Daisy X's Wicked "G" String

Captures Playful Poet

Drinkwater now Sips Nectar with Daisy, Deserting his Faithful Wife

Pianist Moiseiwitsch Laments His Little Fiddler, But is Given Custody Of Children

If it is legitimate for a preacher to use the saving clause "Do as I say, not- as I do," then perhaps the same liberty is permissible to a poet-playwright Who (like John Drinkwater) writes of the higher life-— and does not live it. At' the same time, the world always gets something of a shock when its intellectuals show it a bad example. Not everyone accepts the philosophy that a pedlar makes a better husband than a poet. So the double dissolution of the Drinkwater marriage and the Moiseiwitsch-Daisy Kennedy marriage must be. regarded as an artistic erash — a discord of piano* and viohn brought about by a more or less tiinefuT lyre. "Not often has poetry produced such* a disaster m the sister arts. Many thousands of New Zealanders will remember the playing of the pianist Moiseiwitsch and the violinist Daisy Kennedy, and their interesting personalities, now matrimonially sundered. Daisy Kennedy toured New Zealand some years before Moiseiwitsch and. was lionised (or lionessed) by society. Many other New Zealanders will know Drinkwater through the product of his pen. The real tragedy seems to be that of Mrs. Drinkwater,. and the Moiseiwitsch little girls, ordered by the Court to pa-ss from Daisy's custody to that of Pa Moiseiwitsch. One of these kiddies is a talented child harpist. ' • : v-

A sensation m London is the crash of two artistic married couples. Mrs. John Prinkwater obtained a divorce from lier husband (the well-known j author; poet, and playwright of hisr torical dramas) on the ground of his i adultery . with ,an unnamed .woman; { and the unnamed wciinan became | known when Mr. Benno Moiseiwitsch. ! the Russian pianist, obtained a divorce from his wife,, the' violinist Daisy Kennedy, on. the ground of her adultery, with Drinkwater. V. So two artistic unions were sever- ' ed— and incidentally a new and irregular one was formed — by the same passion. . > It is said that, to the eye of the" lookeron, both, the Drinkwater family (no children) and the Moiseiwitsch family (two little girls) lived m harmony. In her patting: letter to Moiseiwitsch Mrs. Moisehyitsch (Daisy- Kennedy) writes to him ''you know that our married life has been an unhappy one for some years." But Moiseiwitscb denies that their union was unhappy A Much- Broken Melody. J Benno Moiseiwitsch is fully as prominent m the world of music as John Drinkwater among playwrights. He is especially admired m his interpretation of Tschaikowski's jiiano concerto and Liszt's most difficult music. Recently he returned to England from a fifteen months' tour of America, Australia and New Zealand, during which his wife's association with Drinkwater m London developed. ; His wife, Miss Daisy Kennedy, as she is called m public, is by birth an Australian. . She is about ten years younger than '-Mrs. Drinkwater. Miss Kennedy has been popular as a violinist since she made her debut at -Vienna- m 1911. , . ' ' The Drinkwater couple married m Lancashire m 1906. John Drinkwater at first was a modest business man. He was an insurance inspector, and then became manager of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Mrs. Drinkwater played m the famous Birrning- , ham organisation while her husband was at its head. Since then she has appeared, infrequently on , the , stage. About 1920 the couple went' to ' London. Meanwhile, Drinkwater Had achieved literary and dramatic success,/ bringing with 'it wealth. He won perhaps his greatest profits from "Abraham Lincoln," a play, which, while historically- far from accurate, is applauded by a great many persons as 'revealing the psychology of the great man represented m a very convincing and penetrating way. Other plays of thr same type are Drinkwater's "Mary Stuart," "Oliver Cromwell" and "Rob crt E. Lee." Mrs. Drinkwater was a close associate of her husband m his work, 'both as a playwright and as a poet. Her vtalents as an actress 1 and a lover of poetry /fitted her to help him, and it was generally felt that she was a valuable inspiration m his success. She accompanied her husband when ho went to America to superintend ihn. production .of his grea,t play, "Abraham Lincoln." Her help and suggestions were of undoubted value m bringing about the great success which the play enjoyed m America, m spitP of its lack of American verisimilitude. Drinkwater Tells Her To Quit. Mrs. Drinkwater (maiden name Kathleen Walpole) told the Divorce Court that .she, and her husband lived happily till July,- 1921. "Then my husband began to pay attentions to another woman, but we continued to live m the same house until February. 1922." Returning home one day, Mrs. Drinkwater was stunned to find the followy ing letter from her husband, addressed to her as "My Dear Toby": My Dear Toby: I am going to leave you. I have 1 taken a flat for you where you wilt find every comfort. "Did you remove to the flat?" asked the Judge. "Yes," replied Mrs. Drinkwater, with sadness m her .voice. Mm Drinkwater said she always loved her husband and wished to have a reconciliation with him. She saw him from time to time. On February 21, 1923, she wrote a letter tq him m which she pointed out it was then more than a year since they had lived together and suggested resuming their matrimonial life. He wrote back, refusing to do so, and said: t l \ have lived with a lady at the Waldorf Hotel." He enclosed a hotel bill verifying his statement. This was regarded as a very coldblooded stab to stir Mrs. Drinkwater to indignation and impel her to start divorce proceedings. After a very brief hearing the Court granted Mrs. Drinkwater her divorao. , The Folly of Idealistic Expectation. And this is what Mrs. Drinlcwater had to say to a correspondent after the conclusion of her divorce suit: "It was hard to bear, but it is no use fighting against the inevitable. We live on this earth but once, so why not make the best of things? "My husband 1 have lost, but personally I bear him no malice. No two natures can be alike. We could not agree on many matters, so we have parted. *t all .seems so long ugo to me, and sometimes I cannot think it is other than a dream when I realise that we have parted for good. ' "I do not want anyone to sympathise with me for what has happened. It would be better if the matter had never come before the Divorce Court, but as it had to do ho I can only thank the Judge for the kindly way In which I was treated. I have got to load my own life . now. I want to-be happy and forgot tho past, and m my search for happiness I shall not say ono word against Mr. John Drinkwator. The world can pass its own judgment ' and form its own opinion. ,

It is for «me to smile and hope that my domestic troubles. have come to ah end I want to be a sport and let: matters end where they haye. ,1 knew that once the case came before the Court there dould only be one end, and I should have been a fool if I had not realised that and prepared for.it. . Perhaps one expects too much m thi<s- life, and as' I am only one of hundreds of disappointed women, I now know the folly of idealistic expectations. ; \ : Please do not say too much about Mr. Drlnkwater or myself. He Is only

hujmnn, as am I, and I say no word against him."

Drinkwater Active m Hubby's Absehce.

Now turn to the story of the Moiseiwitsch partnership, the female member of which (violinist Daisy Kennedy) has magnetised Drinkwater. Moiseiwitsch told the Divorce Court that he and his wife were married at Marylebone Registry Office, London, m April, 1914. They lived , m Baker Street, m London, at Barnes and at Putney. They had two children, both daughters, and led a very happy and united domestic life. They were happy until August, 1922, when he had to go on a professional tour abroad. Something happened at or after that time which changed his wife's, love for him. Moiseiwitsch invited his wife to,accompany him on his tour, but she said It would be. better for her to stay at home arid take care of the children. Therefore he went away alone. When he returned In December, 1923, he found she had been associating with the co-respondent, John Drinkwater, who was known to him and knew she was his wife. "After that," said Moiseiwitsch, "my wlCe left our house at night and only paid daily visits to see the children." Mother's Appeai For Children. That way of living went on until January 17, this year, when Moiseiwitsch received the following letter from his wife: "Meaburn House, Putney. "My Dear Benno — This letter ' may not come as a surprise to you because you know that our married life has been an unhappy one for some years. "Benno, I want you to give me my freedom, and if you desire to do this you will find the neoessary evidence at the Hotel Metropole, Brighton, where I stayed at the end of last week. Ido implore you not to take the children from me, arid I want you to realise that it will surely be better for their health and future welfare if they can be under my care. You must know, Benno, that as a mother I have not failed m love and devotion, and never will do so. _ So please, please grant me this wish. DAISY." Moiseiwltsch's lawyer Interrupted the reading of thiß letter to ask: "Had your life been an unhappy one, Mr. Moiseiwitsch?" "Certainly not," answered the petitioner. Ami then the guilt of Daisy Kennedy and John Drinkwater was established. A waiter from the Hotel Metropole, Brighton, gave evidence and said that m January last rooms numbered 511 and 512 were occupied by a man and woman. He recognised them as Mrs, Daisy Kennedy Moiseiwitsch and John Drinkwater. The Judge granted Moiseiwitsch his decree of divorce with costs. Disregarding the plea of the wife expressed m her letter, the Judge awarded the custody of the children to the father. Poetic Licence Badly Strained. Astonishment at J6*hn Drlnkwater'a effrontery In ordering out of his house hiH faithful wife, after eighteen years of wedded life, forces one to compare the man as he is with the man of letters. | Drinkwater is generally regarded In England nnd America as an exceptionally high-minded, artistic, litcrnry and serious playwright. In their intcllcctuul and moral tone his plays are: considered, far above the mass of

frothy, unintellectual and frequently objectionable works that fill the stage. The revelations of his conduct to his wife were an astonishment to those who had read his poems, and especially the lofty sentiments expressed *by the heroes of his dramas. The case lends strength to the remark of a very charming and intelligent woman, a lover of all the arts, who said that as a husband she would prefer a shoe salesman or a plumber to a poet. Drinkwater has expressed some interesting- ideas on the subject of divorce, "It is horrible," he said, "to think that a woman must live with a man because she must- have food, shelter; clothing. lamby no means preaching the doctrine of divorce, -but I am firm m the opinion' when two persons are miserable together the best thing for them to do is to part, each to remain away from a disujjrao - able presence." . ;