"EVERYWOMAN."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1330, 6 January 1912, Page 10

"EVERYWOMAN."

WHERE MAN PHILOSOPHISES. It is hardly to bo cxpccted that women generally will find themselves. in sympathy. or agreement with Mr. Walter JJrowno's philosophy of life as expounded in "Kverywomau," the modern morality play now being presented. at tho Theutro Royal (says a writer in' the Melbourne "Argus"). When ho wrote tho .play, the author prefaced it with a littlo nolo in which, amongst other things, ha .- says:—"To every woman Who nowadays.' listens to flattery, goes in.quest of love, and openly lays siege (x> the hearts of men, this-.play may provide a kindly warning." Every woman, of course,' listens to flattery. . Indeed, it is tho opinion of most women that 'there is not' nearly enough flattery in these days. Men seem to have lost the art, or ths . 'trick, or whatever it was, of saying inipossibly, nice things to women in a con-' vincing manner.- The most that any, beauteous young thing can expect from a' young man nowadays is, "liy Jove, you . do look stunning!" And there is nothing ' in that to set a woman's heart fluttering or send her blushing to her mirror. Everywoman, in Mr. Browne's play, fouud flattery in her mirror. But no real woman ever finds it there. Mirrors are truthful, whatever else may lie. They reproduce with a cold scientific exactnesswhich is sometimes most annoying. Is Home the Best Place? All women, too, go in quest of lov«,' and lay siege to the hearts of. men. No. woman docs it openly. Perhaps no woman does it consciously. The women who seem. to do it openly are probably those who really trouble ' themselves least about • men's hearts. But all women, whether, they know it or not, go in quest of love. And to them Mr. Browne's advice • ob-,' viously is "Stay at home." His Everywoman, like most modern women, finds homo too cramping. She is eager, im- ■ patient; she must be out and doing. And. speedily she finds herself in tho playhouse, a star of the first magnitude. Sn». seems to have known something of play« houses before, in tho days of ner young, innocence, for she is aware that, i). Modesty is to go with her, that younj. person must bo "smuggled in." ■ Modesty. is "smuggled in," • but she is not long allowed to stay there. She is torn away • from tho clinging arms of Youth and Beauty, and kept secure in chains. This may be true enough, though probably not one woman on the stage would bo found to admit it. And they ought to know. Passion then tempts Everywoman, but the memory of Modesty enables her to know him for what ho is. Then sho is attracted by Wealth. Some women would, of course, be attracted by wealth. But this, is Everywoman, and Wealth appears in his most repulsive aspect. Everywoman has been well brought up. Her old' homo was austorely beautiful, chaste in its simplicity. Modesty was one of licr constant companions. Nobody invaded tho sanctity and security of her, house. Sho is young, and in quest or love.' To such as her only beauty orstrength in masculine form could ever, appeal.

When All Things Fail. To the natural woman wealth, aa. . wealth, makes no appeal. It is the beauty - and the power that it can buy that givo< it force. 'And therefore the Wealth ofthe play should have been young andhandsome, generous, open-handed, strong. However, Everywoman is not won. And in tho satisfaction of her ambition, and the gratification-of her.desire for world-, ly pleasures, Beauty, who has clung to her-up till now; dies. .When dies/t -thoughtYouth'' remains,- Every.;; woman finds herself neglected. Sh6 soon grows poor. Her attempt to recapture. Wealth is vain. Then. Youth,- too, dies, and she is indeed alpne. Nobody is her ~ friend. She meets and recognises 1 ruth, and by tho advice and guidance of Truth she turns her steps again to tho simplehome of her youth, and there, on her, own hearthstone, she finds Love, whom she went out to seek. How far does, all this "jump with" what we know of lifo? Tlioso of us who are not philosophers cau only really test a theory, of lite by applying it to the facts of our own experience 'and knowledge. Everywoman. . finds Love only when-Youth and Beauty are both - dead, when Modesty has been - reft from her; and she finds him at her . owii' fireside'. And this Love, whom sho, has sought so long,, is not mere domestio ' affection,' or platonic lovo, or anything of that sort. He is King Love, the lovo for whom Every womjui'6 heart luis yearned. An illusivo Imp. Not all women, in real life, find KinS. Love. But probably fewer women find him at tho fireside than find him any. where else. Some find him in the playhouse; some find him in the palaces-of . ■ wealth! some have even found him'on the "gav white way." Ho knows no fixed . abiding place, and even Mr. Browne's efforts will not tio him to the domestio." hearthstono. Nor is ho blind to youth and beauty. More often, than not they are tho friends who bring him to tha mistress of his soul. He lingers, it is true, when they are led. But no seldom waits to come till they are gone. And' so long as women find liim who are young,, and beautiful, so long as lie-chooses theplayhouse of tho mart, the ocean or tho ■ highway, tho palace or the' cottage, indifferently l'or his dwelling-place, so longwill women seek him where ho may bofound. Too man)- matchless women havo hugged tho fireside all their lives; toomany good and worthy souls have lost the better nart through being over-domes.' ticated. King Love is masculine. His eye must be caught ero his heart bo won; tiie snares snrcad for him must be bright and alluring. Oneo caught, the mere domestic virtues help to hold him fasti' but thev will-never servo to-catch him. • And every woman knows it, whatever Mr, AVaiter Broivno may say.