The Wilmington morning star., 1945-12-19
Fair Enough
By WEsTBROOK PEGLER


NEW YORK, Dec. 18-The way 1t began
was she started manifesting patient resigna-
ton the way they do when they are just
about to bust out and give you that old second
act curtain, and, if you are smart and know
the signs, when they get that way, the best
thing to do is beat them to the punch. So !
had been hearing about this thing called Car.
ousel'' and, after all, when I came to think
of it, there was some merit in her position
because the last one we saw together was.
ben Hur'' or 'Way Down East and
figured the best way to avoid trouble is a
little appeasement and take her out to see
something and then, afterward, slap her
across the face with some lobster Newburgh
and a slosh of wine and so home and to bed.
So, of course, I didn't bust right up to the
window and ask for two because that isn't
the way you do it in New York any more
than you walk up to the cashiers cage at
the main office of General Electric to buy a
couple of shares and you have to get in touch
with broker. And, moreover, the way things
to see but ask what they have got and if
they happen to have what you want why
that is a gilligaloo and calls for a round
Of roodles.
That is how-come we happened to 90 to
"Carousel' and while it didn't have anybody
with red nose and baggy pants and you
had to think up your own laughs or do with
out, still it was a very nice Theatre Guild
kind of piece and we liked it all right and
no complaints whatever. But got to thinking
afterward, hey, what goes on here, anyway,
and what is the idea because you don't really
notice it at the time, with all the pretty little
thrips juggling around and singing songs but
when it is over you realize that for the hero
they pick character who is just about the
low-downest rat you ever saw and the Williams
are both leece just because they don't do any
sleeping around and work hard, tend to bust
ness and ride in carriages
The hero is barker for a merry-go-round
and from where sat it seemed like he and
the WldoW-Woman who owned the pitch were
playing house together and then they take it
On the road and they are playing a stand in
some New England mill town back around
1880 and all of sudden he is arching his
neck at sad, pretty little orphan factory girl
VINO lives In one of those old-time company
clearinghouse and they get married The
next thlng you hear is he gives her pop in
the snoot and then she tells him woman's
greatest secret and that makes him feel ZEAL
good and he is sorry, in a sort of wav that
ne TOOK swing at her. But, instead Of firm.
ing TO and working hard to make decent
nome and provide for the baby, he listens to
d tempter and they plan to stick I'D the old
guy Who owns the mill and kill him and grab
1he Payroll which he is carrying according to
MS routine. The stickup goes haywire and so
ne Kills himself, leaving the poor girl to 90 if
alone Tor herself and the baby.
Now you wouldn't think anybody would h, Wa
uae gan TO try to sell you that for hero but
'lils Molnar, an Austrian, think, who did
the original version as a drama called
Llhom," goes to work on you and the fret
'iiihg you know you are bawling your heart
OUT because he goes up to heaven and feels
terrible over what he went and did
why ga he do like that in the first Mace
anu why didn't he shake himself together
'oih square and be man, you forget to asl,
yourSel1. And you are almost kissing the old
guy VINO owns the mill and the young fellow
the same age as the hero, who plans to catch
d lou OF herring and buy a boat and tben
another and finally a fleet. and ,noreo,,o.
uoes IL. You are supposed to hate them and
IKE sucker, you let them push you around
ana put Ideas in your head.
NOW what about those old ni11towns .,a
Inc company boarding houses for the country
girls! Well, John Flynn once did book called
wen OF wealth in which he said the old
dhhees who founded Lowell "In Their Hard
I'VE" England Way established ST. Anne,
church and later Catholic church sto brine
Tie unruly Irish Immigrants under some sor,
OF olsclpllne,'' and prohibited LIQUOR and even
hgnt and frivolous conversation in tbeso
homes and hired widows to manage them
ana ne tells us that when rurnors spread in
boston about you-know in these houses
eoiiiiillttee OF clergynen investigated and said
they were all just pack of lies. True he said
uiey were working II to 10 hours dav and
"a' IN God's own good providence they were
700 1atlgued at night for sins of the flesh,
WHICH, without going into details. is lust lot
VI nonsense IS Mr.. Flynn we'll knows. Let rs
iot Sound lewd note, but those old Yankees
oioh nave any such assurance and knew bot
yer ana the fact is that piety was almost
vice With them, they were SO severe and
--0
"eH that is about all I had on INV mind
oue we were halfway through supper over =
"ioole when she said if it had been her she
would have picked up {, brick or ket+1o ~
owl