The Star Press from Muncie, Indiana • Page 21

Triumph, Tragedy and Romance in the Life of Mme. Curie, Who Has Discovered Some of Nature's Most Wonderful Secrets, Yet Has Failed to Fathom the Human Heart. Mme. Curie, World' Greatest Woman RADIUM ha failed utterly to mitigate the suffering of the woman who dlarovered It. honor, -fnt away to her native Curie hag found it powerless to land and denied that she had any Scientiit, eg She Look Today.

on the part or (lie antl-foinlnisis. By Just one vote, Mme. lost the time for love. "My sriernre and my daughters are all I want In life," she said. But Mme.

Iangevln and her mother were persistent. The discussion arqiir.ed France and the world, No lets than five duels were fought over the in Paris. Mme. Iangevln asked relief In the courts. Prof.

Lan- gevln took her children away. Mme. '-'uric wgrked in her laboratory and uemeu an part in the (rouble. 4 Finally there was a court hearing Then tho letters came out. Mine.

Utngevtn secured a separation. In three years. If both parties are willing, tb decree Ivtomes, nutonir.tl-callj, a divorce. In the mean time, trot. Liangevin pays hia wife a mown-it 'Y allowance and takes care of the iZ SiK ''i.

ki ,1 Jfefid II fie- ft 1 'Jr v. ji 9--'-B- -H-'-t- ijd (i. a X. (Aysij.rti: fit But It is taid ttiHt the wife win never consent to a divorce, So, even if the love Mme. Curie feela for Paul Langevlu is adequately returned by him.

the situation is not nmch Improved for her, for she can- not have the man she loves- And, be- cause of this, radium and all the fame aid honor and glory that attaches to it is flat and tasteless in the way of comfort, Lov; Literature. The letters of Mme. Curie are curl, ous contributions to the love literature of great persons. They are not passionate outpourings of a Jieart that overflows with love, They are couched in no tender words. There is no ex- qulslte poetry of expression in them, They do not deal with the light and frivolous side of Hie, which is often awakened In great minds by the magic of love, Eveiv in her heart workings Mine.

Curie Is the woman of science, i She confesses her lovo In the simple, plain language which, it is (aid, makes her no remarkable a lf-cturer In the Sor- bonne, where she holds the distinctive sums 4 VP vim vr It For days alter her husband's death, lie wi folded hands and dry eyes, murmuring, "Pierre is dead. For some years she did no great wtork. Then In 19'0 sne announced that she had ifolated the metnl radium. At Ihe tame time her love afrair begun to be discussed. Were the events coincident, and Independent? Will the.uuhupy ending have a re- notion on her work? Mme.

Curie is She ha never had an easy life, nor enjoyed Ihe lighter side of Ihe average worn ans existence. Her Remarkable Eye. Plie Is of medium height, and thin and angular, with rather sharp features) and blonde hair streaked with gray, drawn back uncomprnmiHingly rotn hrr high forehead. Only her eyes are rcmurkable. They nro of the deep bliilph gray found in stormy tca and the fire of perpetual youth bums in ihetn, in strange contrast to her tired She has two daughters.

When the elder was born she was so disappointed that it waa not boy that she dressed the child in boy's clothes. With Utis picture, of woman In mind, the love le tters sreni more explicable. Mme- Curie devotes both space ami detail in them to the way ot procedure on the part t.f Paul Langevin to rid himself of his wlfe. Slie advocate making life perfectly unendurable for the woman who stands in the way of their love. At one time she advises throwing a bol-tle at her head.

When she replies to the account of the act as performed by ihe professor, she upbraids him for not taking advantage of hl wife's threat to leave hi in. With call illation she tears the wife to pieces and riddles the shreds of her characterization with contempt. In the letters which tell the story of her love- she is always the woman rf science. She goes to work to plan freedom for the man Tour wif, uu-ipUA of ramalnlna niiiet sna auowinx yon yuiir muvhj. Hue will always try to a drag on yon, for all sorts of reasons-mah rial Inter- est.

the (sn to amuse herself, even Idle- y011 lnugt not forget either that vou have constantly before you matters if dis.ord relatln to the eUucallon of our children, of faiiilly life. They are the same dlscoadant Jects which have rendered your lire a- happy tir, y0(Jr marriage and to which I am a complete stranger. aeiiieo re- -me. on a footing of mutual liberty. hut with the appearance of courteous fjr Mk ot th, chl(lren ca never exist with" you.

gr to such a life, she wouij neyer be able to -k-j-p such agreement, being of too violent a nerament. too accustomed to get tne upper hand, by violent means, Then she cure the ailment which, besidfs causing her exquisite torture, is slowly-eating away her interest In life-Radium has given her fame, fortune, position, the gratitude and adulation of humanity. Through It he is known as the greatest woman scl-' entlst of all tinief. Because of Its magical power she is acclaimed the "Witch of Science." But it has failed to give her the one and only thing In life that she wants THE HEART OF THE MAN SHI" L6VES, No one knows the Infinite possibili ties of radium so well as the woman who worked out Us secrets in her lonely laboratory. She knows that It can create and preserve beauty.

That, and prolong life. Tiiat lify or entirely obliterate malignant growths which nave baffled the keen- est and profoundest medical minds. She has watched It transform metals, in fact, she was convinied of Its power to turn accepted physlc'i topsy- turvy before any one except her hus- band, with whom she was Jhe coverer, knew of Its existence. But it some kind fairy offered to exchange all her scientific knowledge for the precious gift of the free and responsive heart or the man sne loves, he might not hesitate at the proposition. Denied Her Dearet Prize.

For the facts are that, while the interest of the entire world is quick- med by the infinite possibilities of this most marvellous element, while the United States and other govern- tnents are discussing the conserva- -tion of this wonderful substance, the woman who gave it to tne worm cries out from the depth of her suppressed nature for the one thing that every woman that w'as ever created wants above all other gifts LOVE. There is IWtle doubt, in the light of recent developments, that Mme. Curie Prof. Paul Latigevin, the pupil of her husband, her associate In the Sorbonne and in ber laboratory research, with all the' strength of her fine scientific mind, all the depths of her, maturo woman's heart, all the power of her soul and being. And there Is comparatively small chance of her attaining- unto her heart's desire.

Love Is beyond the power of her wonder-Working radium. It is able to create it, preserve it nor Influence It. Less Is known ot the feelings of Prof. Langevin toward Mme. Curie than of her acknowledged love for him.

There is reason to suppose that he returns her leA-e In kind But the heart of Prof. Langevin Is not to give. It belongs to- another woman, the mother of his children, and there Is no question of his affection for his children. It has been said by some psychologists that when a woman loves she wants to tell her love to the world. But -the man can bury the secret of Ms love forever.

The romance of Mme. Curie and Prof. Langevin would bear out this statement She has set forth her love In a mcrieu of the most remarkable love tetters ever published. It was Mme. Langevin who discovered the secret of (he love that existed between her.

husband and the of Science-" From all accounts, Mme. Langevin has nut a scientific mind. But she has the capa bility of resenting any trespass on her family rights and the Bplrtt of revenge Is strong within her. I tha Decoration Lo.t the Decoration. When Mme.

Langevin and her, mother began openly to accuse Mme. Curie they wrra cri'-d down. It was Ht the time when she waa discussed lor the unheard or honor to a woman. It can save can mil- A French Artist's Fantasy Illustrating the Scientific Labors and Achievements of Mme. Was Her Discovery of Radium.

Curie, Chief Among Which The children form the lever In the e.ensltlve to the opinion of his friends, argument of -which Mme. Curie made Wllh Infinite cleverness, she writes: most use In trying to pry Paul Lange- Hrlefty; dear Paul, you 'have not only vln loose from his family: children to fonnHlnr-there Is yourself, your future In the cmtn world, I am absolutely Convinced It Is quite your moral arid Intellectual llfu. All delusion on your part to want to ills- this has bim In great danger for soma puie wllh her about the children In pant. All your friends know this, your common life, for you cannot have although they rln not know tb ruisons. tbent sufficiently under your care.

iCou You know what Pwrln thinks. All cannot exercise your Influence on them thoxa who lovt you-Perrin, Weiss, Her- imefully only so far as you succeed In riard, Vrbnn hava been uneasy about withdrawing them from the family life, you for years, Tour eollegs pupils speak This Is absolutely my opinion. A bsdly with evident slartn of your state of constituted family In which discord fatigue, visible to every one. Jt she requests you to avoid seeing tne, ihl can be granted, as she will give you up easier If hopes you will he deprived of all affection. Matter could afterward be arranged and II would look better (or the outsider, who would dlsnpprove your leaving your wife for another, This I the only time she shows concern for the opinion of the conventional world, In no passnge of the letters Is there such undisguised contempt and hatred shown for the wife a wlW he "Don't be vanquished by her crying and tears.

I hava told you there are tears and t'-ar. Think of the proverb that the crocodile cries because It has not eaten Ha prey. Your wife's tear are of the ume nature." There Is nieire Impatience, mens of the cry of wild longing of pent-up feelliiK In this letter than in any oilier: "A long a I know you are near her, my night are hldeou. I cannot sleep. With th greatest difficulty I fall asleep at.

two or three o'clock and awake with a sense of fever. I cannot even work, Do yrmr best 'to end this state of affair. Never go near her unless she'send for you. Woijt late and let her grow weary of walling. Tin this, my Paul, I Implore you," Mme.

Curia in a Group of French Scientists. and unique honor for a woman of be-' idje loves with the same exactness she ing professor of physics. This she would apply to some laboratory prob-nri. nharrd with her husband be- lem. She writes of Mme.

Langevin: dear Paul. I embrace you with great And she signs herself alinply "Marie," With all that neay be done, only the death of Mme. Lengnvln will make it possible for Mine, Curl to be mar. rled to the man she loves. But there seems new sorrtltv for her In tho rumor, coming from Paris, that the belief Is general that the Langevlns will be reconciled.

In the mean time, what of the greatest woman scientist? Can she find consolation tn work? Will she go on and give iBe world some other wonderful discovery? Or will her career as a scientist end for lack of the Inspiration of lve loving end being loved? is there some trrat nd tragic, finish to this most remarkable love story, or will It piles a so raimjr romance have passed an! be forgotten? Whatever Hit result, radium has fulled to give It discoverer the one thing In all the world she wants-love. And, while all the world may discuss Its wonders, and make new applications of lis powers; while It may be adding fresh hopes to doomed men; while pew deposit of It maybe found here and there, a tho recent Du Pont holdings In Colorado; while it may open ths way for even greater aclentlfio accomplishment, It ha no power to heul the aching heart of the sad-faced, tired-looking woman who spent days and nights In her labors- torv searching for the secret. reigns Is certainly a more harmful plane for the chihtren then for them to be with strangers. Kven to leave ynurclill. dren when they are young principally with their mother and bur fsnilly would be less harmful than to give Iht-m the dally example of a family open war.

There is a sort of grim humor In the evident laboratory method which the nf ii.i.ni. Ingevln's character: ,1... I am more and more convinced that If separation be made yvur wire womu the children, whom she Is Incapable of managing, wlwi worry ber, and of whom you would gradually resume tile man- unlr elrcumstajncea In which you woud no longer be constantly op posed by a hostile element. After hiylns exhausted argument concerning them and his duty to re- move them from the bickerings and violent scenes of their home life, Mme, Curie turns to, solicitude for their father. Hhe must have learned out- aide the laboratfrt-y that every man ,0 havf Hhe maps out an astoundlngly eal- dilating course adored one: of induct for her Tou must decide, however piilnful this may be for you, to do all In your power to render life Insupportable for her.

Must deprive hr of all hr pleasure and fllstwtlons In the heller or tne of an agreement, and the first oroiios lion made by her to sepa- rate, taking Ihe children, yu must accept without hesitation to put an end to any blackmailing she may attrmpt. Simple Love Confession. She Is simple but direct in her confession of love for htm. She Ml hlin: There are th profoundest affinities between us and they need only a favorable mode of life for development. My crushed tlfe and your family life failure form a condition from which good work totethnr ought to arise, and monA.

solid frtetiflabln Mnri even the fin children of love In the finest ao- ceplance of tha word. In one letter tells him she wishes she could put fresh flower In hla room and speak of the beauty of tbe heaths. Hhe urge him to cause of the discovery of radium. It a Nohel orize. Iaier.

arter ner husband's tragic death beneath the wheels of a truck, she was awarded the Xobel prize on her own account because of he discovery of polonium. The question which the scientific world ask Is: Will this unhappy and apparently 'hopeless love affair so crush Mme. Curie that tt will end her scientific research? When her husband a great man of that moim only be a plodder. He declared that all her earlier work was done under the Inspiration of the man with whom she was In love and who loved her. .1..

1 No Emotional Climax, Hhe end her tetter with no emo tlonal climax. There Is some talk of trying to weirk and of shaken nerve, of the need of rent and the hop that she will soein see him. "flood-by, t.t every man m. lltti as inu. tow.