Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-07-08
HIS RULING PASSION.

HIS RULING PASSION.
Z, Phinoas Gunny was crushed hc
had always been crushed he expected
to always DO crushed. Lifo's sweets
Ind all turned to ucids for him; even
forbidden fruit only produced vino
gar. Othollo was forbidden fruit TO
him; for though ho had been an nc.
tor for fifteen years, tho most impor'
tant part for which no had over been
cast was Ludovico. At heart, Phin-
cas- .was n powerful tragodinn; in
fact, no was only utility" man in
tho Globe theatcr at Cohonk.
Ho had run away from homo at
the ngo oftwenty and gone upon the
stage. He had burning, whitening
desire 60 rival Forrest, who was then
gust beginning to DO famous. TWAS
In tho good old dnys, before the
combination had ma1o nearly
every actor n wandercr on the flco
OF the earth. Phinca5 applied for an
Engagement at the stage door Of tho
Menus thcatcr in Widdlcstown,
where there was n respectable stocl;
company.
Tho stage manager put him on
among tho supers. In ono year no
had arisen TO tho high post OF cap
tain,of tho So
Ho vowed that he would DO n great
actor. II 1t took twenty years study.
That study no began at oncc. De.
termincd as ho was 10 reach the top
Of tho ladder, he resolved 60 fill his
soul with noble thoughts. There
fore no began to study Othello.
No matter what bullets fortune
dealt him. the soul Of phincas Gun.
ny. rcvoling among the suhlimitics
of the great Venetian tragedy, with.
stood them smilingly.
Ycarsrollcd ON. The opportunity
to play his beloved part--although
no know 1t 30 well that no could
have begun ut the last line and
played 1t through bacl,ward-ncvcT
presented itself lilo had seen every
trTlgcdinn Of prominence play the
part ilc was very familiar with It,
In fact he wns 80 familiar with II
that no was unable 30 learn anything
else, and always stuck once or twice
in every part ho played, no matter
how short It WIS
At the end of hin frst fifteen year.
in the profession, he found himself
doing tho utility purts at tho Glob,
thcator, in Cchonl;, rs has beer
stated. The desired opportunity had
not yet como. No manager had cvci
been ahlo to sec beneath Phinou
Gunny's commonplace exterior sou
full Of Othello Yet It was there.
Ono morning the manager, Mr.
Michael Francis, walked upon tn
stage, and called to one Bidc his stag
manager, Mir. orpheus Smith, an,
said:
"Orphous, my boy, my daughter |
coming homo for rest
The managers daughter, Miss Vii
ginia Francis, was tho leading lad
ut theatcr in Now York. Sho wa
only twonty.thrcc, but had mad
such n hit on hor first Appearance tina
tho Now York manager, hearing d
her. went 20 Cohonll to soc hcr, an
engaged hor at once,
Two days latnr the young lady ~
.Ivcd. She was a beautiful gr
Tall, dark Dyed, intelligent in cour
tonance, she was perfect quoc
among tho commonplace young |,
dies OF the Globe company. Sh
walked upon tho stage during r,
hoaral the day after her arriva
md sat down beside her father.
Nphincas Gunny was leaning again,
tho wind machine nt the back OF III
stage whom She entered Hc did II,
raise his eyes, for no was mental
doing tho fifth act of "Othcllo
Presently he heard his cue, and a,
vanced 10 speak his lines. 1t WI
then that ho caught sight of n
young lady. For u moment lac W,
specchlesB He stared ut her intcn
ly, until tho promptor exclaimed;
$50 on, Mr. Gunny you've playC
this part dozen timcs.'
With an cnort Phincas rccoycrC
himself, aud'wcnt on with his line
When he made his exit, Virgin
turned 20 her father and said;
Papa, who is that tall, homo
man, who stared 80 oddly at me"
That, my dear, is Mr.. Phinoi
Gunny."
"Heavensl What q name for q
actor"
Yes, he's q little bit eccentric, b
useful in small parts"
When Phineas had reached Il
sheltcrof the wings, no turned TO q
nearest person, who happened 10
tho "sccond old woman, an inv,
crate gossip, and said;
Mrs. Thurston, can You toll u
who that young LADY Is, sitting i
side the .goyornorf"