Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-03-11
Marion HarIand's Talk to Theater-
loving GfrIs--The Woman Who
Prayed at the Theater'
u,,vs women should AvOid-Parents
fiH E.one In Prohibiting Children from
Attending Good Plays
shan the Theatre BsoOm's PerniciouS In
Iu Influences Upon GirIS-Indeh-
cate Plots.
uJtten for Gazette
(CopyrightedI 1885,

ions. arbitrarily clsssed as worldly,
therefore OIL scIionable:
81 long ago came to the conclusion that
..,re ia no surer way of making an indif-
;..an+ thing into bad one, than for good
HnonIe TO refrain from doing it."
Fsnropos to this is the true anecdote OF
5e,r old gentlewomsn, brought up Tin
80 nurture Of the Lord and the admont-
-, NJ the Westminster CatechisD, who
n US nersuded by her married daughter to
,oo Joseph Jefferson in Rip Van Wrinkle.
ne daughter took box for 8 matinee,
~ Installed her mother in the most con-
,nicnous. because the most comfortable
.k,ir therein. The mouse was full when
.5pv entered, and the lovely old lady, on
t,king her seat, reverently bent her head
rno 1er hand in YoiCeless prayer. Every
5pdv saw her, and tn NIX nobody smiled.
Tbe daughters remonstrauce, when the
iIttIe orison was over, was tender, not
impatient.
HThst is not customary in place Of
,mnsement, dear mother!"
81 attend no service, religious or secu-
lar upon which l cannot ask blessing,
nv child" said the placid saint. st
PAM tells US that all Gods gifts are
UODQ, aQu DOlulus w " ASAAoNNj - eA-SJ
he received with thank giving"
With the same singleness OF heart sne
Witnessed this, her first dramatic enter
tsipment, and, il her prayers that night,
doubtless gave thanks for an afternoon OF
innocent Enjoyment
Tboussnos of sincere Christians, exem-
mary in their daily walk snd converse
ZION, as consistent IN keeping their hearts
unsDotted from the world as in visiting
the widow aud the f4therless in their al
acuon, go now openly TO see Rip Van
Wrinkle, Julius Ca ar, and other plays as
uuex5eptionable. By their countensnce
Of what is pure and eleVating,
ihgy make WhsU was once at the
best "indiffsren" s good thing. II re-
0uires less boldness of conviction 70 act
as they do, and to write IS l am doing,
than was required when Church-people
stole into the opera house, and even
Booths we'll guarded thestGr, in unrecog
nizible gowns and hats, and sat still in
their places, faciZg the curtain until the
house was nearly empty, lest they might
encounter SCquaintanCes on the way out.
Their Clear-e souls FdesCried;no more
harm in seeing tnsn in reading" Hamlet"
but since some good people do, and "the
world" crlticises Inconsistencies il
church mem ers sharply, it was an avoid
snce OF the appearance OF evil to 60 Sc
CT tly lest the weak brother be msde TO
offend.
Whatever may have been the status Of
the weak bTUtner in Paul's times, he has
long been granted the chief seat in the
synagogue more than is healthful fol
himself, and lust to better and stronger
msn. Concessions made 10 his feeble
understanding are accepted by him as
tributes to MS COnsequ nee, and ne uses
theIl mercilessly. The Church, or the
men and women composing it, response
BILE to God aad to theirs0wn cOnsciencesi
not TO our bigoted brothers.; reading the
Holy Word by the light poured upon ii
from 8 higher source than Mr. Feeble
Minds ho5n lantern, now dare to Judge
and to act for themselves.
It is twenty years since l heard a
declaration to this effect from mother
who had taken her children 20 see Jefer-
son in his best role, and, returning, found
a,Visitor, clergyman, awaiting her. He
was surprised and shocked to Learn
where she had been, and gently said 81
much.
1.-THE children had resd the story" she
answered. "There is not syllable in i
that could harm them. 1 preter-since
they hear much of dramatic representa-
lions, and cannot but be curious to see
thGm-to form their tsste in this regard
as in others. l have promised. tC
let them see reslly fine play:
Oy genuine artists as often as
think best, provided they engag;
10 visit no place of amusement clendes
timely, and never ask to be taken to infe.
rior entertainments. We have down fol
this winter Henry ", Julius ca ar
Macbeth, ana Hamlet. Before seeing
them acted we will study them st home
"But the example, my dear madam"
"And the weak, easily offended broth
er? l knoWl Let US hope he die
not see the scores of clergy
men who thronged last week to neal
Fanny Kemble Butler Iecite Midsummer
Nights Dream, orh-With playful malice
1.-THE pious de6cons and their families
who paid admission fees at the door o
Jour church to hear Vhndephoff resC
Hamlet for the benefit Of the Womsn'G
Benevolent Society"
The good man colored and laughed.
"Tell the whole story! The light Of
the temporary platform being poor
Mr.. Ysndenhoff had to read from the pull
pitt"
Private thestricals and psrlor drama
were long regarded SIS many degrees les
obnoxious than the same plays bette
performed by professional actors Of
the regular stage. Some of the fiattes
farces it has ever been my miser
10 behold were melodrAmas given for be
nevolent objects in halls and drawing
rooms, and attended by the weakest o
ssnCtimonious brethren and sisters
There were stage, drop curtain, foot
lights, be-henna- ed, land be-rouged &C
tors aud actresses-only doing wretched
ly what the profession does well. Let u
be honest and fearless in considerin
questions of this stamp. We weaken tn
force Of righteous denuuciation Of Soso
lutte sin in loose judgment Of thst Whic
may be abused inIo wrong 1t Is not S
long since that as many excellent peopl
diszpproved of novel reading-and 8
conscientiously-as Of thester going; in
cluded vicious and pure fiction in tn
ssme category. Girls and boys read TO
mances then "on the sly" IS their grand
daughters now attend matinees unde
color of doing an afternoon shopping @
visiting the Metropolitan Museum, an
their grandsons patroniZe"v6riety shows
when they are supposed to be spending
quiet evening "With fellow" around tn
corner. Young people will have smuse
ments, and their elders days would b
longer in the land II they themselves he
more recreation from the routine {
wearing care and toll.
Anthony Comstock has no qusrrel wit
Thsckeray or Dickens, or Mrs. Mulocs