FEMINIST FORUM.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 52, 2 March 1929, Page 4 (Supplement)

FEMINIST FORUM.

BELINDA AND CHARLOTTE. TWO STUDIES OF WOMEN. (By a Feminist Correspondent.) LONDON, January 17. How many people could tell you off hand who Colley Cibber was? More known to fame because Pope ridiculed liim in the Dunciad. And of those who do know his name, how many know that he had a most remarkable daughter— Charlotte Charke (Mrs.).

To my mind this Charlotte was more wonderful than her father, and for that reason Messrs. Constable are to be heartily congratulated on issuing in their Miscellany "A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Charlotte Charke" written by herself. The reproduction of the title page of the original edition published in 1755 describes it as containing "An Account of her Birth, Education, and mad Pranks committed in her Youth. Her comiHg on the Stage; Success there; and Sundry Theatrical Anecdotes. Her marriage to Mr. Charke and its Consequences. Her Adventures in Men'i, Clothes, and being beloved by a Lady of great fortune, who intended to marry her. Her being Gentleman to a certain Peer. Her commencing Strolling Player; with various and surprising Vicissitudes of Fortunes during Nine Years of Peregrination. Her Turning Pastry Cook, etc., in Wales with several extremely humorous and interesting occurrences." Does it not whet your curiosity about her ? Or this which she places also in the title page:

"This Tragic Story or this Comic Jest, May make you laugh or cry—as you like best." In an age in which the stage still exercises a glomour over the young, it will prove chastening to the dramatic aspirant to read of Mrs. Charlotte Charke's experiences in that profession in which she was most often, or for the greater part of her life engaged for towards the end of her story she writes: — t! I hope those who read the description I have given of the Inquietitudes that all must expect to meet with, who come under the Power of Travelling Managers, will make a proper use of. it, by never forsaking a good Trade or Calling of what Kind soever, to idle away their lives so improfitably to themselves, and too often disadvantagiously to the Inhabitants qf many an unsuccessful Town." I, After this, realist record of life as it was—and is still for many a poor wretch—it is like turning to a hot house to read Mr. Hilaire BelloC's "Belinda" —a tale of affectiofa in youth and age (Constable). He writes with his tongue in his cheek to show how well he can parody the eighteenth century romance in which women fainted on the slightest provocation and had frequent resort to "the vapours" when they could not get their way by other means. Here is Mr. Belloc's description of how Belinda receives the news that Sir y Henry Portley has proposed marriage to her—no properly constituted young lady of her day would, of course, do other than faint at such a proposition.

"At such a sight the wretched father sprang back, transfixed with horror. He struck, his forehead with his palm, stood for a moment speechless; then, leaping forward, pulled both bella or either side of the marble fireplace with frenzied j violence, and, rushing to the door, which he toi ° open, shouted:

"Dodgson! Carter! Mrs. Hales! Joseph! Dorothy! Jane! Mary! Jackson! Henry! Emily! The boy! All the rest of you! Come quick! All of yoU! Miss Belinda! I"

The sound of hurrying feet filled the recesses of the mansion, a crowd of domestics gathered, Belinda's maid, Harrison, and Caroline, her private attendant, had the office of lifting the tender form towards the sofa, while the housekeeper advised the loosening of the young lady's garments, the burning'of feathers under her nose, and even the respectful dashing of cold water over her face, an extreme remedy which happily needed not to be applied."

For Belinda loved another, .a handsome youth whose father owned the next estate, a poverty-stricken one; Hence the sad part that Belinda's papa favoured the middle-aged portly Sir Henry. Hear what Mr. Belloc puts in the mouth of the young hero: "My poverty?" (he clenched his hands). "Yet was the House of Halston not unworthy >of alliance with an heiress of the Montgomeis!" But at that word his companion moved most suddenly. She gasped with a slight, an almost imperceptible yet an abrupt and stricken sound. She laid a hand upon her heart. Horatio looked up sharply in alarm. "It is naught," she said, with a catch in her breath, "... it is naught. lam recovered. Come, let us return." And she led him tdown to the halls below. But as she went the Inexorable had swept the chord of life within her . . . She was far off and very young. Her earliest springtime had returned: her eighteenth year. It was in the old days ere ever revolution had marred the dignity of the world. She was in her mother's garden, in her English home, and the clear Thames slid by." Need we say more: the part of the novelist then as now demanded the happy ending which placed Belinda in Horatio's arms.