Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-30

world Is quick to cry out, ''There
is nothing there but the face. -
Who knows? l wish some one of
them would forget the face and work out
the rest and give the world the beauteous
spectacle of loveliness and intellect! If
sue, ess were not such stupefier the
world might hope to see rare sights.
Well, when we have laid down the
| heavy burden of personal feelings, have
| buckled on the armor of industry, and
| have acquired intelligence enough to look
after our health the way Is clear and
good walking. Any woman thus equipped
| can earn fair living; If to these other
qualities she adds thrift, an excellent
living, which will result in a comfortable
! and happy old age. The nomadic change
full life of the actor ought to make a
pleasant prospect of stationary old age.
and the practical truths 1t teaches us
| concerning variety and the heart IS delu-
sions ought TO leave US in the right frame
of mind for it.
Life is not pleasanter in any class of
society than in this profession, Every
sense seems to be satisfied. The world IS
denizens envy us-that is the cause of
their bitterness; they want the constant
novelty, the free and bracing society,
the pleasant friendships, the generous
tolerance, the ready sympathy which we
enjoy. Circumstances deny it to them,
and out of revenge they look down upon
us. Contempt is such satisfactory wea-
pom; nothing blunts its edge, neither
happiness nor philosophy. l do not
mean to say that with the privilege we
do not take the penalty. 7 do not mean
to say many lives are not lost, many
souls are not stunted by force of these
pleasant circumstances. Because people
are reckless and dash their small boats
on whatever rocks there may be in the
river, we will not deny that the river is
refreshing and beautiful, and might be
and is enjoyable.
The fad of elevatlng the stage is alb
surd, and the maddest of stage elevation
cranks would probably find her time fully
occupied If she spent il on elevating her.
self. Present time comedies that the
stage is no worse than society, and his
tory plainly records that kings went far
ahead of actors in their search for the
''joy of life.'' The revolutions which
have bIazoned so many truths to the
eyes of the long suffering and stupid
masses have dragged down the screens
from garnet to cellar; we see people
pretty much as they are, and we notice
they are remarkably alike.V Society
opens its doors to actors. Yes. But do
not let us consider it a medal for good
conduct. On the contrary society says
to US, "For several hundred years we
have lived under the delusion that we
were better than you. What ridicu-
lous Misrepresentation ! Let US be
friends. -
The stage will not change for better or
worse except as human nature changes
Why should it? The path that is full of
opportunities for weakness or strength is
not worse than another; on the con-
trary, it is richer, and we better fulfill
our destiny by walking in it and making
a brave fight fer victory. Nothlug is
gained by skulking along the by-paths
and shrinking from contests; the time
will come, in this world or another,
when we shall have to show up our
strength. What credit and what adj
vantage will it be to us to hold up flabby
muscles and shaking handS9 The world
has no mercy on us while we are testing
our strength. We do not want it; what
is it worth? The praise of the world will
not make us good; the contempt Of the
world cannot make US contemplate.
Some of US think it can, and there is our
slavery and despair. The way is dark,
and we stumble! Oh, the shame of it!
Will the world lend US helping hand?
Certainly it will. gladly enough, if it
can put on us the penitent g uniform and
lord 1t over US with its own virtue. We
stand It as long as we eau, and then we
steal back to our old haunts, sick with
the conviction that we have lost the
taste of virtue. But virtue is not a
white statue that few rich women can
put up IN the square nearest their homes;
virfN1 10 rfpST .aR hfrrH liV,cr
words and hypocritical grimaces; virtue
is not to be founo IN your pocket-boo
no, not even in your Bible. Virtue is in
your own wholesome, genial, eontented,
active mind. II you have got that,
don It worry about your acts; be sure
you cannot have il if your acts are evil.
What women have most to fear in this
profession is that, with the best of mo-
tives, we can drift into painful, often
times degrading situations. It is i'm
possible TO get knowledge except by ex-
perience. and ignorance Is a fatal shield
with which to face the world. If we
would look upon our first few and uu-
Hyoidable mistakes as experience for
future use, and let that thought over
power the pain and humiliation of the
present, il would help as. There is not
one act in q human life that cannot be
turned to good account. That is.the re-
ligion men ought to preach-good can be
forced out of evil. ''Whst good from
broken hearts?'' hear you cry. Ami
hilation of self; the lifting up of a petty.
narrow, ignorant nature to the broad
heights of human impersonal emotion.
Try it; get Whit of the fresh air of
those spiritual mountains, and you will
be 10th to redeseend to your heartache.
What good from defeated ambition,
humiliating failure? The chance to set
our hearts on something more worth our
pains. On what? On character, the
only thing on which no conscientious eff
tort is lost, the only possession We have
the slightest warrant to hope will escape
the rapscious hand OF death.
MAUDE BANKS.