Decoding the Vision of Donald MacKenzie: Decoding Mary's Lamb

Leander Lamb, entomologist and matrimonial martyr, hunts the savage butterfly. He is flirtatiously inclined, but does not know "how." Leander's one solace is the "widow next door," her daily plunge in the old swimming hole interesting him unduly. This leads to a chase with Mary Miranda Lamb, his lawful wedded wife, in the role of chaser. In his effort to outdistance her, he lands in an institution for the mentally depressed, where the foes of depression wish to disfigure his none too beautiful skull. He escapes, and falls into the clutches of the beautiful "widow next door," who, to aid her friend, Allen Townsend in marrying Phyllis Atwood, Leander's niece, wishes to compromise him. The widow, posing as "Charity giving away her clothes," starts Leander on a "butterfly" chase which is interrupted by the arrival of Mary. Leander arrayed in a night-gown, candlestick in hand, proceeds to give the most realistic "sleepy walker's escapade" that Mary ever witnessed. A note from the widow, which Leander had forgotten on the dresser, proves the somnambulist's undoing. He evens up matters with Mary, when his old college chum, Blackwell, relates a most disgraceful story of Mary's maiden days. He sentences her to the "wrongdoers' rest," the stocks, the fate he had often met for too ardent "butterfly" chasing. Mary in the stocks is more manageable, and matters are straightened for the best interests of all.