The Washington herald., 1921-06-10
THE MOMENT OF HYsTERIA.

vorce by her husband, and the
damning evidence is letter sne
wrote, and the story Of her guilty
love that she told to another woman
in what the lawyers aptly term
"a moment of hysteria."
A moment Of hysteria! i wish
that every woman in the world
would repeat that phrase over ana
over again, until 1T is branded IN
letters of fire into her conscious
ness
For IL is women's moments of
hysteria that are their moments OF
greatest danger. 1t Is in their mo-
ments of hysteria that they do
things, and say things, and tell
things that they spend the balance
Of their lives in repenting. II Is
in her moments OF hysteria that a
woman bids farewell to prudence
and slaps Mrs. Grundy in the face,
and commits follies of which she
would be incapable when she was
sane and normal
If women could learn to guard
against their moments of hysteria,
they would have themselves from
pecks of trouble and barrels OF
tears. II every woman would go
and lock herself up in room alone
when she felt herself getting
trembiy, and excited, and emotional,
and filled with an irresistible de-
sire to sIop over, and tell somebody
her middle name, and the secret OF
her life, and stay there until the
attack had passed, what tragedies
would be averted, what regrets pre-
vented,
How well we might initiate
certain youth whom l once found
sitting on a stone wall by himself
on the night of the commencement
hon in a little college town. why
are YOU not dancing?' l inquired
Because" he replied, ''there is
girl in there that I'll pop the ques-
tion TO, sure, il / dance one dance
with her, and il will be years be-
fore I will be ready to be married;
and / don't want to be tied up in
a long engagement. And I've got
sense enough to know that l would
not be able to resist the girl, and
the music, and the thought of going
away. if l had them right in my
arms, SO to speak. And l would
be sorry for it tomorrow, so 1 am
playing safe and staying away"
And that's it. For our moments
of hysteria last only for a moment.
but their effects are never-ending.
That is why we do well to be on
our guard against them.
In the matter of letters, for in
stance. You know how it is. Some
how, ink goes to woman's head
like strong drink. and makes her
maudIin. Perhaps no woman can
explain it better than to say that
she did it in moment of hysteria,
but it is a fact that even a modest
woman will write a man love let
ters that are enough to make a
brass image blush.
She calls the man every endear-
ing term; she pens passionate vows
of devotion; she assures a man that
she starves for his kisses and
yearns for hi presence; and she puts
all this down in black and white
for the man to show around to prove
what lady-killer he is, or to leave
in bureau drawers for curious cham
bermaids to read. Perhaps there is
no woman who has not gone on a
sentimental jag like this, but wise
is she who puts a missive on ice
for twenty-four hours before she
mails il. In which case it never
gets off. because her moment of hys-
terra is past, and she realizes what
fool she has just escaped making
OF herself.
There is also the letter we write
IN anger. in which we say bitter
and cruel things that stab to the
heart of those who love us. and that
ALLEVIATE friends. II we would only
wait until-our moment of hysteria
had gone, it would go into the fire
instead of the mail box and we
would be spared many a pang of
conscience that We have to endure
when we remember the things we
wrote that we shouldn't have writ
ten It's a safe rule never to post
letter that you have written in
any emotional stress until you have
cooled down from fever heat to
normal.
The main danger to women, how
ever. Is what they tell in their mo-
ment of hysteria. Every woman in
her sane hours knows the value of
reserve. especially with men, and
more especially iwth her husband
She knows that no man ever tells
his wife all of his past, or confesses
to her all of his little weaknesses
and blunders. and she knows equally
well that a woman is an idiot who
doesn't keep her own counsel about
her own private affairs.
Notwithstanding this, nine women
out Of ten blab everything they
have ever done. or thought of doing,
to the men they love. often thereby
wrecking the mems faith in them,
and filling them with causeless
jealousy. Hysteria is the mother
of confession, for as long as we are
in our sober senses, we have judg-
ment enough to know that our pres
ents alone belong to those about/us.
Our pasts are our own, and there is
no good accomplished by digging
up the dead. and holding post NOR
TENS.
Most of all, should women be-
ware of their moments of hysteria
in which they confide their private
affairs to others. This would be
bad enough IL the indiscreet woman
Involved only herself, but she does
not stop at that. She tells things
about her family that cover them
with shame and disgrace. and she
does IL with no more provocation
than because you happen to be with
her on a moonlight night on a ho-
tel veranda, or you are seat mates
in a pullman car on long journey;
and the hour, and the place, and the
scenery have made her emotional.
The summer season is now upon
US. when hordes of women will
foregather in resort hotels where
they will have nothing to do but
talk. To these 1 say emphatically,