Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-08-03


same light. As his employer was pres
ent a. all the rehearsals he took his
lesson very quietly.
Although The first nights audience
was more friendly than critical it was
easily seen before the act drop fell for
the second time that the new Juliet
was complete failure. Stll. she was
X ndly treated by the audience there
being something winsome about the
girl that aroused their sympathy.
Il seems hardly necessary TO write
that 1t was her reading that was the
most severely criticised the next morn
ing. Her action was said 10 bee bad.
her movements awkward; but no word
seemed strong enough 10 use in writ
ing of her deliver. unless it might
have been ''clocut onnry" though ell
ocui on is concisely defined rs ~ prop
er delivery of words.
Besides the crt tic SIN Of Marion's
work. Mark Downes had to bear IN.
other forui OF comment that must have
been even more tr ing 10 him. She
had been advertised rs II beauty. yet
the people to whom she pla eel. more
accustomed TO beautiful women than
were the provncials in her native place.
found Il mutt tude of faults in her.
Her head was said to be too large. her
face To lack expression, her hair TO be
"A poor color. She was accused of hav-
ing big feet and hips mach too broad
for her shoulders. Had these remarks
reached Marion's ears, as they did
those of her hacker. they would have
broken her heart, for. with the perver-
sily of human nature, she would have
been more sensitive about her appear
unce-wh ch she could not help-than
about her act nc.
1t had been planned 10 play Romeo
and Juliet" the first half of the week.
and then to put on new emotional
drama, and dupl cate Marions success
as Juliet" with her performance of n
modern society BELLE SO. on Thurs.
dav. after two nights of empty benches,
the new play was tried before we'll
filled house-a house consisting. like
many Western CITY" of paper,
chiefly. High hopes were entertained
that the young actress would ach eve
success N the new part, less exact
ING than the Shakespearean heroine,
and with no predecessor in the role to
be compared with. But her failure
was more complete than before, if that
were possible. She had no idea of the
character of Juliet" and she was no
better now in that respect, while her
artificial delivery sounded worse than
it did in the blank verse Aud that's
saying great deal.
And alas for the style and the elc-
CANT costumes from which SO much
was expected In her personation of
the highborn lady something was AT
once seen TO he lack Nc. 1t was the
effort of one not born TO the purple.
and not clever enough 10 rise to IT,
The long gowns concealed her feet bet
ter than did the Juliet costumes.
but under the influence of tournure
and draper es she settled into her usual
walk-mot a graceful one to z critical
observer. Ii was not a walk at all. but
manner of sailing along, induced by
her vanity ard the attention she at
tracted at home.
Mark Downes paid the expense. of
his venture To the last cent; hut in that
week he got enough OF theatr cal spec
ulation He did not like losing his
money very well. either; aad. try as
hard rs he co@ld 20 avoid it, he could
not help blaming Mar on 10 4 great eX-
tent for his misfortune. His eyes had
been opened. too TO the fact that she
was not by any means the beauty he
had thought her. while her Lack of feel
ing was manifest in the way she took
the result of the week eXper ment-
regarding 1t simply az it affected her.
self seeming 10 care nothing for his
losses. and showing no signs of graft
tgde for the efforts he had Made IN her
behalf
If she had treated him differently he
might have married her. despite Of her
failure as an actress; but, confident in
the power Of her beauty 10 make for
her an even better match. she let him
90 hi, way. Aud that way led bin a
greet deal into the society Of Miss Dora
MAY the orphaned daughter of brew
er. Dora be- your pardon; on such
short acqua ntancc-Miss MAY was
plain, pcdautic, PioHs and prejudiced
She regarded theaters as the invention
of them fact she thought they were
no better than they ought to be-and
she was worth half million. SO Mark
married Miss Nav.
If Marion Tay Tor bad been content TO
vcloped into n tolcrahlc actress. but
after her ,iaScO a. star she had no
ambition left Not that she was crush.
ed by her "a lure nature was not
strong enougii Tor that-but she sim
ply dropped the whole matter and went
home TO be the bell of her circle again.
When Mark married. she q Il not care;
but as years passed and no wealthy
husband came she wished him back
again. But no deeper feel NJ than this
stirred her nature AMI after while
she married mechanic in comfortable
circumstances She makes him good
wife, because she is at her proper level
and her nature Is too weak for what
ight-have-beens to trouble her. She
is phIegmatic and happy aud she gets
fatter and fatter every year. -NeU
York Ciipper.