The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-11-19

was impossible to- talk in the
noise. This was a great first
night. One &of the leading act
resses of America had returned
in an excellent play, and her adj
mirers, who appeared to be a
unit, were clapping and stamping
and shouting: handkerchiefs flut-
tered all over the house.. When
the curtain descended after the
fifteenth recall and the lights
went up and demonstration gave
place to excited chatter, Madame
Zattiany held out her hand to-
ward Clavering.
"See! I have split my glove.
1 caught the enthusiasm. How
generous youl people are! I.
never heard such whole-souled,
sucf1,-ah -unself-conscious re-
sponse."
'"Oh, we like to let go some
times and the theater. Is a safe
place. One Of the best things
that can be said Tor New York,
by the way. is its loyalty to two
or. three actresses no longer
young. The whole country has
gone crazy over youth. The most
astonishingly bad books create q
fuore because from end to end
they glprify postwar youth at its
worst. and the stage is almost
as bad. But New Workers are
too old and wise in the theater
not to have a very deep apprecia-
ton Of its art. and they win rem
der tribute to old favorites as
long as they produce good
plays"
''But that is very fine. &c =
go to the matinee a good deal
and I am often very bored. And
have been reading your current
novels with the desire to learn
as well as to be amused. wish
SO much to understand the coun-
: try in which was born. I have
received much illumination! It is
quite remarkable how well most
of your authors write-but merel
ly well, that is. So few have
individuality of style. And even
in the best authors I find nearly
all Of the heroines too young. I
had read many American novels
before the war-tJ,ey came to us
in Tauchnitz-and even then l
found this quite remarkable pre-
occupation with youth
A Beautiful Thing.
We'll, youth is beautiful
thing, is it not?', He smiled into
her own beautiful face. but, If
you viii notice, many of our
novelists, capable of real psy.
chology, carry their heroines over
into their second youth, and you
can almost hear their sigh of re-
lief when they get them there. =
Yes,f but they are still behind
the European novelists, who find
women interesting at any age.
and their intelligent readers agree
with them. Young wLgnen have
little psychology. They are too
fluid
Quite right. But I am afraid
We are too young a country
to. tolerate midle-aged heroines.
We are STEPPED in conven-
tionalism, for all our fads. We
have certain castiron formulate for
life, and associate love with youth
alone. l think we have a vague
idea that autumnal love is rather
indecent"
And you -yourselfw She
looked at him speculatively. Are
you too obsessed?"
I? Good lord, no. I was in
love with a woman Of forty when
I was seventeen"
His eyes were glowing into hers
and she demanded abruptly: "Do
you think I am forty?"
Rather notr'
well. I am young" she said
with a deep sigh Of content. "But
look! I see nothing, but I see
everything"
Clavering glanced about him.
Every neck in the boxes and
neighboring seats was craned. It
was evident that the people in
front-and no doubt behind-were
listening intently. although they
could have caught no more than
an occasional word of the MUIR
INJURED conversation. Eyes across
the aisle, when not distended with