The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-03-25
hMI.SEMI,iNT9.
The seriou. Season The Approach OF Anna
and soiidity.

Itself, com" slowly up this way. bringing from
the Pacific slope a strong desire to keep alive in
ua the love Of tragedy. and wearing the sandals,
If not the MANTLE OF Forrcst--but Miss Dickin-
son, with an austerc determination 10 reform so
much Of the drama as shc can covor with her
train, plants her defensive, and. shall say. Of
frnsivc. banner on the Eagle Theatre. where
late the sweet birds sang
Probably nothing moro serious than Miss
Dickinson could well brood over us at this
season.
never saw her net: but, good heavens!
have heard her talk. Is she not woman?
Who il there has not felt her influence or
all the noble and indomiabo fair ones who
carry about them the sharp atmosphere Of af
reimbursement, is there ono has doubled her
fists up oftoncr in battling for the right. or Civ
en- her soul with such intrcpdity both TO the
Goddess Of Liberty and the histrionic muse2
l never saw her act. but | shudder little
when | think of her. Perhaps / am little
prciudiced. and have somehow imbibcd the
notion that the divine aggressivencss Of the sex
will not win the same plaudits in the theatre
that 1t won In the lecture room. Perhaps |
remember too distinctly that when Anna
doubled up her pink fists to battle for the rights
Of nations she always made us think she was
going to kncad bread.
idiotc notion that she left II green cotton UNI
brclla at the door when she came upon the lee
turc stand. Perhaps her keeping step so long
To the music Of the Union gave her to my eye a
sturdy gait that | could not associate with a
scnsuous art.
Then. again. may have somehow got It into
my foolish head that long-haircd men and
sharp-vsagtI women were TO take possession
Of the Eagle Theatre On the night of her per-
Torrance. and commence ,s;tling nobly for the
right with their cotton umbrellas rs soon as
Anna walked on.
Perhaps in my natural timidty feared th,t
the rrcprcssiblc woman who proved 10 the
world that she could write better play-or at
least. better female charartor-than Shakes
pcare, might insist upon proving 10 the world
that she could play it better than Srdons or
Rachel.
Whatever may have been my fears. my prciu-
dices. or my doubts. one thing was ccrtain-I
tr'mbled little with the rest Of the human race
when Annals name was mentioned.
had always pictured her as Joan of Arc
and. not being of heroic turn Of mind. always
avoided meeting her. for fear that She would
first convince mo that | was born WRONG. and
then annihilate me for an accident that had
No. power to prcvent
fan led that when sh, came upon the lra-
matte stage she throw a elance Of s,orn and
contempt upon tho miserable wr.t.h.a who
cume thore 10 chronicle her merits and d.ea1
them 90 say one word that she could NOT dis.
prove with her pm or oilitcrate with tho ,ht-
ming %. her viriuOu~ In lignation.
y ~. there is nothing In the world ,hat rno,l,
people OF my Sex dislike 50 much as to 70. at
tackled anil pcrs scuted 10y this f.ro,ions Kind ~
female talent.
Men. as a rule. ndmire conius ovon Il, NOR.
sons who are not mon. lint th.v hat, to h.. r',l.d
10y genius with a rolofirHn.
Then. again, | could never max, nm nv mind
mat the stage and the audiences Of our day
were quite prepared for the virtue Of Miss Dick
inson.
You must understand that the stage ne ,ro
have it. is not quite up 10 tho New England for
mula in these things. 1t doesn't caro- So much
about paradine virtue as it docs about cxploa-
ing shams. II is a iolly. FREQ. amiable sort ~
world that reflects all phases of life alike. and.
never forces any laws Of its own upon us.
| fancy VI IS Anna is too good. too severe. too
awfully and ineXorahly normal and moral ANA
proper in her art to touch tho old Adam in Us.
| get this notion from her lectures and from her
letters Ia the papers And Of course treuihl. "A
little; what man, confes-ing himself To- b., I'M
man. does not trcmble in the presence Of supor
human goodness. whether il be at the country
funeral or in the play house.
pause before going to SEQ her not. and ask
myself am | w1rthy-haye | pur.,ed my soul of
all guile? Does it como me-. a mere man.
with unconscious nervous centres and .pin,l
-y-t,m. 10 lo0kupu thr azure my-t.ryY
CanI hope % grasp. even motaphorically. the
breadth and length OF the creature. who alone
Of all her race is caualle Of treatin, her SIX