The New York herald., 1874-11-20
STAGE AND PULPIT.
A Fair Priestess of the Drama
Questions Parson Talmage.
A Champion for the Roar
ing Cleric.
Miss Clara slorri. speaks Her blind.

] am encouraged to ask him question or two
through your columns He stated on Sunday last
that he knew "a young man who attended the
play OF Macbeth for thirty nights, and VINO gave
up church attendance, his Bible and prayer"
What wish TO know Is when and where did "Mac-
besh' have run OF thirty nights, also the 'younG
mans" name and address - Hs opinion OF that
play and the characters therein would be valuable.
Having asked these questions would like to add
few words about the quality OF the ''fruit" our
professional tree Is bearing During our evil var.
when many OF our actors w.re lighting vaantly
Tor tue Union, and many an actress deprived
herself OF everything but the bare neces-
saries OF life that she might send wines,
fruits and lood to the commssary depart
ments. and when every spare hour was
gwen 10 the emitting OF stockings. scrapng OF
lint and making OF bandages, thought our tree
was bearing good "lruit." When Chicago stood
shivering and homeless and we placed IN her out
stretched HANDS many hard earned "nundred."
not q dollar but carried with 1t ice its value in
sympathy, and when, last winter, We gave thou.
sands to the suffering poor OF New York tn ought
our tree was bearing good fruit. When have
seen q hard-worked actress mother with the In.
evitaole satchel on her arm and "parf" for the
evening in her hand, call the little nlght-gowned
sleep" &C.. with lips as pure and sweet as though
they were o minister's dock and not an actors. |
!elt sure our tree was bearing good iruit and fair
dark complexioned sheep among US. but the The
"Roand for an Oliver" every time We are u
law.abldlnp, God-earng, sesustaining people,
and our wives and mothers viii bear comparison
with those OF any class OF people in the world.
There IS hardly an actress on the stage but mas
some some one one 70 supportI,ashsr mother, SISTER or
the Rev. Il De WITT Tamage complains of the
IN thn
II was centuries ago. We simply hold the mirror
and IT reflects the vices ana the virtues OF the age
As TO our influence being SO terrible, deny II.
How on earth is virtue to triumph II there IS no
sin to triumph over? Did the kew. I. Dewitt Tai
kind was not mentioned, aye. and made much or
Has he not spent ten minutes in plcturlng some
successful specuator. and has he not used odds
ana ends OIL popular slang To bring MS picture
vivldy before the eyes oi his congregation and have
not his Efforts IN that line been rewarded with
ripple OF laughter, and has he not thereupon
dragged in his moral by the 'bair OF the head'
anu dismissed IT in three minutes, so that his
hearers retained the amusing picture OF tnat
wicked money getter, and ost all sight Of the
moral? Has not then the reverend gentleman
made vice more attractive than virtue? sit every
sunday ana hear a man preach (and he breaches
well tool, who has said to my mother II cannot
comprehend how she can act and leel any interest
OF sensiDility and fair sense OF the fitness OF
things. and have prayed manya year to the same
have had no fine inner voice denounce me US i'm nt
80 70 kneel. because OF my beng an actress.
Woman IKE, having asked PERMISSION TO say o
few words have Sa0 great many, and END as
began with queslion:-"lt 1t took thirty nights
OF Macbeth to win tnat young man IRON the
Rev. T. De Wit Tamage how manv nights with
the Rev. T. De Witt Talmage would 1t take TO win
man say Vandenbon) from 'MacbethY' -
BROOKLYN. Nov. II, 1874. CLARA NORRIS.
Heroic Defence OF the Brooklyn Divine.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
In the HERALD OF November 16 there are three
articles. written in reply to the sermon OF the
Rev. DR.. Talmage, aud signed respectively "T.,"
IAN Actress" and IAN Actor" which are so vio-
lent In their LANGUAGE and SO vituperatlve
toward the worthy preacher that they attract
tho special attention OF the reader.
Now, the writer OF this article is neither \
preacher nor all actor; he 10 simply an unbiased
looker-on. And to one thus looking &C the contro-
versy without prejudice. and to one who Is ex.
ceedingly fond OF theatrical performances and
spectacular exnibttions, the contest seems very
strongly IN favor Of the religious side Of the ques.
tion.
There Is no doubt that DR.. Talmage is q
very violent man when reused to the
pitch OF excitement customary with him
IN preaching, and it seems very likely
that he may make use OF expressions at
such times which he would avoid In his calmeY
moments; bat, making all these allowances, the
just moral man who looks at the matter without
PIcJuuiOo AAunt eCAuOWlSOko tuAt many OI CQ0
Doctors statements were too true. As for the
three replies given In your issue Of the 10th, the
nrst two were ridiculous, whereas the third was
very sensible and worthy OF considerable atten.
tion. To Judge from the style OF T.'s article. one
would suppose he was the literary hanger.on OF
some second rate theatre, the writer OF those
nowery, psdanttc nothings which 10 frequently
greet the ears Of theaLregoers in the sensational
dramas OF the day. To draw absurd caricatures
sACllmhtnW
church steeple," or to refer with contempt 10 the
10 no reiutatlon OF the unwelcome charges laid
at the door ot the dramatic profession; nor
VIII IT." ever convince fair.minded men
Gospel. There have been grave charges made OF
late against men who occupy prominent POSITIONS
IN ae Snr Se and
false, " does NOT remove the fact that there are
Of msn snd with the
Tor placing on an equal iOoting the theatre u ana
by the Christian Church. But While the
statements stste OF IT." are pedantlc and incon.
eana M sAe peaus %
attack by making thrust with the common
~sapon Of asr late Brooklyn scan
ministers; therefore the Church is on
critclse the stage TIL they have nrst purged the
church. 80 argues this young lady; but it IL
manlest TO every Intelligent reader that sucn an
argument 10 indeed weak. TO place on q par the
Church OF Christ aud the theatre IS not mere y
surd II IS sacriiegous. For every case OF incont
nence In the Churcn there are IL thousand in
stances OF hcentiousness and vice connected with
thr theatre. Again, the lady compares the ballet
girl with the seainstress and the shop GIRL In an
swer to Mr.. Talmages query, "What parent would
IKE TO see It's daughter oallet girl ~ she replies,
"What parent likes labor OF any kind forced upon
Its daughter Does ne like ner to make shirts at
SIX cents apieceg Does he ike ner to stand ten
hours day behind the counter or . storeW
manifest. The lady avoids the real question nc
issue. IL IS not the labor to which the parent OBJ
jects; it 10 the indecent exposure OF tne person
aud the evil consequences attendant upon such A
life When woman so loses all sense or sname as
TO appear In the costume OF ballet girl, and ex-
pose her person In senseiess whiriings 10 this
udmiring gaze oI q centiOus audience. she Is on
the rapid roau TO rum; for when modesty IS gone
the fatal step ls short and easily taken, and chas.
tity follows last In Inodesty's footsteps. but
while the frst two articles are mere outbursts OF
personal venom and spite, the third, signed IAN
cQlGiSaly a 10