Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-05
EUROPE'S FLAPPER is SIXTY,
SAYS AMERICAN NOVELIST
Fannie Hurst Home From
European Trip and Talks
of Younger Generation
Here and Abroad
BY MARGUERITE M. MARSHALL

Ii MANU- EISA1 Il W. MARSHALL
NEW YORK.-"The European
flapper is at least go years oldr'
Fannie Hurst, short story writer,
dramatist and novelist, has brought
back from the other side that bit of
glad, or sad intelligence. It will sad
den you, of course, If you are an
American flapper or flapper fan, be.
cause you will think that poor dear
Europe is missing lot. On the other
hand, If you are a bit fed up with
the native article in flappers-Miss
Hurst and I are-you will not be
too regretful to hear that her do
minion stops at the Atlantic sea-
board.
For what Fannie Hurst means by
saying that the European flapper is
go is simply that, abroad, it is the
mature woman, with her intelli-
gence, her experience, her achieve
ment, her wit, her charm, her men.
tai and moral personality, who re.
ceives the homage, the respect, the
adulation and alteration lavished in
the United States, on youth.
We sat on broad, soft sofa in the
Carnegie Hall studio with Jacques
Danielson's name on the door-Miss
Hurst, as New York learned not long
ago through her own dramatic dis
closure, is legally Mrs. Danielson, al
though socially and professionally
Miss Hurst. She told me how good
an American she had returned-she
is even an ardent prohibitionist,
which is surely the 100 per cent
test for born daughter. of St. Louis
and an adopted daughter OF New
York. And then 1 asked her if, in
her travels, she had seen the equal
or the superior of the Great Ameri-
can F1apper.
She answered with the startling
remark quoted at the beginning Of
this story.
No National Note
81 hadn't been long in France"
she continued, smilingly, when. /
began to recognize the absence of. a
national note. Neither the note nor
the echo Of it was there! Then I
realized that I was in a country, a
society, where there did not exist the
dedication Of youth-where a Wom-
StII UoIGu W nave lilies III IlcI 1dCC'
"The French adore their Bern
hardt-o1d, haggard, worn, wrink1ed,
lame-and, they adore her not for
what she was, but for what she is!
The English love Ellen Terry-do
you suppose, if she had lived in
America, she would have dared to
let her hair go frankly white? For
see what happens with us. See
nowhere Miss Hurst mentioned
one Of the most golden names on the
| American stage-"see how that
woman" the dramatist repeated,
her brown eyes flashing, sis should
cred aside by any smooth-cheeked
young thing under 30!
1--WE are drunk on youth in the
| United States" continued the writ
| err, who in "'The Vertical City,
| 'Gaslight Sonatas' and other tales
| has given us unforgetable fictional
| pictures Of old men and old women.
| I would be the first to concede that
there is charm about bobbed gold
en- curls, slim ankles and blue stares.
But we go SO much further-we say
that nothing else counts.
Youth itself dism.sses the older
generation patronizingly as the poor
old dears.' Many members of that
generation are themselves hypno-
tized by the belief that the only
value is youth. That is why, in
Paris, saw middle-aged American
women having those terrible things
done-their skin lifted-scars under
their eyes," Miss Hurst shuddering-
ly pinched bit Of her own smooth
cheek between her smooth fingers,
WINGED and half shut her brown
eyes.
"And what is it all but con.
spiracy?" she added; "a conspiracy
that really deceives no one? tits as
if these women whispered, We're
growing old-hut, hush, hush! And
the world whispers back, 'Yes-we
won't say anything about it. No
| body must admit it,"
"And yet the woman over 80 Is
| far more interesting than the wom-
| an under that age" 1 observed. 1.-THE
younger generation is g. bit of a
bore, if it only knew"
pink envelopes-that's the young.
| And we in America are mad about
pink envelopes" agreed Fannie
Hurst,
Admire Youth
Then she changed the figure:
"Why can't We think of young
people as saplings?" she demanded.
1--WE admire the slenderness and