THE HUMAN DRAMA.

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 14727, 4 August 1921, Page 7

THE HUMAN DRAMA.

THE CULT OF SELF.

THE GOSPEL OF THE AGE SEEMS ' TO BE A GOOD TIME FOR ONESELF—AND LET THOSE SINK > WHO ARE POWERLESS TO SWIM.

(By Hugh F. McElroy,. in "Illustrated Sunday Herald.")

As a humble member of the audience that day by day follows the human drama staged (for an interminable run!), at the Divorce Court, J was curiously reminded last week .of a yery excellent precept that used to grace the top of a page of one of *he copy-books familiar to the youth .of a bygone day. It ran something Jike this: "Do unto others as you rwould be done by." To-day we talk glibly of individualism, which, after all, is only •"highbrow" for selfishness. We "develop our own egos," and don't care a button if we, shoulder out the other man in the process. It's a case of J for myself—and "the devil take the hindermbst." One sees this doctrine at work in pur comercial and industrial life — cut friend the miner, for instance, as not excessively troubled by the affairs of the rest of the .comunity. But surely it is working ,at its highest pressure in the. Diyoree Court. Yet even in this temple' of individualism rarely do we find the cult ex.alted into something approaching a .religion! It has been left, it would appear, .for Mrs Dorothy Beatrice VaughanRoderick, against whom a ' decree ;nisi was awarded recently; to make .at least the attempt.

Married in 1903 to Captain Vau-ghan-Roderick, she lived happily with him until, in 1915, he went .abroad with the Army; As in so .many situations of a like character, .the wife, in her husband's absence, .allowed her affections to become engaged elsewhere, with the result that >n August, 1920, she wrote him confessing the fact: "My dear Edmund," she wrote, "I ■want you ,to read this letter very and..try and understand. .. i . I iiave been staying during .the past week with Teddy Veal as .his wife, but it is for always. "Gpd knows I have tried hard .enough .to do my. duty to you and .all my people—but God also knows that if I don't live with him (Veal) J shall die. ..." But God also knew that a wronged husband was suffering because of ,the woman's guilt. Apparently that <didn't enter .into her calculations —at ,any rate w{th sufficient strength to .influence her!

"You will think," she goes on, "What of his wife (Veal's) and family? Well," .Edmund, she has known a long time that he loves me, and, fortunately, he is in a position \o provide fjor'her. . .", * Fortunately!" Doesn't the, word strike an ironic .note. Fortunately jher loyer is able to provide for the wife and .family he is deserting—so that's rigjit! They can go on their way rejoiieing. Only a couple of hearts.have been broken by their dual desertion —bujt, fortunately, a .wjfe and .a ; family can' be provided jfp.r!

And this void of ll.ife and love, "developing her own .ego "and ".liyjtn'g her owh life," cannot even leave her husband the one ..consolation of the child he loves.

"I don't know," she writes, "the / ; attitude you will adopt with regard •4o Peggy (the child) —but if ever you loved her unworthy mother don't take her from me. . . I 1 ihave left Peggy with mother up to :now, but t shah "have not the slightest hesitation of killing (and I mean -what I say) anyone who tries to -take her from me. . ."

Her passion for her married lover intends to the child—therefore she •must have the child. Her husband, bereft of both wife and child, does -not .stir anything compassionate •within her breast. And that is airways the trouble. When ah individual starts out to develop her own <ego, and live her own life, he must £rst of all harden his heart. FLUNG TO THE WALL. If one stopped every now and then .-to pity or sympathise wfth the unfortunate flung to the wall during the struggle one would never get on! The goal ,9/ .self-development would >nevef be r&ached! Yet she tries to express some sorrow though once again she calls on tGod to witness her magnanimity. "I am so very, very sory for you." £he writes, "but God 'knows I could not help it. . ." And no doubt she hopes that the Deity will endorse her view of the man for whom she left her husband:

"I knew the first thing you would , Jhing," she says, "was that I am an infatuated fool and Teddy is a scoundrel, but- you are wrong. ■ He is just as good and straight a man as you are, and that's saying a lot. " This of a man who has deserted a wife and family-—though "fortunately in a position to provide for them," jto live with another married woman! One can only express one's, hearty .agreement with the judge when, awarding a decree nisi to the hus■band with £SOO damages against Veal, he characterised the case as "disgusting." "There is 'God' all over the place," he went on, "when they are writing of their adultery." Yes, disgusting because of this frequent use of the Deity in such a connection—but surely quite as disgusting as as an example of that „ modern cult of self which, like a canker, is slowly eating into the heart of the nation, and driving out that fellowship and good will once so characteristic of the English race.