The New York herald., 1921-12-04

he JuStlf1ed. WIN the lOdueu plStoi
ia his hand her husband really was a
figure to be feared.
Yet she worried altogether out Of
proportion to the discomfort that his
little peculiarities caused her. She took
the flowers and the table and the
household accounts and the locked
piano TOO hard. Other women in life
find Z possible to overlook the little
vexations their husbands cause them.
Habit of BEING Late.
"Donn's habit Of being always late"
one of therl said the other night, has
been the one tragedy of our married
lives. And he is always late. must
always wait on him"
He was late that night and made
not only his wife but the mar
who was taking them to the play
half an hour tardy. But she made no
particular point Of dwelling on the in
cident. After O becoming sigh, she
said no more, and apparently took as
much pleasure out of her husbands
society as if he were always ahead
of time.
''1f you don't stop playing with that
dog" another wife said to her hus-
band as he romped mildly with the
Irish terrier in the drawing room be-
fore dinner, "I shall jump out Of my
skin. / have been on the go since
. o'clock this morning. You know,
Rich will play with the dog although
he knows 1t makes me nervous"
That was all she said. Under the
same provocation Nine. Bedndet might
have gone through various sorts Of
rnartyrdom. She would have at least
neglected her coiffure. which she did,
apparently, all the time. But this wife
did not return to the subject. Hus-
band let the dog alone and dinner
passed off quietly. OF course. had he
refused to abandon the terrier the
evening might have not been so pleas
ant.
In both cases these two women had
their legitimate grievances. Yet they
were philosophical about them. Pro-
,onged discussion might have brought
on "vapors" as severe as those which
drove the heroine of "Tie Wife With
Smile" which the Theatre Guild has
produced at the Garrick Theatre, to
sedatives. In life, women seem
therefore much more reasonable In
such matters. It may be. on the other
hand. that the playwrights from
choice select the ladies who are more
or less neuresthenic.
They are certainly more interesting
II one is to observe them PATHOLOGY
cally. Possibly Nine. Bcdudets sensi-
tiveness was the result of the warm
weather. She spoke of the heat and
wanted the windows left open-except
when the noise became too great Then
they had to be Immediately closed But
the trouble certainly was not raused
by the awakening OF spring. II could
readily have been, however, the twi-
light of spring that so upset the wife
with the smile. Undeniabiy the source
of her disorder is to be sought some
where else than in her husbands tai
cut for nagging.
The New stage Realism.
Some OF the mistaken realists Of the
past used to cook a turkey on the
stage TO suggest, through the savory
reminder Of home. the domestic at
nosphere OF a family. Another less
extravagant producer satisfied him
self with frying real bacon to en1-
psasize the humble but genuine feeling
o. another family less highly situated
in the world. The appeal to the nose
continues.
In "Kiki," David Belasco's new play
at his theatre, however. 1t is fragrant,
overwhelmingly, powerfully. almost
staggeringly fragrant. When Nile.
Xxi, formerly of the Montplaisirs
Music Hall, seeks to paint the lily
which nature has already made her
the powder puff comes out OF the ca
pacious bag she carries. AS she shook
the powder over all that was visible
Of her, and much that was not, the
odor floated back to the rear of Mr..
Belasco's auditorium.
When, I'm n later scene, the heroine
sprayed what she described as hello
trope perfume over herself and the
landscape adjoining, the scent wan
dered back overwhelmingly to all but
the last orchestra seats. Thus realism
which arrives through the nose need