The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-11-01

She certainly took sufficient exercise DUR
ing the play, but she did not enlist the SYM
pathy Of capital during the job. 1t is true
she has most difficult part. To portray
the violent and conflicting emotions of love
for devoted and brave fellow like Martial;
to show the dread and horror of death so
disgraceful as that of public execution, to-
gether with the workings of the abnormal
growth which she is using as conscience
and the violent hand to hand conflict be-
tween her love for Martial and her devo-
ton to the rules OF her church, all require
wonderful skill and power, so 1t is not sur
prising that Miss De Wolfe, whose strong
est recommendation is that she is s'well con-
nected,n does not seem to lay hold upon
those laurels which the American audience
Is only too ready and too willing to bestow
upon the slightest merit
To be well connected is great gift, but
it must be accompanied by genius and in
dustry. Look at Elliott F. Shepard. He
could not have succeeded even as he has if
he had not those together with means. Mr..
Shepard S wonderful SUCCESS as journalist
and after dinner speaker has been the re-
suit not alone of most talented marriage,
but because he has worked and toiled and
written up scoop after scoop and invited
people to dinner that he might interview
them vicariously by means of bright re-
porter concealed behind the arras, or the
screen, or the clotheshorse in the dining
room.
No, good blood and lofty and durable con-
nections alone will not win great things.
We must add to these ability, worth and
industry. Miss De Wolfe will perhaps do
better some day, but some of the audience
seemed to doubt that even. She has not
ever
TIE FATAL GIFT OF BEAUTY.
This of course is no crime, an glad to
state, but where a rather plain man who
keeps out Of sight may be tolerated, plain
woman on the stage, unless she is playing
the front legs of the wang" elephant,
needs some ability, beauty or scandalous
record to which she may point with pride.
Returning again to Sardou, however, let
US see wherein his methods differ from my
own. In the first place, he no doubt builds
his plays with far different motive. He
intends at the first start to monkey with
ones emotions and wiring the neck of ones
mirth. He certainly succeeds. [ have not
felt 30 depressed since visiting the tomb OF
Napoleon. In visiting the tomb of that
great but unsuccessful gentleman at the
hotel for invalids in Paris, was very
roughly handled by an elderly policeman
because l was wearing my bright new top
hat at the grave. l was also smoking, but
that was because did not know that 1 had
reached the tomb at all, for the tomb itself
Is down IN Lle cellar OF LQS MOTEL. aS IL WERE
and one may see 1t over q circular railing :;
but it did not look as l had supposed it
would. Instead Of being a large marble
monument with reading matter on it, there
is, twenty feet below the feet of
the spectator, black object which
looks like new upright piano.
This is the tomb of Napoleon. But before
could get it through my head John Darn
in horse voice and with great roughness
of manner told me not to flmer any more,
and rudely pulled off my hat. l shall al
ways think less of Napoleon for this, and
employ my stray TING hereafter in visiting
| the tombs of others.
Sardou and myself, could, by oolabora-
| ton, writa great play. 'Thermidor' is
lacking in humor, local gags and music l
must admit that from q mechanical stand
! point he is wonderful. His play, from the
| beginning to the end, is neat and tasteful
piece of work, but he must not depend upon
me any more for an audience. l do notlike
! that sort of thing.
! People who are going about looking for
artificial sorrow at S1.50 per sob are getting
more and more scarce. tits hopeful sign.
!. Let US save our sorrow for genuine an
| guish, our tears for inevitable woe. We
| will need them soon enough, alas!