The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-11-28
Ghe Gmtetligettcer>
wHEELlNG, ". VA, NovE.EEM.s, 1888


was one Of the privileged lev who saw
and heard Clara Morris as Mercy Merrick,
in "The New Magda!en," at the Opera
House, the other night. Exceptionally
good as the acting was, tho story OF the
play had for me a greater interest. The
authors motive is 10 show vice in it's own
form; to hold the mirror up 10 society,
that it NAV see itself reflected there.
Mercy MerTick, the progeny, oil SID was
iaIlen almost from the cradle. father-
less from her biItn, motherless ct child
hoods tender time; homeless, lriendiess'
penniless, with no knowledge OF the world,
It's uuicksands, it's shoals, It's rugged rocks
an outcsst in the great and bad city oil
London. Poor soul, she might have stray
ed into the paths Of virtue and comfort
and the peaceful life Of an honest home.
1t might have happened 10 her as in the
story books, that some rich and titled
LADY,, herselfchildiess, struck by the marve-
lous beauty OF the little match girl, took
her TO her Own sHmpeHous hoEaeGnd made
A fine lady OF her. II did happen that
abe was sent to the wOrkhouse as a beg
gar-the lint notice society bad taken OF
her existence; 1t did happen later that
man appeared on the scene, and, with the
aid OF narcotic draught, put upon the
child the stain OF his own sin. Alter tins
ali ismisery, Indebtedness, Tor Mercy WerTlck
-iruitlesa efforts to get back" to an hon
est and reputable iii.--Rhe who had only
her poverty and her honor when she
iell-no! wnGn she was rutely hurled
into vice!
Well, wha. is the use q weaving this
into story and putting ii on the stage?
l suppose Mr.. Wiikie Collins desired to
laah the public conscience in tho hobo Of
arousing it from its torPor-to show 60
ciety how it couniyes at vice, how it en-.
courages men to make the downward way
easy-oh, 80 easy for the other sex-and
the regaining oil the heights 20 hard.-to
show that the Mercy MeFFick' may be
never 60 honest and earnest, society
hounds them 1t every tu'n, refuses TO al
low them TO reinst2je themselves. For
the sin OF suffering great wrong there il
no expiation-there arc no waters 10 wash
out the Scarlet Letter. All! the Hester
PrsnatIl how they are tried in the fire
Mercliul Father Of the fatherlcss and the
friendless! viii the world forever treat its
hRpless women with injustice and hypsC-
risy damn them for being bad and give
them no chance to be good! Refugees
there are, yer but they c0nnot all remain
in refugees forever. Work-that is the
first thing; shelter under u reputable
roof; the worlds irse pardon upon the
sole condition Of good beh2yioE-a parole,
II you please. do you want such wo-
man as companion for your young dAugh-
teri" 1 did not set my heart upon my
daughter marrying negro, but did re-
gard slavery as u crime against humanity.
For raising his voice agains: the vicious
pastimes OF privileged class, IN English
editor is now in jail, his hair cropped close,
the snowy prison garb upon him. The
protected roueg wear stars and garters and
powdered wigs, and hug the laws COM
forting assurance that it will have no dis
gushing disclosures msde against the
Q leen's Annointed. England has been
pioneer against the slave trade, and her
guns have carried into China the priceless
boon Of the opium traffic.
Iheard lady speaking OF Miss Morris's
performance, fluid fault with the audience
because Of its Coldness. ! think she
wrongsd the people who were present.
Mary Anderson once gave an unusually
fine rendition at the Opera House here
OF the role OF Eyadne. There was scarcely
Q ripple OF applause du-ing the evening.
Miss Anderson complained OF this 10 her
step-lather, Mr.. Griffin, who very sensibly
told her that she never played 10 q more
appreciative audience. heard him repeat
the conversation, aud he took the same
view as did Miss Anna Dickinson, who
spoke OF her shameiaIly small audience
here when she read her tragedy, Azure
lian," as the most delightful gathering
she ever attempted to entertain. Said
she: "During the entire time was on the
stage the audience was as silent as II the
house had been empty. Now, consider
applause vulger in comparison to such
testimonial as that"
X
This remark applies with equal force to
Miss Morris's performance here. When
an audience maintains breathless silence
Tor a quarter OF an hour, losing sight OF all
things but the performance on the stage,
itisR mark Of appreciation beside which
applause is weak and insincere. But
heard a gentleman pay Miss Morris
higher compliment, the highest think,
an actress ever received. He said that in
one OF the scenes in 1.-THE New Magdalen"
he lost sight OF his surroundings, and
witnessing Mercy MsrrickS shame in the
recital OF her story, he Involuntary
turned away as il he had no right to wit
ness a scene intended only for the two
when the woman was addressing
4
Has Anybody Told You
That II isn't polite to use the carving