The record-union., 1891-01-25
music And DRAMA.
What Henry Arthur Jones Says of
Plays of the Present Day.
THE GENERAL PUBLIC OPINION OF
EMMA ABBoTTS CAREER

Another Stage-Struck Society Lady
Lillian Russell's Pet-Strange CO.
Stage Notes.
How few successful dranatists at the
present time have the courage of their
opinions to the extent possessed by
Henry Arthur Jones, and enunciated by
him lately in a lecture at Toynbee Hall,
says the Critic. Mr.. Jones took for his
theme ''How to be Amused at the Thea
ter" One might have replied that the
lecturer had very well taught us how to
be amused at the theater when providing
for our benefit ''The Silver King and
Judah; but apparently the author of
these stirring melodramas is not satisfied
with them himself. Obviously he does
not think that they-or many othcrs-fnl-
fill their chief end. They do not repre-
sent life-the life of to-day--as it really is.
This is very true. All we can say is that
we had never supposed they did, OF were
meant to do so.
But Mr.. Jones seems to think that it is
we, the audience, the public, who are at
now truthfully EliZabethan England was
portrayed in the works of Shakespeare,
what sort of a picture, he asks, would the
popular plays of the past twenty years
render to posterity OF our contemporary
English life? IF the drama of any coun-
try or PERIOD" says Mr.. Jones, "does not
faithfully depict the real men and women
OF that period, it does nothing" This is
strong language. CerteS, we cannot hon
estly come away from the average modern
play of to-day declaring it to be our con-
viction that we had in it set before us the
average English life of. our present time.
Nothing is further from our real opinion
We have been amused and we have
laughed; but we have not for moment
dreamed of taking the think au serieux.
But hear Mr.. Jones on the subject:
Either" he said, at Toynbee Hall, adj
dressing metaphorical public through a
present audience, "you can guide us to
fashion plays for you that will make audi
ence and author alike the contempt of
whatever calm artistic judgment shall in
future be brought to bear upon them, or
you can lead us to the embodiment and
portrayal of all that is of permanent and
distinctive value in our national English
life to-day-to the creation of living works
of stage art which shall be held in loving
remembrance when you and 1 shall have
passed away" Rather remarkable words;
but their speaker has always shown that
ne has an ann above the wiling away of
an idle hour.
EMMA ABBoTT's CAREER.
The Chicago Inter Ocean saws. "a
week ago to-day the news flashed over
the wires from the city of the great Salt
Lake that sojourner. Emma Abbott,
day ali that is mortal of tbis yyondorfo,
little woman a leader Of singorS VIC hos ,
pleased SO LONG and nleasad 90 monv los To-.
alone in a silent Mace, Of rest in G,,ano'
land
"Tbe whir1 of time ,yor1,s ,ro,ao,s
Within ten wears. after a struoaIa uv;th
novartv anj ad,,-ars;t,- , NIL
t,,on,oI nv, 10. fI,on iaeo h i'1e
won tame fortnna 3nd ibam NJ VI s at'o
contemnlatas rest narha,,s ,atimo,,,n,,t ~ ;.s
hor ,,,;T,a daotI Poo,nnt' ~. .,ll', 49,. ~
with life and amh;tion 1or sto,.a naro az.
was not hIa f,,. nc
bnt she possessed macmillan r,oIner y,
ning and hnIGing The raonlp Sha 80 W III
plis6ed grand mission in the nonn1ar;-
zation of music. ali over tho o,aot Wet
the South. and the Northwest she onaneS
what might have remaineJ ot eth upimeo y
sealed book0in the music of the sfa mdsu "a =
oneras - '--o ="
"For ministry and a,,oro,, sho ,,-o, 49,,
surnassad. notI;no Voc teo b;o.,, s. III.
ambition One II bar ,nost ard A., ~,
charms was the snontan;etV of bar ahnrs
and the frank simnIicitv IF bnr n ras
She was devoted To har nrofassio,, iaa1r,,s
Of its good name n,ond ~ ~, J eat4Es
ties The mr;tv df be,. nr;rot TO IEfo sh;nn.,
like star and She nassad a1vau 1e .ii sha
had lived witbont ram,oooh o,,X IA a., Sl1
faar ooi 'iA" "A'iiou'
The tastimony of tb;s ,yo,,,,,,,, 1;e, TO-,
horne remari,ahla frn;tann. ho Ia, III i'' .
nevvsnaner in these ITn;teS' Statoy 20, a
has given editorial exnress;on as To the
power Of it as an exemplar.
Her most conservative critics in the East
yield points In her favor; while the South
and West mourn Emma Abbott as thew
would sister,"
The Philadelphia Times says: "City
audiences in the East, and city critics es-
pecially, scarcely knew how to take Emma
Abbott. They called her charlatan, and
SO she was. But she was a perfectly
honest and sincere charlatan, with entire
faith in herself, who knew what her audi
ences liked and how to give it to them.
She never gave them anything that was
coarse or vulgar, or immodest or degrad-
ing in any way. On the contrary, she
kept always Just a little in advance of
their taste, but not so far that thew could
not follow her, and SO it will be found
that she has exerted most important in
fiuence in the capitalization of music in
America. 1t was her personal qualities.
her quick perception, shrewd judgement
and untiring good nature, more than her
artistic equipment. that enabled her to
accomplish SO much. and from those who
knew her off the stage these nersonal
qualities had won degree of esteem that
no artistic eccentricifies could imnair
There was not a truer woman on the
American stage. nor one whose Ioss would
be as distinctly felt among the masses of
the people from one ocean to the other. ),
''-e o'-ii
W. $500, az go 49,
we Journeyeu lne country thoroughly
anu were quite prosperous, although the
only lhcluent, amusing or otherwise, that