The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1871-01-12
Ghe Bullrlin.
FIGHTER As A LOVE MAKER.
carries Dickens opinion Thereof

AsFcchter's quality as n love maker on
the stage has lately been brought into dis
mute in our columns, Miss Kate Field con
tending for Its ideal excellence, and an 9th
or writer denouncing il ms coarse and SEN
suous, We are sure the public will be inter
csted in recalling Mr.. Dickens opinion OF
this point. 1t occurs in his article on Fcch
ter, written for the atlantic Monthly OF
August, 1909, and will be read, Of course,
with the knowledge that Mr.. Dickens was
most ardent admirer and friend OF INC
actor. -,
The first quality observable IN Mr.
Fechter's acting is, that IL IS ia tiic wy "vs'
degree romantic. However elaborate III
minute details, there is always peculiar
dash and yigor in it, like the fresh atmos-
phere of the story whereof II is part.
When he is on the stage, il seems 70 Inc rs
though the siorywerc Transporting before me
for the first and last time. Thus there is u
feryor in his loye-making-a suiiusion Of
his whole being with the rapture of his pas.
son--that sheds a glory on its object and
raises her before the eyes of the audience,
into The light in which he sees her. il was
This remarkable power that took Paris |
by storm when he became famous |
IN the lovers part in the Dame aux |
Camelas. 1t is short part, really COM
prisod in two scenes, but as he acted the |
was its original representative 1t lett It's
poetic and exalting influence on the hero
inc throughout the play. A woman who
could be SO loved who could be so roman
tically adored, had hold upon the general
sympathy with which nothing less absorb
ing and complete could have invested her.
When first saw this play and this actor
l could not, in forming my lenicnt judg-
ment Of the heroine forget that she had
been the inspiration OF which had behold |
such profound and affecting marks. l
said 20 myself as n child might have said
"a bad woman could not have been the |
object Of that wonderful tenderness could |
not have so subdued that worshiping heart,
could not have drawn such tears from such |
a lover l am persuaded that the same
effect was wrought upon the Partisan au-
dences, both consciously and unconscious
~, TO very great extent, and that what |
was morally disagrccable in tho Dame aux
Camelias, first got lost in this brillan, |
halo Of romance. / have seen the same |
play with tho same part otherwise acted, |
and In exact degree rs tho love became |
dull and earthly, the heroine descended |
from her pedestal.
In Ruy Bias, Ia the Master Of Ravens |
wood, and in the Lady of Lyons-thrce
dramas in which Mr.. Fechter especially |
shines as lover, but notably In the first,
this remarkable power Of surrounding
the beloved creature, in tho eyes of the
audience, with the fascination that she Ia.
FOR him, Is strikingly displayed. That OBJ
server uauAt 20 cold, indeed, who docs no,
feel, when Ruy Bias stands in the presence
Of the young unweddcd Queen Of Spain,
that tho air is enchanted or when she
bends over him, laying her tender touch
upon his bloody breast that is better so
20 die than 10 live apart from her and that
she Is worthy to be SO died for. When the
Master Of Ravenswood declares his love
10 Lucy Ashton, and she hers 10 him, and
when, in burst Of rapture he kisses the
skirt OF her dress, We feel as though we
touched it1with our line to stay our god
dess from soaring away into the very
heavens. And when they plight their
troth and break tho piece of gold, 1t is We
not Edgar-who quickly exchange our
half for tho half she was about TO hang
about her neck solely because the latter
has for an instant touched the bosom we
SO desrly love. Again, In the Lady OF
Lyons; tho picture on the easel n the
portrait Of a vain and arrogant girl, but
becomes the sketch Of a souls high ambi-
tion and aspiration here and hereafter,