afterthought:
Where and when do eat?"
l answered softly, with a smile that 7,
intended should be engaging, "In the
kHchen and whenever it suits you"
DoR't eat with you?" she said.
"N-1o," l faltered
Where l have worked we alwavs ear
together. We wuz one" she said.
She drove away. Shortly afterward nv
husband arrived. Where's the girl 1 sent
Out?" he asked.
Gone" l said, and told him the story.
He was furious with me. you should
nave exercised more tact" +" he said. burst
into tears. Don't pity me too much. Thew
were tears Of anger. The spark that I
had thought was extinguished had started
another blaze
Il think l will accept that Winter Gar
den engagement" l said.
AS you like" he answered.
came to New York and PLAYED that
summer. Other engagements followed.
Away from the mentor Of the hearthstone
impressions Of what had seen and heard
N---N ASesA NoA4AC ClO"u4AS lulO NY mlQQ, i
expressed an opinion or two No one con.
troverted them. / Yentured another. A
few persons who were present showed a
slight interest. l felt as one who has been
dead and is resurrected. My individuality
that had slept was waking Ny ego that
had been dead was resurrected.
For time / played supercilious beauties
and dowagers. Gradually timidly. / ven
tured into the most intellectual branch of
stage art, comedy. Fearfully / took the
first steps. Had not my husband told me
had no sense Of humor? For thirteen
years | had not tried to tell a story be-
cause on the memorable occasion when /
did try to tell one he said couldn't tell Il,
that l was incapable Of seeing the point
Yet last Spring, in Nancy Lee" and this
Winter in "a Little Journey" I was praised
,or my comedy. David Belasco has en-
gagged me for comedy role.
My husband took up a residence 10 De-
.rOit and divorced me for desertion The
lid is on / would not marry
my man alive; not Gabriel should he de-
icend from Heaven and cast himself at
ny feet. For there is always lid in matri-
nOny and every man is more or less an
expert in placing it. That matrimonial lid
destroys the gift Of the artist. -