The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-05-22
The Awakened Soul.
by JUSTIN MCCARTHY IN HARPRRs wRKKL


stage. The unnatural was nature to her
the real existence, outside the Illusion OF
the theater, she saw only as an illusion
at lesst as something vague, shadowy, and
far off. To make the paradox of her ex-
istence still more striking George, being
herself the most girlish and womanly of
creatures, almost invariably played the part
of boy or youth in that mock life which
was more her real life than the other. She
played the parts of midshipmen, pages,
pantomine princes, saucy boys, spoiled
boys, Little Pickles, precocious young
swells, and all that kind of thing. This
was in England, some years ago, when the
rags for nudity had not yet set in, and girls
put on male costume on the stage only for
artistic and dramatic purposes-just because
the exigencies of the piece required II and
there was no more discredit attaching to
the practice than TO Charlotte Cushman's
Romeo or Helen Faucits Rosalind. There
fore little George Wilson Gin the stage bills
she used to he called Miss Georgina Mel
vile, or Beville, or some such fine name)
although she hardly ever knew what it was
to tread the boards in woman's attire, was
yet as good girl as could easily be found
in any sphere or any pctticoat.
Georgina was very happy. She and her
mother lodged in pretty, pleasant little
house on the south side of London. The
house had a tiny patch of garden in front,
and another scrap behind, each about the
size of a table-cloth and there were not
only roses in each garden, but there was a
vine creeping up the wall which positively
bore grapes, real grapes, that were succu-
lent and good to eat in the autumn, al
though the place was so near London that
George always walked to her rehearsals
when the day was fine. She and her moth
er had very few Enthusiastically say, in
deed, outside the bounds of the profession.
George had curly black hair and bright
eyes and bright teeth, and, despite her con-
slant consumption Of the midnight oil ex-
hailed by the foot-lghts, she was clear
complexioned, fresh, healthy, happy girl.
Georgna and her mother always went to
church on Sundays. They belonged to the
Established church of England-at least
they always attended the services of that
church. II is not likely that Georgina ever
troubled herself to think about the compar-
alive theolo yical merits of one dcnomna-
ton and the other. But there came to a
dissenting chapel not very far from where
Mrs. Wis n lived You g, imprisoned,
energetic. thrilling preacher, who created
quite Stir; and, one Il y, young friend
of GeorgiDa's took he 10 hear the orator.
Rev. Joseph Shelton rs young man with
glowing dark eyes, ~ mobile face full Of eX-
preston, magnificent voice, and wond-
rous natural gift of graceful, appropriate,
and commanding gesture. He seemed ter
iibly in earnest, but mere earnestness never
yet made an orator AID this preacher had
other, and, in an artistic sense, far higher
gifts. Whatever the subject of his dis
course, Georgina must have listen d but
this sermon had painful, an appalling fas-
oil ion for hnr Of of
the stage. Pitiesslv, pqthctically, passion
ately, the orator exposed the holowness,
the morbdness, the temptations, the sins,
the shameful tendencies of the stage.
Above all, he condemned it as a place for
women. He drew CHASTITY picture of the
actress-his typical actress-as diagrace
10 wOmanhood, lure and curse 10 man
hood. While he thus denounced the stage
and actors, the preacher proved himself
the most magnificent OF actors in the high
artistic sense How dull and formal and
wooden seemed, of Georginas aroused
mind, all the wigged and padded Richards
and strangers, and Claude Melnottes, to
whose monotonous and mechanical declam-
alton she had so long been accustomed!
What a terrible fascination there was in
listening to him and looking up at him 1t
was as if Eve when driven out of Paradise
where, amidst all her shame and horror, to
be thrillrd by sense of the wondrous
beauty and majesty of the expelling angel
who brandished the flaming sword. For,
indeed, to poor George Wilson's aroused
and startled mind, the denunciations of The
preacher seemed nothing short of an awful
communication authorized anathema
expellng her, the actress, from the pre-
cincts of heaven. In the midst of tie
whole listening, admiring, enrapt copgrc-
oh. II.
the one white, affrighted face.
''Well what did you think of that s"asked
her companion, Bessie Burrows, as they
came out of the church together "Isn't
he splendid"
ooh yes, it was terrible. 1t quite terrified
me Oh, Bessie, are we so bad as that
''As what, dear"
GAS he said we were-all of us Is ii SO
bad to be on the stage ?"
sob, nonsense What does he know
about it? didn't care for that part of the
sermon at all they all talk in that kind of
way-and much they know about it . Let
them talk. 1t is easy talking it doesn't
hurt any Of u.s."
'Didn't it hurt you, Bessie"
''Not bit. What do | care | must
live, and am not doing any harm, and all
the parsons in the world shan't persuade
1
not"
George did not follow up the discussion.
There would be no use in trying to explain
her feelings to this sensible, easy going,
matter-of-fact girl and George shrank
from having her newly-awakened con-
science exposed, just as she would from
something that hurt her modesty. For
she really was very modest girl, though
she played the parts of pantomime princes.
She was very silent, all that evening, and
she thought great deal, in her own way
She trembled, too, and all the future seemed
lurid and fearful.
Next morning, Rev. Joseph Shelton sat
at his desk IN his study opening letters as
fat as he could, tearing up some, hastily
answering others, and putting aside others
again.
A young girl with veil over her face,
neatly dressed, but Enthusiastically poor,
came to see. She had slnguarly grace
full, gentle presence; and she came into
the room in tremulous, timid way, which
was itself touching appeal. Mr. Shelton
was at once prepossessed in her favor. He
rose politely and offered her chair. Judge
of his utter amazement when she fell upon
her knees before him and sobbed out =
"Oh, sir i heard you preach, yesterday
morning, and it has made me wretched.
Tell mech, tell me, cannot be saved ?"
''Get up, to begin WITH said Shelton,
with sort of kindly roughness. purposely
assumed. 81 am not Roman Catholic
confessor. and i don't want any one kneel-
ing. Take a chair and tell me what you
wish to say"
George Wilson got up and accepted his
offer of a chair. She raised her veil, and
the preacher at once recognized the pretty
iace which had looked up so pale and fear
full when he, yesterday, denounced the
stage. 1t was just as pale and fearful
now.
Yesterday said poor George, you
preached against the stage-and actresses
on, sir, am an actress, and can not be
saved 7" u.
There was something 10 the naieete OF