Life — February 22, 1917 — page 8: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

How It Started DAM and Eve were sitting sedate- ly in a corner of the Garden. The snake, who had been racing around the golf links all morning, had curled him- self up under a fig tree and was taking a much-needed rest. “There's something I've been want: ing to say to you for some time,” said Adam, earnestly. “And if you don’t mind, my dear, I'll get it out of my system now.” “If it’s any advice as to how I shall conduct myself in the future,” replied Eve, “I shan't listen to it. I've long ago made up my mind as to what I shall do.” “No, it isn’t’ that.” “Well—go on with your sub- ject—I never have a moment to my- self any more—this keeping house, with you home all the time, is making an old woman of me; but go on, go on.” “Tt’s only this. I can look ahead, my dear, and see that certain things ate going to happen which we shall just have to bear—fashions, and reform movements, and highbrows, and de- partment stores, and a whole lot of others—but there’s one question which I think, for the good of posteri ought to settle now. It will sa terity a terrible lot of time. “Well, what is it?” “Just this—which of us is superior to the other? I can look ahead, Evie dear, and see in my mind's eye all the trouble just a little difference of opinion like that will cause—all the books that will be written about it and the speeches and the endless ses- sions of committees and so on, and I say let’s get together now and set- tle it! “What is there to settle?” “Why, this absurd idea that one of us could possibly be superior to the other. It's ridiculous, isn’t it? You see, we are so entirely different that no comparison is possible or fair. You have your sphere and I have mine.” “Now, just what do you mean by that?” “Why, I mean your domestic duties— - and what greater is there than in keep- ing house! I often wonder how you do it. I couldn't.” “Um, I hate it! I only do it be- cause I have you on my hands. If you were like any other man would be if there were other men, you wouldn't expect me to spend any time darning fig leaves and planting oyster shells in the garden paths and amusing the snakes, No, Adam, you're wrong. I do this because I have to. My real talent lies in running the government of this garden. Why did we have a tree of knowledge here in the first place? All due to you, with your vulgar instincts. Why did you eat the apple? Because you were so stupid as to think I meant what I said. And what, pray, do you consider your sphere?” Adam was patient. He had been ried two weeks. He smiled a gen- tle self-sacrificing smile. “My dear girl,” he observed, “don't, I beg, misunderstand me. My sphere! My sphere is only as the humble worker in the vineyard—to toil by the sweat of my brow, to please you, my dear. I shoulder the big responsi ties—for your sake.” Eve’s new wisdom and eye .teeth gleamed in the sunlight. “Oh, you do, do you!” she said. “What a real nice, lovely thing you are! Shouldering responsibilities! Ha! Why, you couldn’t even saw comicbooks.com