Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-12-06

ed Ia this spirit have done my Wors
and had the worst said OF me in print
This agony, therefore, Is over
Reporter-DO you care 10 make any re-
ply to your critics?
Miss Field-NOtbiug but this: 4 dfA-
matte critic, an old friend, who, alter
all, does not seem to know me, stated
that am "New England girl Of fraii
physique.U Ny father was Irish, my
mother wss Philadelphian, and / was
born in st. LOUIS. / am Irish .Peunsyl-
vanian-westeTn- educated ia Boston
aud Italy. AS / out-Walk all the w0-
men of my acquaintance, can pull a pail
| Of eight.fOot SOULS to the satisfaction Of
| good male rowers, have tramped over
the Adirondack wilderness. aud travel
ed night and day in this country and
| Europe without complaining, | don't
! think | can be called "frail.n The
audience last Saturia night did not
dream oft when they insisted upon my
repeating my song and jig three times,
| one directly after the other. a nervous,
sauguine temperament when hard at
work is never OVerburdened with flesh;
| but l have yet 10 learn that aGipose
means strength. A Tacs-horse is not
condemned because he weighs less than
his relative drawing the family carriage,
IN coRtraiTe.
Reporter-It Is reported that you have
abandoned writing. is this SO?
Miss Field-Ncthine could be further
from the truth. I shall write as much
as ever. don't believe IN literature as
q profession, and never did. Literature
is n charming mistress, but a terrible
master. ltTequires much more physique
to endure the strain OF writing seven
cOlumnsa week, the number have often
turned off, than to act nightly; yet the
pecuniary reward is q tolerable living in
the first case aud a fortune in the second.
My blood boils when L think of the
many brilliant men and women vino are
struggling for a competency while the
successful singer or actor is shOWeFed
with gold. If had my way journalists
should be paid better than any other
professional men and women. II they
are clever and honest they deserve the
best of treatment. My great incentive
in going upon the stage is the desire to
beOf use in my generation. Five father
less children in Louisiana, helpless,
ruined by the war and its consequences, !
depend upon me for existence. l want |
not only to keep them alive, but TO edu- !
cate them into profitable citizenship. |
By literary work alone this cannot be |
done. Ill succeed on the stage l can do 1
this and more for struggling humanity. |
My ambition is Honorable, and l am |
sure the public sympathizs with me. 1
NV critics have all told me that have /
brains. am delighted to hear it, for 1 /
have often had grave doubts on this /
score. It takes brains to conceive a |
character. If possess this first re-
quisite hope TO OBTAIN good technique
from the only possible teacher, expert
ence. All this savOrs of egotism, but
even q worm will turn, and having
been driven to the wall defend N.Y.
self. l have not invited this Interview,
but am not sorry to have been sought.
This ended The interview. But 1t is
hard on Miss Field that the unfavOra-
bic opinions expressed by the critics
should have been so generally copied
throughout the country. The fact is,
the lady made a very fair debut and de-
served better treatment than she receiv-
ed from the papers. 1t ought not to pre-
vent her having chance in other cities,
where she would no doubt receive a
very different reception from the press
than was vouchsafed in this city.