71 NUMBER of loving friends
aro Joining' with solicitous
rolntlves to aver that Wil
liam Watsbn, tho English
poot who wroto "Tho Wo
man with tho Scrpcnt'o
Tongue," is not rand moro-
ly crazy.
"Watson himself has bcon trying to
provo ho was noithcr.
Tho general public haB been wonder
ing whether ho isn't both, and then
some, largoly along tho lines of In
grntltudo and petty meanncBS.
Dut tho Author'a guild, of which his
venomous effusion proved him so dan
goroua a member, being vorscd in tho
history of literature, has been seeing
"Leah Kle&chna," Personated by Mrs.
Flske. N
in him only a peculiarly callous genius
with nn eye to business.
Literature has seldom, if over, made
a shining success with tho perfectly
good woman, they say; and it is des
tined, ultimately, to match Marie
Train's monumont to Adam with
another to Ev'o, in gratitude for tho
frailties which make her descendants
good material.
In their export opinion, as In tho
observation of tho critics generally,
tho good woman is too tamo for art;
and tho lino frenzy of tho poetic Wat
son, whether inspired by his pro-Boer
sympathies, as ho alleges, or by chag
rin, over failuro to achieve knight
hood, as averred by tho Asqulths, went
straight to tho oldest and tho most
interesting topic litcraturo can handle
tho frailties of n woman.
In tho universal literary diatribe
against lovely woman, Watson is so
far from singing solo that his, al
though the latest, shriek of contumely
is only part of tho chorus.
What in tho world can tho other
authors of our time have against wo
man? ALL SEEM TO HAVE GRUDGE
IOST of them, it would ap-
ponr, have tho crudest
which any indictment can
bring to tho bar; and -.tho
authors of woman's own
sex are no whit behind tho
otners in mat ratal ac
cusation, la modern lltoraturo, at
least, CaeSar'a wifo cannot bo wholly
nbovo suspicion and Interesting at tho
samo time certainly not upon tho
grand scale that makos a novel tho
"book of tho year."
Ono of those "books of tho year"
was Mrs. Humphry Ward's "Awaken
ing of Helena Ritchie," in which tho
wilful Helona was very much Indeed
open to suspicion; tho Immortal Jul
ius, for a hundrcth part of hor indis
cretions, would havo suroly drawn his
glndiuB and chased hor all tho way to
tho Toraplo of Janus. And somo other
thrilling novels of tho sumo august
English romancer depended for their
thrills upon tho self samo theme.
Iu tho United States, ono of tho
strongest novels of rocont ypars was
Edith Wharton's "Houso of Mirth,"
where all American socloty was drawn
upon for types of vain and ambitious,
greedy aud Intriguing women, with
Lily Bart, tho Jiorolno, weakest and
most intriguing of them all, hor vlrtuo
assailed and withheld from destruction
only at tho oxtromo verge, and death
depicted as tho only fitting closo for
tho vacillating, greedy, humiliated self
oho carries about through the conclud
ing chapters of tho novel.
The most severo comment curront
literature, which embraces Its criti
cisms, made upon woman was in tho
critical soquels to Mrs. Wharton's
startling story, for tho general verdict
was as much In indorsement of her
social facts as of her artistic skill.
Criticism, Joining forces with roinunco,
left tho modoru society woman 01 :y
rntoliM nf character, supplement"!
with a polite belief in her respectabil
ity. When such heavy guns ns Ibsen un
limber for action against that dainty
butterfly, woman, tho general effect
comes pretty closo to apparent anni
hilation. That is what happens to unhappy
Hcdda "Oablor, who managed, with
every advantage of beauty and posi
tion in hor own modest circle, to ruin
tho mon who lovod her, drlvo genius
to Its death and end in nothingness
herself, all through her Insatiable prldo,
temper, jealousy and selfishness. A
heavy Indictment indeed, but otio
which tho poncorouB and thunderous
Ibsen found plenty of other butter
flics to aim it at.
Merciless Dramatist.
Woman and her weakness furnish a
dramatist bo thoroughly up-to-dato ns
Arthur Wing Plnoro Avith his most
offectivo topics, nnd tho characters
in his "Notorious Mrs. Ebbsmlth" nro
only selections from what scorns to bo
an inexhaustlblo repertoire of observa
tions, of which but a few, in tho way
of saving graces, aro creditablo to
womankind.
Whon, occasionally, an American
playwright succeeds in making his
"female lead" worth worrying over
from across tho footlights, ho finds It
very, very hard to go further along tho
lino of npproval by emphasizing tho
saving graces.
There was C. M. S. McLollan, who
Mrs. Patrick Campbell as "The No
torious Mrs. Ebbsmlth."
wroto that immonsoly popular drama,
"Leah Kleschnn." Leah was just a
plain, out-and-out thief a lady burg
lnr, who starts tho dramatic ball roll
Ing by attempting a burglary, and 1b
prevented from accomplishing it by bo
ing caught in tho act.
Leah's noble nature comes out
strong through all tho complications
that onsuo, and sho ends as tho brldo
of tho philanthropist who caught hor
stealing; but sho, abovo any popular
heroine of recent years, has a past
that may bo called record breaking.
Thero was ono woman In English
romnnco, however, whoso past was
worse than hers, bocauso it is a fixed
prlnclplo of morals in English lltcra
turo that burglary and tho other
crimes of tho calendar aro -merely
peccadilloes in comparison with that
ono woman's sin as to which all
Britain virtuously refuses ovor to
speak and has boon most ardently
reading for tho past generation.
Thomas Hardy's "Tess."
Thomas Hardy's "Tess of thod'Ur
borvllles" had committed that offense
Respectability proffered tho saving
hnnd in mnrriago, and Tess, believing
sho had cleared her consclonco by
confession, took tho hnpplnosa that
was hers, and Tess herself had tho
olemontal passions which doomed hor
to bo her evil destiny's toy.
Sho ondod very badly and thero
was another womnn Indicted and con
vlctod by nn author who, thus far,
hasn't shown tho smallest prejudices
against women in his private llfo, nor
has over boon nccused, liko Watson,
of rogardlng the whole adorablo box
as bolng composod of nny but perfect
ladles.
Tho forbidden thome and that at
a tlmo when tho forbidding meant
Bomethlng was tho whole motlvo of
Wilkio CollinB' most human novel, if
not, porhnps, his most complicated
one. His "Now Magdalen" took tho
vilest flguro to bo found In n great
city's scourlngs, and exalted tho truo,
womanly soul that lived undor tho
hldoousncss of her manner of llfo.
Evil Characters Interest.
Ills readers, then aud now, havo
always been frco to admit that Collins,
In that ono story, at any rate, did
succood In creating' a woman who
could hold tho interest-to .tho olid.
Thackeray, it is notorious, achieved
his most conspicuous success "with, tho
most 6vll of hla womanly characters,
Becky Sharpo. Thero, if anywhere,
was ample evidence that the author
who paints an ovil woman doos It for
sheer lovo of tho job.
Tho groat Thackeray could Judge
and condemn the shrewd, conscience
less, calculating Becky as mercilessly
ns though lib wore on tho bench and
sho n criminal nt tho bar before him.
Yet ho loved in his capacity of artist
as a scientist r.ilght love a rnro nnd
porfoct Bpcclmentof specles-typo; and
every stroke and shading ho put Into
his portrayal of the Inimltablo Becky
Sharpo was done with almost loving
kindness.
Both ho and Dickens must ever re
main monumental examples support
ing tho theory that th6 good woman is
too tamo for art rather than that tho
authors aro indulging any prejudlco
against tho sex. Both mado ropoatod
attempts to depict tho perfectly good,
lovablo girl nnd woman; nnd jt has re
mained that both scored repeated fall-,
tires by presenting mllk-nnd-watcr fig
ures that had no moro snllency and
gcutiino llfo to them than so mnny
marionettes.
Reade and Stevenson.
Even Charles Itcnde, of whom a wo
man critic declared ho mado all his
women cats, left figures in his Btorlcs
that scorn to bo alive, and did It puroly
bocauso of their faults, not of their
virtues.
It was that sense of tho good wo
man's artistic futility, ns many admir
ers of tho lato Robert Louis Steven
son believe, wlch so long debarred
him from Introducing her in his ro
mances, save as ho couldllmn her In
tho faintest sketchings.
It was hard for StovonSbn to hollovo,
and harder for him to Bay, that ovory
woman on oarth failed to fill tho spec
ifications of n full-fledged nngel, fit
only for sinful aud falllblo man to wor
ship. Ji was equally hard for him, as
tho born artist, to put his pen to any
literary adventure whoso nmplo pic
turcsqucness of action threatened to
bo doubtful.
Botwocn tho Inborn chivnlry of tho
man and tho ncuto perceptions of tho
artist Stevenson had to reach matu
rity before ho could oven dare attempt
tho drawing of a woman; and, when
all Is said and dono with him, his suc
cesses havo been exclusively with
characters that aro male.
Frenchmen Are Unfettered.
Tho English-writing author, general
ly hampered by an almost Imperious
tradition bidding him regenerato his
women if ho doesn't keep them qulfb
within tho dead lino of respectability,
seoms to fool always Borne menBuro of
tho senso of futility that weighed upon
Stovcnson. But tho Frenchman, nnd
tho continental author at large, can bo
as merciless in analyzing nor ns n
vlvisectlonist with a frog, And often
times ho croates an artistic triumph
that is Imposing in its rcpollnnt real
ism. Tho example of tho augiiBt Bnl
zac", which has bo profoundly Influ
enced all modoru literature and that
of Franco In particular, sorved to leave
tho authorial ;nlpol entirely untram
Margaret Anglln as Helena Ritchie,
Who Has Much to Atono.
meled, with tho pitilessly pictured
Sapho of an Alphonso Daudet to finish
tho encycloypcdla of woman's short
coralngH ns harshly ns tho Madamo
Bovary of a FlauUort began It.
Tho ono Englishman wha linn dared
parallel tho wholo indictment brought
by tho French has been Kipling, whoso
"Vampiro," Booming to Bum up every
thing that could reduco woman ,to
Eve's original rolo ns tho moans of
man's ruin, has bec Internationally
famed with the ImpresBlvo Burno
Jones picture of tho vampiro at work
helping to carry its malign slgnlfl
canco around tho world.
All tho charges against this lovely
creaturo, woman, can't, of course, bo
truo; and so they must bo classed aa
passing strange. But stranger than
tho prejudlco tho authors appear to
cherish is tho fact that those very
books which most soveroly arraign hor
are tho books that aro usually most
popular.
And stranger yet is tho fact that,
nowadays, most of tho readers aro
women.
ZELAYA OFTEN IN DANGER
Navy Surgeon Tells of Attempts
the Life of the Former Nlcarag
uan President,
on
A young doctor In tho United States
navy was stationed not so very long
ago in Nicaragua, Judging from what
ho says, llfo In that country could not
havo boon of tho quletost.
Zelaya Isn't or wasn't much of a per
son to make public appooranccs, bu
i" u
says. Instead, ho was very apt to
stick closely to his palace and at one
period almost two yonrs olapcod heforo
ho graced nny public ocensiou with
his presence.
Then thero wns somo formality In
tho cathedral of his capital town which
ho could not well avoid. It nppcaro
that some of tho cadetcorp8, mado up
of sons of tho good Nlcaraguan fam
ilies, conceived tho idea that this
would bo a good time to abolish Zo
laya. Thoy formod a plan that cer
tain of (hem who would ho present In
tho cathedral should load their rifles
with ball cartridges and on a signal
should pepper tho president.
This plan was not carrlod through
vory well. Tho secret got out Just
about nt tho last moment nnd tho ball
cartridges wcro roraoved from tho
rifles. A fow of tho cadets In their
turn discovered this fact find they re
loaded tholr rifles with ball cartridges.
When tho signal was given tho devot
ed group aroso and fired, Tho shoot
ing was Central American nnd bad,
nnd. Zolaya'fl wound wns ono in (ho
shoulder.
Tho punishment wns prompt, accord
ing to tho surgeon's story. Tho 300 or
Bo cndots of tho corps wcro lined up
on tho parado ground nnd ono of Zo
laya's trusted men simply told off
every fifth boy Jn tho ranks. Thoso
checkod off woro shot.
A story is told too of another pa
triot who hired n room nenr the plaza
in which tho palnco stands, Tho htiuso
In which tho pntrlot was had tho
ndyantngo of having tho only avnllablo
"window that gavo n clonr sight of any
of tho windows in tho palace. Tho
patriot watched at his window off nnd
on for about six months, until one day
ho got a view of tho president passing
by tho palnco window on which ho
was spying. Ho fired quickly and
again Zolaya was slightly wounded
In tho shouldor. They got that patriot
nnd Bhot him too. . .
ENJOYMENT A NATURAL RIGHT
Much Truth In Writer's Protest
Agalnot the Eternal 8omber-
ness of Things.
Tho child, with his unclouded vision,
unbroken as yet by llfo nnd tho greed
and tho cunning of humanity, has tho
Inborn senso of man's right to Joy.
What aro. wo hero for? Suroly not
just that somo 'malignant being, or
somo force of nature, may havo tho fun
of hammering at us and seeing us
wrltho. Tho truth is, man, born Into
mortality, attempts first to mako his
own Joy nnd invariably falls. Tho na
tural attempt Is to get Joy for our-
scIvob. Whereas,, as man grows, he
knows that Instead of dragging Joy In
to hlmsolf ho must initiate an entirely
opposite process; ho must expand him
self Into Joy. The natural mortal vi
sion sees joy In material things, In
circumstances, Inevonts, in porsonnl
possessions and nggrandlzoment,
wherens joy Is spiritual, essential, out
going, Joy never leuns on whnt hap
pens, but on what Is.
So long as tho dull und the Ignorant,
tho suffering nnd tho diseased, look
up to great possessions, to comforta-
bio surroundings nnd Irresponsibility,
und fancy that Joy lives tlioro, and
that if thoy captured tho means they
would capturo tho prize, so long poor
exiled joy can do no moro than drop
nt odd seconds upon n quiescent mind
hero nnd there. It cannot coma to
earth to dwell, to turn llfo into Para
dlso, until It comes equally to all. It
would Boom that only spiritual gifts
could bo equal. Mnttor Is unmanage
able. It heaps itself up in spots and
draws', nwny iu others; it is eternal
restless motion; it Is tho changing,
floating unreality In which for tho mo
ment wo aro sot. But tho spirit is
chnngelcss, immovable, permeating all
space. Anu at oau corners, nero anu
An Unnatural Pose In n Strained
Character, Mme. Nazlmova as
"Hedda GaUler,"
there, through llfo, oyos aro opened
and tho spirit Joins tho spirit and Joy
is born. Harper's Weekly.
Revised Wedding Service.
Tho revised service for uso at wed
dings whoro tho American heiress
marries tho titled foreigner should
contain this atyendod lino for the
brlde'groom to repeat:
"With all my worldly creditors I
thoo endow."
A BOY'S HARDSHIPS."
J
It's hard Jo always bo polity. . ,t
And never ImnK tlio doom; 4; j
Ami not forfiot to tnUo my cap
Ubtht ofT'to vls-l-tors.
And whit till 1 nm.fpokon to,
Ilforo I ever speak,
It 1 did Hint Just ovcry tlmo
Why I mlRlit wait a wecJU
It's hard to let- tlio girl bo llrxt -When
enke Is pnsaed I've found
Tlio litf-Kcnt piece Is always gone,
Whon my turn comes around)
It's hard to study nil Hie tlmo,
Kxrent when I'm nt piny,
Just because I'm tfolntf to bo
Our president somo day!
GO-CART WITH SLED. RUNNERS
Construction Such That They Can De
Applied or Removed Within Very
Few Seconds,
I made a pair of runners for his go
cart Inst winter which proved qutto n
success, writes Milton atone in Sci
entific American. They were mado of
one-inch by onc;alghth:lnch' . iron, nnd
wolghed altogether six pounds. The
construction was such that they could
ho nppliod or removed In n fow sec
onds. Referring to tho accompany
ing illustration, It will bo scon that
two woodon side pieces, A, woro pro
vided, to which tho runnorB, B, woro
fastened. Tho woodon Bldo plecos
wero cut out and grooved to rccolvo
tho wheels, and tho runners woro
curved up to (It against tho front
Sled Runner Attachment for Gb-Cart&.
wheels. A U-shaped frame, C, of strap
Iron connected tho runners nt tho for-,
ward end, while thoy Voro connected
at tho rear by a socond and lower
frame, 1). Tho framo of the go-cart is
indicated by dotted linos nt E, A pair
of sliding mombcrs, 0, woro fitted
onto tho. U-frnmo, D, and attached to
a lever, P, in such manner that thoy
could bo extended ovor tho Bldo bars,
E, after tho go-cart was fitted over tho
runners. A strap, II, extending for
ward to tho frame, C, wan formod with
a hook, bo that tho lover, F, Is moved
to extend tho members, O, tho strap,
II, Is retracted,' causing the hook to
ilt over tho front cross piece, B, of
tho goenrt framo. In applying tho
runners to tho go-cart, it Is moroly
necessary to raise tho froijt wheels bo
ns to clear the sldo pieces, A, and then
mova tho cart Into position, nftor
which tho lover, F, Is moved to Jock
tho runners fast. Ono of tho advan
tages of this system is that tho run
ners at tho rear nro so short that
when tho curt Is tilted backward (ho
wheels rest on tho ground, nnd In. that
position thoy can bo wheeled ovor uny
baro spots,
AMUSING GAME OF JUMBLES
Name of 8ome Bird, Fish or Animal
May Be Selected and Confused
to Spell Other Words.
Ench person selects tho nnmo of
somo bird, fish or animal nnd quickly
jumbles tho letters so ns to spoil other
wordfl. Thus ono choosing hippopota
mus might mnko out of tho lettors
map hoop sit up; a panthor might bo-
coma hen part, while porpolso might
turn to o slro pop. Whon all aro rondy
each player may in turn rend ills "con
fusion" to tho rest of tho party, nnd
noto curofnlly how long thoy nro In
guessing. Slnco tlio ono wins whoso
puzzlo It takes longest to guess, (t Is
important to mix tho letters as much
us possible.
If preforred, Bides may bo chosen
nftor ench plycr Is ready with his
Jumblo. Tho first player on tho left
Bldo then offers his puzzlo to nil tho
players on tho right sldo to bo
guessed: Next tho off or comos from
tho first plnypr on tho right sldo to
thoso on tho loft, nnd eo on nltornnto
ly, giving each plnyor his turn. A
tlmokooper marks tho exact number
of minutes and seconds for each guess.
If thoro nro only a fow plnyors, each
may offer two or moro Jumbles, When
nil have been guessed the sldu whoso
totnl guessing tlmo Is leust Is tho win
ner, Just a Few.
On tho Fourth of July Inst year a
boy living in Loxington, Mich., sot out
to drink all tho lemonade ho wanted.
In thocourso of an hour ho drank 14
ice-cold glasses, and Hint's tho. rouson
his parents haven't got n hoy nnnicd
Frank now. it doesn't seem as if a
few glasses of lemonndo ought to hurt
a hoy, but you can't always toll.
flDO!
ply. Dogigrte will sir;
op nd beo
uui n e woni ic
" " -.if.
& sino IG LO'O
I verily ThmK hev,
should know better
Because my Dogate
Sell
ORIGIN OF THE VEGETABLES
Potato Was Not introduced Into This
Country from Ireland as Great .
Many People Suppose.
Tho potato was not, ns is generally
supposed, Introduced from Ireland. It
Wns already cultivated in America at
tho time of Its introduction into Eu
rope; but, us a matter of fact, tho real
birthplace of tho potato was In, Chile.
It was sent (o Europo In 1580 by Hue
Spaniards In Chile, and almost at the
samo tlmo tho English colonists In Vir
ginia wero the means of introducing
tho vegetable to their kinsmen at
homo.
Tho sweet potato and tho Jerusa
lem nrtlchooko aro supposed to havo
originated in America.
Turnips und radishes came in tho
first instanco from central Europe.
Tho boot-root nnd tho beet, which
haye been greatly improved by culti
vation, aro considered as the samo
ppccIcb by botanists, Tho be$t, .only
tho stalk of which Is eaten grows
wild In tho Mpdltorranoan region,
Persia and Asia, Minor.
Garlic, onions, .shalota and leeks
havo long been' cultivated iu almost
all countries, and their origin is vory
uncertain. That of tho scalllon Is hot
ter known. It grows spontaneoously
in Siborln.
Tho rndlsh probnbly had its origin
in tho tompcrato zona,- but from what
wild species It is derived is not ex
actly known.
Tlio lottuco nppearB to ho derived
from tho endive, which is found wild
In temporato and southern Europe, in
the Canaries, Algeria, Abypalnhv and
temporato western Ab!u.
Cabbago, ltko all vegetables which
havo beon cultivated from romoto
times, lu believed to bo ot.Euro'ponn
origin. " " " "
Tho artichoke Is tho cultivated form
of tho wild cardoon, Indigenous to Mu
dolrn, tho Canaries, Morocco, the
south of Franco, Spain, Italy nnd tho
Mediterranean islands. '.
Asparagus ,hud Us origin In Europo
nnd temporato western Asia.
Tho origin of tho egg plant Is India,
that of tho broad beau is (Unknown, us
also that of tho lentil, tho pea, the
check pen and haricot. Tho last
named appears to havo grown original
ly In America.
Tho carrot grows spontaneously
throughout Europo, Asia Minor,, Si
beria, northern China, Abyssinia,
northern .Africa-, Madeira andt tho
Canary islands.
ChorvM comes from toniRornto west
ern Asln, parsley ffom tho south of
Europo and Algeria, sorrel from Eu
ropo nnd northern Asia, tho mountains
of India and is nlso found in NortL
America. ,
Spinach is supposed to como, from
northern Asia.
Tho tomato comos from Peru, tho
cucumber from India and tho pumpkin
from Guinea.
SKIPPING ROPE TURNS ITSELF
Attraction for Young People at Amuse
ment Place In London Is Mechan
ical and Automatic.
This skipping rope, nn attraction for
young pcoplo at ono of tho nmusomont
places in London, Is not only mechani
cal but automatic no well. Tho ropo
Mechanical Skipping Rope.
rcvolvoa when th skipper stops upon
tho platform, this action releasing the
spring or clutch that regulates .the
mechanism. Tho fnstor tho skipper
Jumps, tho faster tho ropo revolves.
A Water Experiment.
Tako three bowls nnd stand thorn in
n row, In tho bowl at ono end pul
water as hot ns your hand cun bear, iu
tho ono nt tho other end put ico, wa
ter; In tho middle bowl, luke-warm
water.
Now, hold your right hand In the
hot water and your loft hand In tin
cold, say for a mlnuto or moro; tlies
suddenly plnco both hands In tho ktktt
warm ifatcr and notice tho effect.
It tho 0110 tested Is blindfolded, 8
good dctil of amusement will follow.