The Topeka state journal., 1922-12-19
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY Jay r. HOUSE.
tFrOm Philadelphia PubIc Ledgar.l

| The impulse to see John Barry
more's Hamlet flames within us.
Robert c. Benchley, the only dramatic
critic extant with whose opinion of the
Shakespearean drama this column Nis
| in entire accord, says Mr. Barrymore s
IS the only Hamlet he ever saw that
didn't bore him. We'd travel con-
siderable distance to see Hamlet that
fdidn't bore US. We'd go further; we'd
buy tickets to the performance.
This. we shall add by way of ex-
PLANTATION, is not the opening date of
/ the columns annual controversy over
Shakespeare. That comes later in the
winter-in February and March.
If all of the women for whom Mrs.
\ Eph Wiley believes her husband is
buying Christmas presents get them,
this Christmas is going to set Old Eph
back quarter of million dollars.
What we have learned about
sucker lists since-we had the felicity
to be placed on one is that we are in
very distinguished company. The
chairman of the Board of Directors of
one of the best-known Philadelphia
banks is on the mailing list of Phila-
delphia get-rich-quick concern. We
have had the pleasure of perusing
some of the literature he has received.
The inferior quality of The bait en-
ployed is almost incredible.
olHC6 we got on Ine 1lSJ, SIX months
or so ago, we have had opportunity to
peruSe a tremendous amount of litera-
ture devoted to the procedure of sep
arating the sucker from his savings ac-
count. The thing that impresses us
about it is that the human wolf, gem
orally credited with being smart. really
is as unintelligent as the rabbit he is
trying to skin.
Various of the readers of the column
are assisting us to "bone up on
Stephen Leacock. We learn from
them that, among other things, the
wrote The Unsolved Riddle of Social
Justice" We don't suppose Mr.. Lea
cock solved the riddle in one book.
We doubt that we could do it But we
can write a paragraph about it guar
anteed to help anybody who will i'm
plioitly follow the directions given.
This is the paragraph: The best way
to get social justice is to deserve it.
However. we break no facetious
lance upon Mr.. Leacock's armor. We
know not so much about his stuff but
we approve of the man. He made
trip to the British Isles early last sum-
mer and lecturedsthe British black in
the face.
where are the humorous writers ?"
interrogates the esteemed London
Daily Mail. Well, of course, you know
well, the Mail will understand
there's got to be a certain reticence
about that sort of thing.
Miss Marjorie Rambeau is going to
play Shakesp pearean roles, but not at
our solicitation. Miss Mae Marsh is
to return to the celluloid drama after
an absence of six years. and we didn't
even know she had been away.
Anything to Oblige.
Sir-Won't you tell us your present
opinion of General Wood?- Up to the
time of his selection and appointment
as Governor General of the Philippines
you seemed to think but little of him
and, in your own way, did not hesitate
to subject him to remarks of a not very
complimentary nature. The fact that
he was a Progressive and a friend of
Roosevelt did not appeal to you as one
which entitled him to any favorable
consideration at your hands. Do you
now feel toward him as you did then?
G. H. H.
What we think of General Wood
now-what we have always thought of
him-is that he is an exceptionally
gifted executive and very high-class
gentleman. We are sorry if this col
umn's casual comment carried any
other impression. The fact that he
was a friend of Roosevelt and is "a
Progressive would not appeal to us in
the slightest degree. The fact that he
is a Progressiye-if he is one-would
be likely to prejudice US against him.
If G. H. H. had concentrated he
would remember that our sole griev-
ance against the general was inspired
by his failure to laugh at our speech
Everybody else was holding his sides.
The general merely looked bored. 1t
was a thing to make any humorist
furious.
We recommend to discriminating
readers Sam Merwin's Joseph Greer