The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 22, 1903, Page 6

THE SUNDAY CALL. ERHAPS this may seem to be a change of tune after unbur- Gening my spirit of the opinion of wo- men who are not appreciated, when there ere Jjust as many who never ap- preciate any efforts in their behalf. To stick to one’s colors is as great a virtue as charity, yet there is no harm in flinging these colors In the direction where they will most likely catch the full force of the breeze, -displaying them in all their un- wonted brillianc There are many women whose souls are about as cold as the fish on ice that is a part of a cafe’s window exhibit in the tik modern literary woman is no blue stocking. Her day is over and done with, forever, I hope. If you ever looked up the word “blue stocking” in the Century Dictionary you found that it w a s “originally used In derision or contempt, implying a neglect cn the part of i wo- men of their domes- tic Quties or a de- parture from their sphere.” " the idea which was once oclated with them, 4 the fashion of being a blue stoc ing was a prevalent Not only were really liter- women of that stamp, but many who d no literary talent whatever affected WAS born in Nor- way, I eled all rope, and California pretty thoroughly, and I don’t think there a place in the world that can ecual the Yosemite for inspi- ration to an artist This is not an old prejudice, born of sentiment or habit It was a conc that I reached oniy four years after 1 had done my travelir led a years, ) the charm of another 1 there was no ful fervor inexperience. My have trav- over E I know ago many outh- h & appet goes with ARLY every one has noticed a rela- tion between his last waking thoughts and his dreams, but few people realize the effect of these thoughts u p o n character. One who has been through a great sorrow knows the haunting sense of trouble that contin- ues during sleep, and upon awaken- ing has felt the welght of anguish return, even befors remembering its cause; another, per- chance, has discov- ered that an amus- ing anecdote or tale slecep in & pleasant Copyright, 182, by D. T. Plerce. HE games of ping- pong and table ten- nis, excepting for one or two trifiing differences in the rules, are identical. The rules that fol- low are roughly those of the Table Tennis Assoclation, under which most of the Important tournaments have been played. The table must bes rectangular, 9/feet in length and § feet in width, and the playing surface 2 feet 6 inches above the floor. The play- ing surface should be of a darkgreen color, and there must, be a white fishing season, whose eyes, no matter what you do for them, give you back a !d, fishy stare in lieu of a hearty “thank you,” and If the fish could shrug its poor ice-cold fins on its clammy, scaly ehoulders it would be rather a prototyps of the woman's gushing manner of show- ing her appreciation. When a woman gets to the fish-on-ice stage it is about time that she should be put in cold storage, to be kept for another and better world; but, unfortunately, we have to worry along with these cold, fishy propositions until we are often frozen out through sympathy or disgust. The cold, economical woman who scents reckless extravagance in the most ordin- ary comforts of life is the woman who sees a woeful, willful waste In every In- dulgence, and the misery of it all is such that a woman is often mated with a man who enjoys every good thing iff this life, with everything else thrown in. The average man takes delight in see- ing a woman appear well, and considers it a personal compliment to himself when she does. In fact, many men otherwise honorable will become rogues even, or Lareiess ar and negiect of home in a vain endeavor to become literary by wearing the badge of the trade. But the whole pose 1s worn out now. Everybody is tired of it. The women who write nowadays are charming, just as other women are. They have learned that there is neither virtue nor reward in not being so. They have learned that it does not aid their writing 1o sit down at their desks with uncombed hair, and that they can produce quite as B a quality of poetry after mending their husband's garments as before. Their children no longer wail for the forgotten bread ‘and milk while mother turns out an essay on the proper rearing of the young. While the old type was in favor a woman thought she had to belong to it In order to convince people that she could write. She had to be mannish to prove that she was capable of what was con- sidered man’'s work. Perhaps the tradi- tional prejudice agalnst women In the profession of letters was to blame for the sad results. Whether It was the fault of the women or their readers, at any for scenery had had a chance to become blase if an artist’s appetite ever could do so. It was at this point that the Yo- semite came upon me as something new and more wonderful than anything I had ever known. Four years ago, when my Wife and I were ¢ ssing plans for the summer, she proposed the valley to me. “You have been there,” she said. *“Why not it thing that all travelers se I agreed, and it was in that rted out—merely to improve my Californian education. I had no idea of what awaited me. 1 went for two weeks, and I more than doubled the length of time before I left. Then, when Mrs. Jorgensen asked what spot 1 chose for the following year, 1 told iier that nothing could ever induce me to g0 to any other spot. I believe that there is no such Inspira~ tion in the world. I believe, too, that it has pever been painted and never can be. Perhaps th&t has something to do with fas fon—the futility of every at- is a frame of mind and hanish the cares of day from his dreams, while another, by deter- mining to arise at a certain hour, can waken without the clatter of an alarm clock. The last impression we receive before going to sleep continues during that pas- sive condition, and will as surely leave its mark upon our character as will a seal set upon soft wax. Why this is so we can more clearly comprehend if we understand the dual na- ture of the mind. ‘We look to hypnotism to prove this du- ality. Here we see that the power of sug- gestion during induced sleep is able to change evil habits, which are caused by the emotional side of our nature, and cures diseases which destroy our physical being, but suggestion does not affect our reasoning faculties. Those faculties which control our emo- tions and the vital forces of our body— the intultive faculties—never sleep, while the reasoning faculties are active during our wz ‘ng hours only. line three-quarters of an Inch wide round the edge. The net should be made of green gauze with & white band half an Inch in depth along the top, and should be 6% inches in height, and placed across the middle of the table parallel with the ends. T net posts must be upright, situated 6 inches outside the side lines on each side. The ball should be cellulold, white, not less than 4 inches or more than 4% inches in circumference and not less than 2.4 grams or more than 2.7 grams in weight; eleven balls should weigh an ounce (avoirdupois). Racquets—The circumferential measure- ment of the head, including width at its junction with the handle, must not ex- ceed 20% inches. The head of the racquet s considered to begin where the width across its junction with the handle meas- ures 1% Inches. Racquets can be made o1 any material as long as non-reflective. The cholce of sides or service has to be tossed fof. The winner of the toss can either take first service, or whichever scoundrels of deepest dye, not that they may enjoy personally when very often they care little, but that they may lavish on the woman whom they love. Prison records abundantly prove this. A man who really cares for a wife and is anxious that she should appear well can hardly understand when he finds himself mated with a woman who shows no appreciation of the dainty femininities that go so far to make up a woman's charm. A man who loves pretty tHings and dainty surroundings is jarred and re- puised by the woman who classes such things as useless, frivglous or worse. The man who in his pride sees some pretty thing he fancles his wifa will like or be glad to receive buys it with a feel- ing of intense satisfaction, and pictures to himself her delight and surprise when he shall Iay in her hands his purchase. On his arrival home he displays ft with so much compldcency until he encounters his wife’s stare, and then he feels as if a quart of ice water were slowly trickling down his spine, prolonging the agony. She looks at it with what-a-fool-a-man- rate, fortunately, the up-to-dace lierary woman is a different being. Nowadays you wihl find that the woman who writes is a charming hostess in her hours away from the desk. There is Mrs, Thompson-Seton for Instance. Her din- ners are one of the delights of those privileged to attend. She is an ideal host- ess. She khows the art of entertaining from A to Z. She sees no disloyalty to the art of letters in having a delightful home and being charming to those she recefves in fit. You will find that the up-to-date woman writer cares for dress in a deliclously feminine way. Mrs. Riggs, who is known to her readers as Kate Douglas Wiggin and was so known to San Francisco, is one of the best dressed women in New York. She has genuine style and her gowns are smart in themselves, while she knows how to wear them besides. She is not above—or beneath—making herself a delightful picture. So vou will find that in almost every case the literary woman is as agreeable to look upon as her sister in society. Nor is she far removed from her in customs. tempt. Month after month T ‘work there, feeling at every trial that T have caught some secret now, some trick by which I can capture and hold to my canvas a long wooed effect, but it always eludes me. The sublimity of the place is something that man is too small to reproduce, That is the keynote of its power—sub- limity. To aim at painting its grandeur is to aim at the greatest that exists, Sure- Iy this is the best thing an artist can do. He will never reach the goal, but he has hitched his wagon to a star. Color effects are wonderful though T there, al- do mnot believe that they excel some others. The Yellowstone may be jeven more remarkable in that respect. But nowhere can soch a sense of immen- sity be felt as in and around the valley and that is the greatest need that an ar- tistic nature has. If the inspiration to do great things be kept alivehen the labor is well started on its way to achievement. It would be hard to say at what time of vear the landscape painter will find the best opportunities for study ' I have 1he emotions eare easily Influenced by suggestion. Appeals to a man's emotions will find response much more readily than appeals to his reason, though he may not be willing to admit it. This fact has been expressed in the famihar couplet: A man, convinced against his will, 1s of the same opinion still. You can usually stop a tirade against some person by suggesting to thbe in- censed talker that the abused individual cares for him. Though reason be on the side of anger, yet love will overbal- ance {t. Mankind is swayed by various emo- tions—love and hatred, generosity and greed—but the emotion which predom- inates determines one's actions, and in time establishes his character. Character bullding, then, is fixing emo- tions Into habits; and this {s done by sug- gestions, offered repeatedly and in differ- ent ways. Children are almost purely emotional, stheir reasoning facultles are not devel- oped. They are gulded and controlled by slde he prefers; should he take service, then his adversary takes cholce of sides, or vice versa. The winner of the toss can if he prefers it, however, require his op- ponent to make first choice. The *“server” is the player who first strikes tha ball over the net and the “striker out” is the term applied to his opponent who returns it. The service changes after each five serves, viz.: the server after he has made five serves becomes striker out and the striker out then becomes the server. After every ten serves the players change sldes. To be a correct service the ball must be struck by the racquet when held in the hand; should the server, when endeavor- ing to strike the ball,. miss it, it is no serve; ehould, however, he touch the ball with his racquet the service shall have been deemed to have been delivered. Should he not succeed'in hitting the ball over the net, or should he hit it out of court, it counts a point to his adversary. The server when striking the ball must keep all parts of the racquet except the can-make-of-himself expression, when ha shrivels up to the size of an ordinary walnut and wonders what on earth made him make such a fool of himself. If she accentuates the fish-on-ice stare by say- ing, “You know I didn't want that thing,” he wants to go out and hide him- self untdl he 1s fished out by some other woman who can be a little bit warmer on provocation. No one will deny that there are many men who ds not appreciate their wives, but I think 1t is a toss-up largely in favor of men who are not appreciated by their wives. > There are men who scold and scold about a wife's economy, and yet these women would feel themselves most awful- Iy abused if the man seriously started in with an economy riot act. A man will often buy his wife a handsome gown which she will let lie for months without even going to the trouble of having it made. Women are sometimes so econom- ically bent that they would wear a cheap wrap when their husband would gladly in- duige in something very much hand- somer. She goes into society, too, as much as her labors will permit, and she behaves like other people. She does not seek to attract attention to herself by behaving in a freakish fashion. She has plenty of womanly charms. She has as much tact and vivacity and love of amusement as others. The fact that she has brain in no way Interferes with her having a good time. She has come to look upen her brain as a ‘useful article, but not a bur- den to be carrled too seriously. I belleve that the woman who makes lierature her profession should endeavor to broaden herself in every way possible. She cannot write of life unless she knows something of it. She ought to meet peo- ple, new. people, to avold rusting. There {s danger in a rut. She cannot write without” plenty of fresh, vivid ideas to draw upon. She must go into soclety to some extent if she is to understand human nature. She cannot learn any- thing about people by living the life of a recluse. Of course, it would be impossible to write it she took up soclety in the vio- lent way that the typlcal soclety woman dces, for there would be no time nor spent my recent years there, going as early as the meliting of the snow permit- ted and returning when the next snowfall drove me out. Last year I laid in supplies and stayed all the winter through. It was the happiest winter I ever spent. But 1 should say that the autumn, if it is pos- sible to make any choice, would be the best time for the painter. Then he will find the rocks and peaks same as at any other time and an increased wealth of color be- The foliage turns red there, as it does in cur Easlern States, and there comes to be a glory of color that the painter is almost afraid of. When it is painted correctly it looks like exaggeration. There is no other time of year when the colors can equal these and they are warth studying. But in the spring there are the flowers, with their delicate tints, and these are still an- other inspiration to the brush. In fact, vou cannot find a_time when there is not gnore to be painted than you could accom- vligh in a lifetime. <n the painter going their emotions; they obey either through fear of punishment or in expectation of reward, though it be but the loving smile of approval; nor have they yet learned the higher emotion, thg reward of an ap- proving consclence. Being ‘emotional, children are therefore remarkably susceptible to suggestion; they are as clay in the hands of the potter; hence habits for good or evil are easily formed in childhood. ’ It is not advisable to put before chil- dren pictures of wrong-doing, even when the moral points to disaster. They are apt to mistake bravado for bravery, or through curiosity desire to try the experi- ment, A small child, whose attention was called to some *bad boys walking through all the mud and water to be found in the street,” followed heir example at.the first opportunity, exclaiming, ‘“Me’s hav- in' a dood time, des like 'ose bad boys!” Positive fmpressions are stronger than negative ones. If you wish to break a child of some habif, or to change a bad trait of his character, do not preach against the falling, but make him in love handle below the level of his walst and his racquet must be within the side lines of the table if produced and behind the end of the table, The server must strike the ‘ball over the net into the opposite court without Its touching any object from the moment it leaves his racquet until it has struck the playing surface of the table on his opponent’ l{lda of the net. ? The ball is in play from the moment it leaves the server's racquet (unless the serve was a ‘“let;”” viz., touched the net) until one of the players makes a bad stroke or a mistake, such as hitting the ball outside the limits of the table or into the net, volleying the ball, hitting the ball more than once consecutively himself, hitting the ball on the second bounce or allowing the ball to touch any part of his clothes or person vertically above or over the table, missing: the ball alto- gether, touching the net or post with his racquet or person while the ball is In play, putting his free hand on the table at the moment of making a stroke, or if, after he has struck the ball with his racquet, and before it hits the table, it A woman hates a stingy man and a man who Is inclined to be so Is often more selfish than stingy. He wants to lavish all that he can command on himseif. The stingy man that the woman so hates is not so prolific in the long run as the man who simply spends every cent of his in- come and would spend very much more were he able to command it. When such & man is met In his home by a continuous tirade anent his extravagance small won- der s it If he grows to dread his home and becomes selfish, or seemingly so, in consequence: Women in the ordinary walks of life take a melancholy delight fin posing as martyrs. Women often do very much more in the way of household duties or seamstress work than the husbands wish or require, and then complain of being so , dead tired when in reality they have only themselves to blame and are more disa- greeable than fatigued. There ts a graciousness of manner that a woman of tact and good breeding should always display on the receipt of any gift, whether from husband. father or members of the household. While a stiength left. But it must be indulged In to some extent. Travel is another thing needed. It is another phase‘of the broadening process. The world s not all alike. If you stay in one corner of it you soon grow to think that you can judge it all from what you Know of that one corner. Bigotry is near at Mand. It is time to set out in search of knowledge. The more travel the better. It would be impossible to overdo it, pro- vided it is taken In the right spirit, for the sake of learning. As for study, the kind that comes with books, it would be hard to make a gen- eral rule. Of course, 1t depends largely upon the kind of writing that Is to be ta: ken up. A falr education is necessary. But there is danger of going to far in the matter of book learning. It may, in the end, prove death to indlviduality. And that means death to any real writing. The litéerary woman must look to her physical health. Writing 1s very tiring. After the four hours of morning work that I glve to it I am tired from head to foot. Some good out-of-door exercise 1s there can be sure of having no search for subjects. There is no hour of the day that I have not tried painting there, and all in all I should say that the hours just before and just after sunset furnish the most won- derful pictures. There is always a sol- emnity and sacredness about the twilight hour and the sunset that seems best adapted to the greatness, the majesty, of the scenes. Bverything is calm then. The colors are marvelous, too. Nothing in the world can be as_wonderful as the sunset light upon Half Dome. It seems at a cer- tain moment to be a real ball of fire. This is no poetical similé, but a literal state- ment. It is an effect that cannot be sat- {sfactorlly rendered on canvas and it tantalizes one with its elusive quality. There is a blue of distant pines below Cathedral Spires that I put in a painting, and now that I have it done I believe that it is not strong enough after all. And yet it is so intense that your first im- pression is of its being very much over- dene. This is true of many color effects with the desired virtue. Do not preach against cruelty, but tell interesting tales of kindness and generosity. Teach hon- esty and tegrity in the same way. Never tell’a child that he is bad. If he receives that impression, bad he believes himself to be without receiving a stimu- lus to be good. He may feel sad about it. but he is apt to be either hopeless or de- flant. Instead, tell him to be good and point him definitely to the way. Give al- ways pure and lofty thoughts for his spiritual growth. “Hitch” his pedal “wagon to a star.” A parent or teacher with a high ideal can draw a chlld up- ward till he will not fall far short of the goal. No one without such an ideal should have the care of children, for the little ones are. close observers and imita- tors, and often receive suggestions not intended and surprise us by putting them into practice. Parents who deceive one another cannot expect to have a truthful child. If a suggestion be given to a child +Jjust before he goes to sleep it will re- main in his mind during the night and hits any object other than any part of his opponent that is vertically over the table, or his opponent’s racquet, or the net, or either post. To volley & ball is to hit the ball when in play before it has touched the playing surface of the table. Under no circum- stances is volleying allowed and conse- quently all strokes, except ghe act of serving, must be made off the Tirst bounce of the ball. Should the server in serving touch the net with the ball, this is called a “le and counts as nothing, the server hav ing another serve for it. Should the server's opponent not be ready when he has served, or should either player be im- peded in any way by bystanders or pre- vented from returning the ball by some accident, a “let" can be claimed and it means that the particular stroke or strokes count as nothing and have to be played over again. The server wins a point if his adver- eary volley the service or fall to return the service, or if he return the service so that the ball drops on any object out- side the limits of his opponent’s court. gift often embodies a disappointment to the reciplent, yet having been offered and selected with much care it Is a still greater disappointment to the donor who has trled so hard to please and yet who finds the gift far from fliling the expecta- tion of the reciplent. To spare one's feelings is the accentua- tion of good breeding and a woman should show her appreciation, or rather satisfac- tion, of the intention that prompted the courtesy. Women are c“*sn to blame when a hus- band grows cold or negligent of what she considers her due, and it 1s this want of apprectation underlying her manner that does more than anything else to cool a man’'s ardor even in the early stages of married life. A woman blessed in her environment, comfortable in her surroundings, and well provided for, often lays Mttle stress on the full meanings of the blessings of the atmqsphere about her. She takes it too much as a matter of course that she has these things, which, were circumstamces changed, she would sadly miss the best relation. Without it the phy cal health suffers and the mental health follows suit. So the writer of to-day possesses a sound mind In a sound body. She is per- sonally attractive, womanly, unaffected. She is a companion to both men and wo- men. She is so much like the rest of her sex that you could never tell her from them—in fact, she is entirely one of them and the dividing line no longer exists, 1 have been asked what I thought of women's clubs. I don't see that they have anything to do with the question of liter- ature one way or the other. That is, club life can neither make nor mar a writer. Personally, I do not belong to any but the Barnard Club of New York, which is a purely social organization of men and women together. I have never been espe- clally interested in the study of clubs. I have attended more here during my visit to San Francisco than ever before, and I have had delightful times in them, too. But I don’t make a business of them, and as for suffrage—Iit seems to be on its way to us, things points that way; but I am in no hurry to vote. there, but on the whole the coloring is not the greatest temptation to the artist. It is the grandeur, the immense size of everything. The Cathedral Spires make one go at his work with a sense of it be- ing a religious ceremony. If the artist and his easel could be ar- ranged so as to. revolve together they might safely do so at any given spot in the valley, and they could not miss a picture at any point in the revolutiop. There is nothing within sight that is nét a picture. This Is true of no other place to the same degree. In other picturesque Jocalities you have to pick and choose. In the Yosemite subjects are thrown away lavishly. The colors of the rocks themselves change very little during the year. One would think that their constancy ought to make them easy to paint. But they are as difficult subjects as one can find in all nature, chiefly because of the difficulty of suggesting the huge size on a canvas, which is relatively so small at most. make a deeper impression than if given in the daytime, when it is likely to be overwhelmed by the flood of various sug- gestions that are poured in upon a child during waking hours. But sorrow and fear stunt both body and mind; and happiness is necessary for proper physical and mental growth. It is therefore of the first importance that chil- dren should be happy when put to bed. The poor little child who is sent off sob- bing over some fault or mistake bears the burden of shame or disapproval through- out the night, and awakens depressed and dispirited, His last Impression should be of the love expressed In his mother’s fond kiss. Love carries with it a wondrous sense of compantonship and protection. It is, to the little child, through the dark hours of the night, like the presence of God and all good angels. A most commendable custom is the old- fashioned one of Bible reading and prayers before retiring. It cultivates rev. erence and an earnest desire to do right. The striker-out wins a point if the server makes a bad service (viz., strikes the ball into the net or outside the court) or fails to return the ball In play, or returns it so that it drops on any object outside his cpponent’s court. Either player loses a stroke if the ball when in play touches any part of himselt whicH 1s vertically over the table, if he prevent the ball from falling ipto its proper court by any part of his person even if not vertically over the table, if he volley the ball, if he touch either net or posts with racquet or person while the ball is in play, if he touch the ball more than once consecutively while in play, if he have h%s free hand on the table while the ball is in play, or If after he has struck it the ball hits same object other than any part of his opponent that is vertically over the table, or his op- ponent's racquet or the net or either post. it is advisable when playing a match, though not absolutely necessary, to have an umpire. His decisions must be abided by, but if there is a referee, any matter relating to the laws of the game may be submitted to him.