Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1920-12-23

OHCe, he udu Taught nef. III her ignorance she
had married him so that he might teach her. Now
she had got beyond his teaching, and he did not
know it. In his vanity he thought he had made"
her He lived, fattened that tbrved. on the
reflected glory of her art, and ghou-like on the
woman herself.
There was no escape for her from his exactiOns
Of this piece. The author was abroad in i'll
health so he could not be present at rehearsals
Moreover, because this was his first play, the Big
Man took liberties with it as might theatrical
celebrity
This one rehearsed his wife with the assdu-
ity of an animal trainer, bullying her before the
whole company until they Uttered and then grew
silent with sympathy.
The Big Man came into the room noisily He
was always called the Big Man. The name fitted
him. He was big in physique and in self-sufi-
cheney. His face still showed SIGNS of eyaspera-
ton
Rotten! Simply rotten - he threw at her, strid-
ing up and down. give years of drilling things
into you, and you're dense as when | married
you You queer the business, you slur your lines
YOu-yOu haven't an ounce of the real stuff in YOU
Don't look at me with that martyred expression
I'd get rid of you if we didn't have to open on
New Years Eve. Now, look here Wen 60 through
that business in Act II again, right here now until
you get it right-my w0y-see? What's the cue?
! can't ask you to sacrifice yourself. . (He
takes her in his arms). Come onw
Inc Big Mans temper was Smarting under a
recent newspaper criticism in which it was sug-
gested that in his next production he should give
premier place to his wife. He specially resented
the advice, because the writer limited that the
Big Man, dramatically speaking, did not count
Come on" he repeated
NO"
He stared at her She had never dlsobeyed him
before. 1t nearly staggered him.
I'm too tired tonight Besides, l don't agree
that the scene should be played your way. That
was not the authors Intention"
He took her by the wrist. "By CAD you'll be
saying the play written for you next"
1t had been. The author had seen her on the
stage once. He had purposely written his play
round her, because her personality had impressed
him. The Leading Woman did not know this
Neither did the Big Man.
you've got to do what l tell you. If you're
tired what about me?"
Rather than argue, she gave in. 1t wasn't
worth t-arguing with man who could only rea-
son like woman. The worst of it was, she could
see through him now. She knew he was Jealous
She knew he took perverse pleasure in trying
to queer her business" She was perfectly well
aware that could he have dispensed with her he
would have done so; only boX-oflce receipts had
b en- so good since he had starred her. After he had
E)ne, the Leading Woman turned the key in The
Jock. There was always one way by which she
could secure oblivion of her mental sufferngs Not
iy morplia, drink, but by letters. A score of
them, written by her, sealed but not addressed
lay in a locked drawer of her escritoire. She did
not know the who, in them, she in
voked Her eyes had never him. TO write
thus one of those queer feminine impulses
that women who suffer give way to in order to
save their hearts from breaking They were the
only lOve-lettcrs she had ever written to man
She took up her pen now, striving for calmness
while writing to her Unknown
ooh, my dear, am so terribly sad and l am
no lonely that l feel like a little child crying in
the dark 1t can't go on. can't bear it
UIch longer Sometimes in my agony have told
myself to do as other women do, to be worldly,
venal, to laugh and console myself with the first
likely man who comes my way. Pride stops me,
and my deep regard for you, Unknown, Shall 1
see you? viii you ever become real, my
ideal? Shall l never know what love is? For now
my heart is virgin.
Think of it, Half-Of-My-Soul, wherever you are |!
l am a wife. And have never known what it is
TO love- except intangbly as l love you That Is
my punishment for having married without re-
Election. Beloved was such child and thought
nothing mattered except my art.
Sometimes, when / first began to write to you,
Unknown, | used to ask myself what would hap
pen should I meet you? / know, as I know
still, that / should recognize you and at once.
| used to think OF myself as ever bent to the Big
Mans will. But l know that this would not
be right. He has so long forfeited my loyalty All
that is best in me belongs to you, whoever and
wherever you are l could not keep away If you
needed me. And religious woman.
"All this life am living Is wrong, unnatural.
Surely 1t can't 20 on. l am twenty-six-oh, dear
est, only twenty-sx and there is nothing left to
but work. And in work cannot forget
because it is emotional
Il am going to write little prayer here. have
prayed it waking and in my dreams l send it
on the wings Of my spirit this petition of
my soul, that somewhere and sometime may see
you, know you, if only once face in the
crowd"
She was strung up and she covered pages, CIV
ing her emotions full play. TO a woman of acute
sensibiity there is something very convincing in
the idea of a s0ulmate. 1t that Leading
Womans consolation and her beacon of hope.
During the following weeks while lie new play