The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-01
CURRENT TOPICS.
Margaret Mather, New Book and
IngersolPs Latest Speech.

New YORK, June 29-The case of Mar
garet Mather VS.. j. M. Hill fills up the gap
made in theatrical matters by the close of
the season. 1t is the old story of the fac
titious celebrity turning on her maker.
Miss Mather is the Galatea of Pygmalion
Hill He took her out of the quarry Of oh
SECURITY and carved her int theatrical fame.
He made n specific contract with the block
of marble to do it, and a. soon as the block
began to take o form aNd attract attention,
it found voice enough to say that If would
have grown into beauty and eloqnence in
spite of Mr.. Hill; 1t was the inherent quality
of all blocks of marble to develop into
Parian statues without sculpt0rs. Mr..
Manager Hill has been trying TO prove in
court that this is not true. But Mather
looks over the top of her fan, acts, winks
and smiles, and there is a general tendency
to believe in the block.
| suppose the professional success of
Mather during the past five years is one of
the most glaring examples on record of the
modern theatrical methods of manu-
featuring popular success I"saw Miss
Mather when Mr.. Hill made her contract
five years ago. She already had a contract
with an actor named George Edgar. She
told Mr. Fl II that she was FREQ, and broke
her contract with Edgar to sign with Hill.
AT Uildb UliIl6 Su0 was as lBlOTHlL US any
woman ever encountered who wanted TO
play Shakesperiau roles She could rot
read the lines of Juliet without inverting
the sense and violating TIE commonest
rules of grammar. She struck me as
woman without breeding or art association.
She was coarse in delivery and reckless i'm
action. She could not carry on CONVERSE
ton about acting. But she palpitated from
head to foot with animal passion a certain
impetuous consciousness colored all she did,
and Mr.. Hill thought she could be educated
and shaped. AT all events he undertook to
educate and shape her, and to awaken pub
lie curiosity in her..
In one respect he was remarkably SUCCESS
full He made the public believe in her. He
bulletined her from Penobscot to Pensa-
cola. l watched the rising tide of enthusi-
asm with interest All that Mather did was
to sit still when she was not acting and see
the world move.
when she is famous and great how will
you hold herF' | asked Mr.. Hill one day. II
depend on her loyalty" said he. '7'7,
1t is a strange anomaly that practical
business men in that profession have to-
Managers all over the country are watch
ing the trial with interest TO see if a cast
iron contract with an actress is worth any
thing bit the paper it is written on.
Something of a sensation has been created
mere III ilutIdTN ClICibS 10y n1fB. DeluuuS
book, John Ward, Preacher" | confess
that could not for several days shake off
the terrible impression made on my mind
by it. A great deal has been written about
Miss Rive's Quick and the Dead, " but here
is book that beside it is like the fathomless
depths of the ocean beside shallow sunlit
pond.
This will appear all the more remarkable
to you when / tell you that the novel deals
a n. 10
puts Agnosticism and Calvinism4 side by
side / don't think any such terrible blow
has been dealt at the doctrine Of 'Reproba-
ton" as this imaginative story. deals, and
certainly no recent effort in fictitious liter
allure has drawn such pure, heroic ideal
and self sacrificing love as is hers set forth.
The book is one Of the signs of the times
and indicates what large share of the in
teliigent thought Of our day is given TO the
problems Of religion. .I.... ....
Apropos of this subject great deal Of
good -humored badinage has been expended
in town on what is called the descent OF
Bob lngersoll" in Chicago.
1t IL pretty well understood here that q
certain shallow following OF his expected
him to repeat his Blaine triumph in favor
of Gresham, and the egotism of the genial
pagan led him to believe he could The
consequences were sudden and disastrous
enough to be funny. Democrats and re-
acknowledged in everything else
united in laughing at Bob Free trade and
protection howled unanimously aud scott.
ingly Infdels and christians compromised
in denuncation Of it. | understood that
the general has stated to several of his prl-
vate friends that he intends TO confine him
self to Gladstone and lee politics alone
after this
1t will be a good thing for politics Both
tho hafDra fbn American
Pile are worthy, reputable, representative
citizens. and the system of defamation and
vituperation applied TO either ought 20 have
the heel Of reprobation planted on it at
once. NYM CRtSKLE.