The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-11-23
Clara Norris Sharp Reply to Talmage.

Cl&rB MOTrlS sharp hepIy 10 I8lm6gcs
In the New York Herald Miss Clara Morris,
the famous emotional actress of the metropolis,
makes sharp and ingenious reply to the Rev.
T. De Witt Talmage's recent bitter attack
upon the stage. She says that the reverend
gentleman Stated on Sunday last that he
knew = young man who attended the play of
Macbeth for thirty nights, and who gave up
church attendance, his Bible and prayer"
What wish to know is when and where did
Macbeth have run of thirty nights, also
the young mans name and address? His
opinion Of that play and the characters therein
would be valuable. Having asked these ques-
tons, I would like to add a few words about
the quality of the fruit our professional, tree
is bearing. During our civil war, when many
Of our actors were fighting valiantly for the
Union, and many an actress deprived herself
of everything but the bare necessaries of life,
that she might send wines, fruits and food to
the cOmmissary departments, and when every
spare hour was given to the knitting of stock
ings, scraping of lint and making of banda ges,
thought our tree was bearing good fruit.
When Chicago stood Shvering and homeless
and we placed in her outstretched hands many
a hard-earned hundred not a dollar but car.
Eiou Win IL tWiCo IT'S Sdlue III sympathy, ana.
when, last winler. we gave thousands to the
suffering poor of New York, | thought our tree
was bearing good fruit When l have seen
hard worked actress mother, with the inevita.
BILE satche on her arm and part for the evening
in her hand call the little Dight-gow ned babies
and hear them say, Now | lay me down to
sleep etc. with lips as pure and sweet as
though they were minister's flock and not an
actor 8, felt sure our tree was bearing good
fruit aud fair to look at, too. I do not say we
are ansels--far from it. We have some very
dark complex.Oned sheep among US, but the
Rev. T. De Witt TaImag-'s profession can far
nsh Roland for an Oliver every time. We
are law-ablding, God fearing, self-sustaining
people, and our wives and mothers will bear
comparison with thoss of any class of people
in the world There is hardly an actress on
the stage but has some one to support-father,
mother, sister or child. some One-and never
knew one to do her duty unwllingly."
Taking up the minister's charge of the impu-
rity of the stage. the actress says: las to our
influence being so terrible. deny it. How on
earth is virtue to triumph if there is no sin to
triumph over? Did the Rev. L. De Witt Tai
mage ever preach sermon where sin of some
kind was not mentioned, aye, and made much
OF? Has he not spent ten minutes In picturing
some successful speculator, ard has he not
his picture more wildly before the eyes of his
COngres alton. and have not his efforts in that
line been rewarded with a ripple of laughter,
and has he no tbereupOn dragged in his moral
by the hair of the head and dismissed it in
three minutes, SO that his hearers retained the
amusing picture of that wicked money -getter,
aud lost all sight of the moral? Has not ,hen
tha reverend gentleman made vice more at
tractive than virtue"