The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-01-02
REPLY TO DIR. NESBIT.
A Spicy Letter From q Well
Known Actress.

The following letter. directed to the
press of this city, was received frsm .
member Of Forhans dramatic company:
One summer day. after . brisk shower, !
sat at my window watching q throug of
idlers who leaned lszily against the shop
windows. Among others was one, large,
heavy-built man, whose cOunieuxrce b.
trayed far less intelligence than the most
Insignificant puppy l ever saw. He vas
leaning against a cigar sign, and with bis
heel was crushing the many little angle
worms driven from their home by the late
storm, and who were struggling with ali
their little might to gain place OF safety.
| can fern some conception now an ignor-
ant, ill-bred man could delight in such an
| action, but how an educated man, one
whose profession is to do good, can enjoy
crushing his fellow-beins, is beyond my
conception.
That there are those in the dramatic pro-
fesssien who are disgrace to it or to any
profession, cannot be denied, any more
than that, there are ministers who are a
disgrace to the pulpit and would be dis
grace 10 the stage as we'll. fail to see
what difference it makes to-day where or
from what, or ia honor OF whom the dra-
matte profession originated. / thought
that superstition Was out Of date with
common sense people. What has mylbol-
Ogy 10 do with the Stage to-day? Good
example Of that in the death of sur Lord
Because a child comes of evil parents, is it
inevitable that the child will follow in the
same path? Frequently, / grant you, but
not always. When il does. it is more often
the force OF circumstances imam any wick
edness Of heart that drives it there OF
what consequence what Plato, Taciius,
Rossean or VOltaire thought of the thea
tire? Because it was bad then must it need
be SO now? With all due respect 10 Mr.
Edwin Booth, think Re must have b ad
very little faith in the minds of his
vile and daughter if he thought any
drama they mis- ht witness would
narm them more than himself. AS
there are bad sermons, bad dry goods, bad
concerts, bad groceries, SO are there bad
plays; and some OF them never fail 10
draw good houses aud win the applause of
The audience and ore above all others
and which mothers and fathers ministers
at that take their children to see, is Rip
Van Wrinkle, u play devoid of reason; a
play i'm which the hero is a drunken vsg-
abond, who demands that bis wife shall
support him in idieness and drink, and
when she can endure her burden DO longer
and turns him from home, the whole audi
euce cry out to her, Shame! Shsmew
an happy TO say there are lew such plays
on the Stage. IL society wishes TO reform
the drama, let society condemn such
plays.by Withholding their patronage. Ii
society wishes to reform the ACTORS in
snch dramas, (theugh why they need it
more than other people can not see, let
them 60 about quiely, and not make
great show of themselves. and when a man
has fallen not tramplc him still deeper in
The mud by throwing bis sin before the
world. 'Do unto others as you would
others should do unite you''-but this is
awfullv old-fashioned, nearly nineteen
hundred years cid
In conclusion. would say that the
stage, and the people ON il, aR not one
whit worse than the church and the peo-
pie in it. l have been in both, and speak
from experience, not as Mr.. Nesbit does,
from what they say. have the pleasure
to remain, Most sincerely yours,
EUNICE GOODRICH.