The Washington times., 1927-06-03
Continued from First Page.l

eide bets about this and that IN.
s. From people who claim to
have been here or there and
offer to be witnesses for me as
the truth Of this or that In.
cident.
Z. From old schoolmates and
casual friends whom lost track
of and who now write to remind
me where and when and why
they knew me.
8. From circus, chautauqua and
carnival managers who want me
to tour and lecture or show in o
tent If get free.
8. From a few sane and SEN
sible people who write decently
and seem to understand many
things that most people never
could.
10. From no end OF couples who
want to adopt Lorraine. (Maybe
the 100000 insurance and the
house she is supposed TO get
help that Quota.)
Can't Read Ali The Letters
/ cannot read all the letters I am
allowed to read. OF course many,
swearing at me, insulting me, reel
ing with unprintable matter q am
told Of them), am not given at all.
1 am pretty busy, what with the
routine here, my serious efforts to
absorb true religion. and writing
this story q am now allowed a
typewriter, and since that is the
tool Of my old trade. can get on
much more rapidly with my literary
task, haven't much leisure to
spend going through all sorts of
correspondence from all sorts of
strangers on all sorts Of subjects.
But one lengthy letter, forwarded
me by my lawyers to whom it was
given by a newspaper man to whose
editor 1t was sent, strikes me az
worth reproducing in part. It is
not a defense, neither is it an at
tack. I don't know just what it is.
But somehow 1t made me think, /,
who am not in a humor now to re-
fleet on detached and impersonal
lines, and want to publish some
Of it.
The writer is Arthur Bragg, 6914
Fifth Ave, Brooklyn, a neIghbor
OF where once lived, but do mot
know the writer. He says:
81 am taking the liberty Of writ.
ing to you regarding the article
appearing in the magazine section
of your Saturday paper, 'X-Raying
the soul OF Ruth Snyder
81 expected to find out something
about the soul, but the jury of
talented folks did not appear to me
to be very exacting chemists; they
give results from outward appear.
ances and outward actions; although
am positive that they all know
that this method of analysing is
next to worthless.
Just what is it. anyway? The
science? The power of comprehen.
sion? Mentality? Jack Lait puts it,
''as far as soul was concerned. her
generation must have been skip
ped" If that is true, is she to be
blamed for that, for the oversight
of her maker? Can she be ex.
pected. so neglected, to compete
with the more fortunate Jack Lait ?
We Haven't the Same Start
my guess is that it is nothing
more or less than that mysterious
substance that interprets our sense
impressions and stores mans import.
ant asset, memory; yes or no, we
do not create it ourselves and re-
suits plainly show that the quality
AMI quantity is allotted in a hap.
hazard manner. from the extremes
Of monstrosity to genius.
Character. Is formed by the action
Of exterior forces upon this soul; 1t
IL the clay, circumstances the
moldeE: we have as little to do with
the molding as we have in the
manufacture of the clay. If each in.
dividual had precisely the same
start, equipped with the same power
to fight the same battles, would
not the result be exactly the same
for each? AS soon as there was a
deviation in the slightest degree,
that would denote a difference in
the make up and be handicap to
the one and advantage to the other.
ImpertinentIy Showed Into Life
DO we ask to come here?
do we decide the date Of our ar.
rival, the length of our stay?
DO we design our physical ap-
pearances, beauty or size?
"Do we make our own characters,
the good and the bad?
DO we choose our parents, their
nationality, religion and mundane
condition?
do we select our earthly environ.
ment?
As for the date. would Napoleon's
ability as a general and soldier have
been developed If his duration of
stay had been in peaceful times.
las for years, does the child that
dies soon after birth have the same
test as the person that lives the
four score and ten.
Does the beautiful girl have a