BttP-i :. ' " , EVENING PUBLIC LEDGER PHItADIlLPHIA, SATURDAY, JUNE 17, 1922 v . MATURITY ESSENTIAL IN THE IDEAL HEROINE, CONSENSUS OF LITER A R Y OPINION OF ALL TIME mm n era ft T '$ t,; 1 r " i f i Thirjty Years Chesen as Proper Age by A. Edward Newton, Agnes Rep plier and Many Playwrights, Be cause of Character Development AGE DOESN'T MATTER) BUT YOUNG LOVE IS SHALLOW, HERGESHEIMER ASSERTS r'L&:?TOlBaaaaaHUU,iwHI JSt: BaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaftaW IftVlQmVT4ValiBfffKlWfll S .aaaaaaaaaaaaaaal'HISiiPf v '' aaaJaHalHn' '',', W& VfLaaaRiaBaaaH Mfitf aLaaaattf-' s Vf tVflalAK l S .aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaK., " 'HpaaaaaaaHFrY 4 f'1 ' Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaakv X. '-VafaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaWTr.' V At left Madge Bellamy, well-known in girlish roles fMTIKV Frem Helen of Trey te the Present Day Most of the Great Feminine Figures of Drama, Seng and Story Have Been Women of Fully Developed )ers P0Wi Grew old along with me, The beat is yet te be. THUS sanjr the Peet Brewninp te radiant youth and' sober middle age, and distinguished creators of heroines agree. A national contest which was held recently gave rise te discussion of the ideal age for a heroine. In 27,000 novels and scenarios submitted, the average age of the heroine was twenty-eight. What is the ideal age for a heroine? Is the sophistication of thirty mere fascinating than the blush and bloom of eighteen? Dees the poise of the woman outshine the prettiness of the girl? These questions were asked of. several of the foremost writers and students of books. They agree, en the whole, with Browning; but they disagree with one another in many respects, A. Edward Newton, book lever, book collector and writer, and Miss Agnes Rcpplier, the essayist, say that thirty is unquestionably the best age for heroines. Dr. William I. Hull, head of the department of history at Swarth Swarth Swarth more College, cites the great her oines of history as mature women. Geerge Gibbs, novelist, dissents. A woman of twenty-three can be a heroine, he insists. And Jeseph Hergesheimer, the creator of "The Three Bad Pennys" and the recent "Cytherea," declares that any age can be interesting, in asmuch as it portrays the forces of life and reactions te these forces. It docs net matter whether the character is young or old, although he says the elder person reacts in a mere complex and interesting way. When the question of the ideal age for a heroine was put te Mr. Newton he was sitting in his office atop a machinery factory, quite dif ferent from the boekshelved rooms in which one would imagine an in tellectual companion of the great authors would be found. "I agree with Balzac," he began; 'a woman is in her prime when she is thirty. "It is only real old men like my self who fall in love with young thing3 like you," and Mr. Newton's eyes twinkled at his visitor. Older Women Cannier in the Game of Leve "The elder woman knows hew te play up te a man. In the game of love the young girl thinks only of the fun she is having; the elder woman considers the man's inten inten teonsand keeps him guessing. "Get me?" he asked with a rhuckle. "The elder woman," Mr. Newton continued, "has as much Are as the young girl, and in addition she knows hew te direct it. "A woman isn't worth hugging until she is thirty," he declared sol emnly. With tl:ls statement he turned his attention tn the pages of literature. "Shakespeare's) Juliet," he resumed, "Was very young, but Itnllnn, Cuban and Hpnnlsh girls mnture early." Jnne Austen's Emma Is Sir. New ton's favorite heroine; Becky Sharp his oeceid favorite. Ills telephone rnng; some one called te tell hlm-nbeiit a book en Bacchus. "Bacchus," Mr. Newton called jok ingly ever the wire, "has geno out of style," and he hung up the retvcr. This occasioned a new trend te the discussion. "De you think smoking and drink ing enhance, the modern woman's charm?" "Indeed net." Mr. owten replied. "Ne man really likes te see a woman drink. "Women need no superfluities te ale themselves attractive," he con cluded with jeuthful enthusiasm. Mlbs Reppller was found in her fipaitmcnt en Clinten street. The chairs find pictures of the reception room were covered with cheesecloth, defying the dust of buimncr months from the depths of their veiled security. Miss Iteppllcr confirmed her visi tor's deduction that she was going way for the summer. Hut she has n great deal of work te de yet, she snld getting together books mid notes that Plie wants te take with her. Fer this veman oiie of the foremost essnylsts e' the day never discontinues her study and research, even In the vacation months. Pointing te the books which lined In is the age of Us most enthralling hero ines'" "Most assuredly the elder women are the mere enthralling figures," Miss Ilcppcllcr answered. "Of course," she continued, "there Is the old novel of adventure In which the heroine is young because she doesn't count for anything. She Is just some body for the here te fnll In leve with. Toke, for Instance, Scott's 'Qucntin Durwnrd.' There the girl has 'black hair and eyes,' and doesn't amount te much. Development Is Vital te Nevel of Character "But in the novel of character the woman Is always elder, because years develop character. Her conversation, an Indispensable element in writing, is mere Interesting and mere varied. "Her outlook en life, based en mere experiences, both happy and tragic, is mere compelling than the simple out look of the girl. She has mere knowl edge of the world and mere knowledge of men and women. "Of course, In the novel of passion It Is the elder woman, because her pas sions ere far dceprr. "Bccky Sharp." Miss Reppller ex plained, with added zest, "begins her quest in Thackeray r 'Vanity Fair, when fihe Is young, but she gets better and better ns she becomes elder," and the essayist's blue eyes shone with real enjoyment at the thought of this hero ine. "Yeu like Becky Sharp then?" "She Is the belt heroine in fiction, I would say. She Is a real adventuress. She is possibly the very first woman in English fiction te conquer by means of bcr intellect. And nobody that has come after her quite equals her. "The heroines In the French novels nnd plays are Invariably married," said Miss Reppller, "and of course are elder women. Miss Iteppllcr was asked about American novels. The novels of Howells, she said, deal with girls. Beeth Tnrklngten, she cited, was a successful example of the author who portrays girls in IiIb stories. 'he heroine of "Alice Adams." the novel which was awarded the Pulitxer Prize this year, is just a girl. - Then Miss Reppller closed her dis cussion briefly, as is her characteristic vay after careful consideration of a subject has ena'ilcd her te form an opinion of Its p sslbllltles. "The most atl acttve thing the world has te offer,"' sh stated tn a tone thai Inspired lively anticipation of what the la tn 'thing' lie young mnrrled . "i"n f V ine DOOKS ?Mc lined the lr end of the room, under the shroud ed PilniW the rUlter asked : , h u iuib jert ei literature, what was, woman. "She Is the most attractive thing Imaginable. She Is mere assured, is much mere handsome, and has many mero Ideas. They arc fresh, refresh ingly fresh Ideas, because she has lived through mere experiences." Great Women in History Had Reached Maturity If the great heroines of fiction are elder women, what of the heroines who live in history? What, for instance, of Cleopatra, the fascinating Queen of Kgypt, who made the mighty Julius Caesar her helpless slave, and later bent the will of the famous Reman, Mark Antony, even mero completely te her will than she had that of Caesar. The fate of nations meant little te these rulers in comparison with the wish of one woman. Of Cleopatra, Shakespeare said: Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Her Inllnlte variety. The history nnd literature of ancient Egypt and Heme nre full of her irre sistible beauty and charm. Her ace was twenty-one at the time of her affair with Caesar, uml twenty three at the time of her romance with Antony. Hut Dr. Hull points out that this age Is equivalent te thirty years In northern climes, and that Cleopatra was mere than a girl hi physical and Intellectual development. In the Bible there Is Delilah, the Philistine beauty, who ensnared the mighty Samson and brought him te an untimely end. One of the most beautiful operas ever written, countless novels, poems and dramas, and ninny palntlugs and pieces of stntuary, have been inspired by her career. The Queen of Sheha enmeshed the heart of Solemon, though he had 000 wives, nnd every oue today knows of her dazzling beauty. Frem the New Testament Snleme Is remembered through all the centuries for her unsuccessful attempt te be guile Jehn the Buptlst, and for the part she took In the orgies In the Ipuiuce ei iifTeuinH. iieincr s mini, una vi me worm b greatest epics, sings of Helen of Trey, whose .matchless beauty was the indi rect cauBemf theTrefm War. 'All thuu wnmemBBrhe hava lait an tlen nnd memory of centuries, were ma ture," said Dr. Hull. He paused as he turned the pages of voluminous books of history in his study. "I should say that where women achieved greatness In history becausu of an Inspiring vision nlone they were young," he remarked. ".Tenn of Arc, for Instance, who led the French people te victory in the 100 years' war, was only nineteen. "Hypntln, the heroine of philosophy, who was stoned te death because she was the first woman te dare te enter the world of learning, was young. Women of Deeds in History Were Mature "The women whom history heralds because of their deeds rather than their visions are elder women. "Elizabeth. England's greatest queen, ascended te the throne when she was twenty-seven. Her many love affairs followed. An entlre book has been written about them. ' "Her nieit celebrated affair de ceeur, with the Duke of Leicester, whom she did net meiry because she felt her sub jeets would net tolerate the union, reached Its height when bhe was thirty. "Mme. de Pompadour, In her prime, dominated the reign of Leuis XV in France. Fer years she reigned supreme fit Versailles, the real power behind the throne. "Catherine II, Empress of Russia, called the 'Cleopatra of the North,' came te her threne when she was thirty-three. "At the sarae age, Napeleon's first wife, Jesephine, married htm." Dr. Hull closed the history books and said : "Kemain history celebrates the matrons. Cernelia Is the proverbial Ideal of Reman womanhood. When a newly rich lady came te see her, be decked in costly robes. Cernelia called her two sons nnd said: 'These arc my two jewels. "American history celebrates the women of deeds: Betsy Ress. Barbara Frltchle, Susan B. Antheny, Lucretla Mett, Frances Wlllard, Harriet Beecher btewc. "It is the woman of deeds, whether ncr deeds ere the result of strengtb of mind or fascination of person, who ap pears en the pages of history, and that Is why history Is peopled with elder women lnstend of mere girls." Frem Swarthmere the seeker nfter knowledge went te the University of Pennsylvania. In the psychology laboratory she found Prof. E. B. Twitmyer. "De young men prefer elder women?" he was besought. "Men don't llke women of any one age," Prof. Twitmyer answered. "Men like women with ideas. If young girls have Ideas men like them "I'll tell you something," the psy chologist went en, confidentially, "when the boys here nt Pennsylvania have a special dauce or prom they send home for their girls, nnd often these girls nre very plain and unattractive In appearance, but when you talk te them you find they nre sensible and at tractive te boys who are thoughtful. "Beys in their inner consciousness leek upon girls in the light of their ideal of full-grown womnnheod. "Men llke women with Ideas but very few young girls have ideas." New the theatre I Surely the stagn Is the place where 3011th Is at a premium. Heroines of Successful Plays Thirty Years Qld or Mere A critic of the theutru reviewed a list of the recent plajs. Fifteen of the most successful w-cre found te have heroines of thirty years or mere. "Wuko Up, Jonathan," in which Mrs. Flske played "Dcelussce" with Ethel Barrymore In the lending role; "Only Thirty-eight," with Mary Rynnj "The Czarina," with Deris Kcanc these were all built around women of mature age. "The Famous Mrs. Fair" centered about a woman of forty. "The Uriuul liuke" had two leading ladles, a girl and the mother of this girl's sweetheart. The niethur was un- (UPHuannjiy tne mero attractive. She was uwaru ei me ceuiuct of forces, nnd faced them. The girl, unconscious of the everlasting Imprint j n the imftftin' iKrBV'r " R -'rt'; ' tt' 2H 'V 'T'''"' '''-'ivfB' ' '''T'' PHaVJaaaw BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBHBBBBBBBBBBVBBBBR''''l ""TBBBBaBiBBBBFf&yTlaBWaaSaaM3HaBBBglBBMaBaBBBBB ' SBBBBBBBBKB' 1 BBBBBBIBmBHbbBbTbV' MtIS "V''Mf. M -'bIbBbHbHs1BBBbH lCrrSnBBBBBBBlBSEInVSkf I IBknBHBK 11' 1. t,' 'dCKkt'27KHBBBaBnBBWaBBBBBV N-)WlKi'9BBBBBBKBraK : BBaV ' WBIbBm!bHWH -&. 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' Jav "'E-bbbbbbI bbbH Ikt :BBBflBBKBirBx& -;SBP aBBBBf ' yBBF BWaBnBBBBl FjaTaWSKV'W-'.SBTaTI? v' "iaTSaWrvK V"""B BbbbbYbbkW $ p3 ieBfiaKcVR JbbF , bWbbvbh BBBM I SBBBBK ' ft "FjHHP BW"' ' ' BBS'BBBK BBB. .BBBBBBBBk i fcrMiliaBaBBSBBP Jbk- A ' bbbbbbfbbbw aIbb bbbbbbbf bbbp h, AvTTBlBHr"i" 'BfP.''aBBBVBBBBBBW - - 'wV- ' ' "ffllti ' -'-'ii if iiiiBBWMBBBT- compllcatleiiH In the llfe immediately annum hit, iiiprriy ll puppet. Ill "Bleed and Hand," the vnmplre was a woman In her thirties. "Intimate .Strangers" showed Blllle Burke believing that her nnw.frum.i lever would full for her snnnuv mum. niece, but nhe lenrned In the end Hint her own developed character had full claim en his heart. "The Clrcle" "Enter Madame," ",The Varying here.'.' none of thtse is a play about a young girl. WHa mintfnn. It iiT .. m..i.j With the woman, of thirty tb,, Ideal j heroine. The quest for the heroine appeared at an end. With such thoughts the investigator lifted the knocker en the studio deer of Mr. Glbbs. writer and nrtist, author of 'Tellow Deve," "Gelden Bough," and ether novels. The deer opened Inte a room where this gentleman was pnlnting the likeness of a beautiful girl. He listened te the first question with poised brush, "The minimum limit for the age of a heroine 1b twenty-three," he suld. This was Interesting! "Be you think a girl of that age can be a heroine?" "Absolutely," Mr. Glbbs answered. "Te be sure, some of the heroines in my books are younger than twenty three seme are eighteen. But that Is net because I prefer women of that age, but because they fitted Inte the scheme of things In the books at the time. "NevellBts have phases. They study different aspects of life at different times. The flapper has been a passing phasa in American life, nnd the nove list, Inasmuch as he should record life and history, should record the flap per in his novels. "Youth has asserted Itself since the war, and Its Independence Is thoroughly Interesting." Mr. Glbbs rose from his chair, turned a couple of pictures and wnlked back te his canvas. Leaning evor the hulf finlshed picture, he mused: "Life is llke nrt. Peeple decry all the new fads in painting, but they have a tiemcndeus effect en art. Thcsu fads, though they psn away as distinct entities. Introduce; color nnd life Inte art. The linpper has done just tills thing in life." Mr. Gibbs does net bclleve In "the business" of fascination for n woman. He thinks that charm and fascination uru part of a well-rounded life, but thnt the Ideal woman is oue who at tends te her home nnd famlll-. His favorite heroine In literature At Lernu Deene. Again he was seated In his chair, this tlnie In a medltaflve mood. "I don't fee hew any ene can say that any age will make the enduring heroine," he said. "I de believe that the girl makes ritetter' heroine than the elder woman. vr;" ,BuWfrtucienXt.etrrjr,Wi Lila Lee, over flowing with vitality of the 'teens ' ';'nlEp t lakh wd umx3 Mary Garden as Cleopatra romance ; brains nre necessary, tee. Bnt girls have brains, ns they showed in tha way they tackled tasks during the war." Paramount Issue Is Reaction te Life Mr. Hergesheliuer disagrees with all the protagonists of an ideal age for n heroine. He does net believe the age is eighteen, or thirty. In sbnrr. ha says en individual n an lndiwdual in a book dues net interest him. Only ns rne individual reacts te the forces of life Is he or she interesting te him. He discussed the question nt his home at West Chester, where his lively dogs romped en the lawn, where charm ing friends were gathered in the living room, nnd where the quiet of n deeply cushioned den, looking ever the hill which flepen te the read, gives retreat for meditation. "I am .just as much Interested Is any one woman in my books ns in another, he said. "Any character has her plnce in a book. The question of a herolne Is a different matter. De you knew what 'heroine' means? he asked. nnd stepped abruptly in his pacing up nnd down befere the fireplace. t. "A,J"70lnc"'" he pursued. "Is net the chief character in the book, but the one who conquers In the end. Anna Kareulna is an ernmple of that "All geed honks nie fatalistic. 'The woman does net conquer n the end: llfe conquers life N the heroine' "Diana of the Cressys might hn called n heroine, but It is u cool use of a heroine. "Life it,. Innser is n matter of get ting married nnd having children " Thru lid net require much discussion, ".New the whole thing, even love, has been elevated te the plane of an art. It takes a long while te express these things. Therefore, elder women with mere conscious feeling are mere chnrmliig. Youth Incapable of Real Leve, Says Hergcsheimer "Leve in a jeunc person U r,finni.i clasR of girls under twenty Is vir uully uniform. 'J'hev full ln'ln.. .i net nccei.liiig te Instinct Individual directive force develops after twentv. "A young person fnlln in lvn i.',. ewini; te the faulty economic conditions of the picseiit day she cannot mnrry. the eung fellow whom t,hc loves. And w, ui" iiiiiiiiiu 11 uiiectcu ns n teuii pernry thing, and becomes artificial, t" "Don't jeu thing se?" Mr. Hergesi helmet' added In n characteristic way," ns he stepped short te punctuate tbs emphatic Indictment which he had placed en our economic organization Mr. Hergeshelmer arrnn hlmiui! firmly against the idea of a wemsij "plnlng up te a man." "s- "That Is vulgar," he snld. "Flna" people don't de It. Fine people want te Improve themselves for these they, love, but they de net de this ethe thing." Thejj, In conclusion, Mr. Ilcrges- "Yeung people nre Interesting as'V whole In that they show group reac tion te fercci. llut elder women ar' mero interesting becnuse they show in dividual reactions- which have grewa our hi n ricner experience) of life. ' "The difference between the girl arid the elder woman," said Mr. Herges helmer. pointing a finger straight g his visitor, "is the difference betWMft a penny whistle nnd w twe-htraeui I?". Otar tH, IM UAXtftSita. . A 9 ;1 -W i in Si W R ...... .. .." . . . k v&MVtS&t&llaM i.uk, VV S. 'lV XWjWH . t. . it '??;? !h. &3 && Mt ,lS