Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-15
THE TOPICAL TALKER.
There Was Just Such Weather In Shake-
speare's Day, and He Immortalized it In
Titania's Lines-Ethics of Criticism

spenre's Day, and He Immortalized Il In
Titania's Lines-Ethics of Criticism
Mrs. Kendal's Alden.
IF you only look long enough and close enough
in Shakespeare you may see lines apropos to
| anything ar everything. Now look at the topsy-
turvey weather we have had to put up with for
more than a year; summer without heat,
| autumn like spring, winter warm and balmy,
and spring like winter ought to be. Who
| would imagine for a moment that the Tate
| lamented Bill" as Artemus Ward calls Avons
Bard, had touched upon just such meteoro-
| logical conditions? But he has all the same.
Searching for another line or two in Mid
summer Nights Dream, 1 lit upon the follow
ing speech in scene 2 act lit is Iitdiaid, the
queen of the fairies. who speaks:
Tho human mortas want their winter here;
| No night is now with hymn or carol blest,
| Therefore the moon, the governess of foods,
| Pale in her anger washes all the air,
That rheumatic diseases do abound.
And through this dlstemperature we see
The seasons alter: hoary-headed frosts
Fall In the fresh lap of the crimson rose;
And on old Hyem's chin, and ley crown.
An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds
Is as in mockery, set; the spring. the summer,
The chilling autumn, angry winter, change
Their wonted liveries; and the 'maZed world,
By their increase, now knows not which is which
And this same progeny of evils comes
From our debate, from our dissention
We are their parents and original.''
So
THAT is our case precisely. The 'mazed world
cannot tell which is which, autumn, spring,
winter and summer have got SO plaguedly con-
fused. IifdniaI tells Oberon that the seasons
are out of sorts because of their failure to
agree about the little changeling boy-the
small Indian whom Iftdnid declines to give up
to Oberon.
This passage has been quoted by commenta-
tors to determine the date of the play. The
years 1888 and 1894 we're both remarkable for
destructive storms and unreasonable weather
the year through. 1t is thought that Shakes
peare was alluding to these meteorological dis
turbances and it sounds reasonable enough.
1t is something of a blow to the theory ad-
vanced by not a few of late that the seasons
are changing, if the very same phenomena were
SO markedly visible Just three hundred years
ago. But it must be remembered that in
Shakespeare's day no signal service or meteoro-
logical bureau existed to complicate matters
and keep the attention of the public riveted on
the fckleness of the weather.
80
THAT remarkably able and honest writer on
theatrical matters. who signs herself Max
Eliot, answers the question, How far is the
public warranted In Inquiring into and discuss
ing the personal character of an actress? SO
well that am constrained to quote her upon
the subject. 1t is question which is very often
brought to the front in these days. Max Eliot
says: IF an artist pleases her audiences and
gives them the benefit Of her talent, that is all
the public has to do with it. If she is a beauti-
full woman, a charming actress and admirable
vocalist and fulfls her part of the contract she
has undertaken to her manager, it strikes me
that is all an audience has to say as to what she
does outside of the theater.
Mind you, this is only on condition that they
know her but as the actress. If they desire to
meet her as the private individual, then another
condition of things must take place. 1t is time
enough when one wishes to ask an actor or
actress to dine with one and introduce them
into ones home to inquire into their personal
traits and moral standing. 1t Is time enough,
then, to discuss the weaknesses they have COM
mitted and the omissions they ought not to
have left undone.
when it comes however, to defi1ing the
reputation of a good woman and clever artist,
l am exasperated, indeed"
a..
A FTER their final performance at the Fifth
Avenue Theater, New Y ork. last Satur-
day evening the Kendals made speeches of
thanks Mrs. KendaPs remarks included this
verse of her own writing:
So If your friendship keeps us still in view,
And If remembrance die not in your heart,
There will be less of sorrow in adieu,
And this farewell be healed OF a smart.
Seas may divide US then, yet sunder not;
They are not absent who are not forgot.
Which is pretty little sentiment neatly put,
1 take it.