North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1868-12-02

Mics Olive Logan On the Purieans.
Miss Olive Logan thus pitches into tho
self-satisfed and super-criticol Bostonians.
in letter to the Tribune:
Some.of the newspapers are making such
q pother over my late experience with
Boston audience, that it may be worth
while to give to print my views on this
subject. was engaged by the Lecture
Committee of the Bay State Course in
Boston, on the strength Of my success in
New York and Washington, in Chicago,
Cincinnati, st. Louis, and other cities.
suppose the gentlemen who engaged mo
knew the character Of my lecture. They
had ample opportunity for learning it, at
least, before the evening Of its deliveyr,
for, as l had other business in Boston,
was there two days beforehand. and talked
freely on the subject of theatres to the
two leading member, Of tho committee
one of whom called on lne, by the way,
at theatre where was occupied with the
manager. These gentlemen, knowing me
to be partisan Of the theatre, former
actress myself, with play ut that moment
under full headway ut the Boston Ma-
scum. nevertheless gave me no intimation
that would be expected to denounce the
stage. | need not say that if they had,
should have prepared myself! But what
was my astonishment, on going upon the
stage at Music Hall, to fnd and audience
composed principally OF people whose
purltanic prejudices were traced in their
taces with the pencil of the Master-pal-
pably people without culture, with no
taste for art, no liking for it, and who
esteemed one branch Of 1.-THE dramatic
Il ,,e al. n
Il Co. l say 1 read this in the faces Of
the people all about me. That did rot
read falsely was quickly shown. While I
was dropping from my lips the frothy
pleasantries which lie at the beginning Of
''Stage Struck" I saw halfa,doxen men
spring up with holy horror in their faces.
which no words can exrress--ciutch their
meek wives frantically by the arm, and
drag them out OF my presence, as if had
been the embodiment OF all the witchcraft
lOr which their ancestors had in vain
murdered old women for 50 many years.
l confess that l was affected by this. /
lad been SO accustomed tO seeing good
breeding III audiences, that the conduct Of
these persons almost threw lne of my
guard. What! Men get up and turn
their backs on me y with faces pale with
CONSERVATION !-and drag their compa-
Mons out of my presence, as if they feared
l should corrupt their morals beyond
cure! What did it mean? Was sort
of intellectual Banshee? Where was /:
Was | dreanng?. Was this nightmare?
No; was wide awake. But l stood for
the first time before an audience such as l
had never addressed before, and, please
God, never will again. For moment
seriously debated whether l should not
quietly ;urn my hack Oh these people, and
refuse to speak further. But saw, stand.
ing up. all about the hail (for it was
densely crowded) class Of people such as
l am accustomed to seeing III the best seats
at my lectures-a class such as go to hear
Miss Kellogg sing-and for their sake
continued my performance" But, alas!
this was my Bull Run. had triumphed
on many field before, and l have faith
to believe l may know Gettysburg yet.
But this time | WAS vanquished. lost
my 0rt. If am not an artist, am 10th
ing. ''Stag.-struck," inartistically de-
liyered, is pathos. Lecture committees
please take notice. have yet to face
good many New England audiences. We
shall see what we snail see. / am, sir,
most faithfully yours. OLIVE LOGAN.