Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-07-22
HIS RULING PASSION.

HIS RULING PASSION.
Phineas Gtinny was crushed; he
had always been crushed tho expected
to always be crashed. Life's sweets
had all turned t. acids for him; even
forbidden fruit only produced vine
gar. Othello was forbidden fruit to
him; for though he had been an ac-
tor for fifteen years, the most ilnpor-
tant part for which he had ever been
cast was Ludovico. At heart, Phin-
cas- was a powerful tragedian; in
fact, he was only a utility man in
the Globe theater at Cohoak
He had run away from home at
the age Of twenty and gone upon the
stage. He had burning. wtharing
desire to rival Forrest. who was then
just beginning to be famoiis. twas
in the good old days, before the
combination" had male nearly
every actor a wanderer on the face
of the earth. Phineas apr,ia for an
engagement at the stage door of the
Momus theater, in Widd.estown,
where there was respectable stock
company.
The stage manager put him on
among the supers. In ono year he
had arisen to the high post of cap
tain of the -"
He vowed that hewould be great
actor, if it took twenty years study.
That study he began at once. De-
termined as he was to reach the top
of the ladder, he resolved to fill his
soul with noble thoughts. There
fore he began to study Othello.
No matter what buffets fortune
dealt him. the soul of Phineas Gun
ny, reveling among the sublimities
Of the great Venetian tragedy, with
stood them smilingly
Years rolled on. The opportunity
to play his beloved part although
he knew it so well that he could
have begun at the last line and
played it through backward never
presented itself. He had seen every
tragedian of prominence play the
part. He was very familiar with it.
In fact he was SO familiar with it
that he was unable to learn anything
else, and always stuck once or twice
in every part he played, no matter
how short it was
At the end of his FIRST fifteen years
in the profession, he found himself
doing the utility parts at the Globe
theater. in Cohonk, as has been
stated. The desired opportunity had
not yet come. No manager had ever
been able to see beneath Phineas
Gunny's commonplace exterior soul
full of Othello. Yet it was there.
One morning the manager Mr..
Michael Francis, walked upon the
stage, and called to one sido his stage
manager. Mr.. Orpheus Smith, and
said:
"Orpheus, my boy, my daughter is
coming home for a rest"
The managers daughter Miss VIZ
ginia Francis, was the LEADING lady
at theater in New York. Sho was
only twonty three, but had made
such hit on her first appearance that
the New York manager, hearing of
her, went to Cohonk to see her and
engaged her at once.
Two days Nter the young lady ar
rived. She was a beautiful girl
Tall, dark eyed, intelligent in coun-
tenance, she was perfect queen
among the commonplace young In
dies OF the Globe company. She
walked upon the stage during re-
hearsal the day after her arrival,
and sat down beside her father
Phineas Gunny was leaning against
the wind machine at the back of the
stage when she entered. He did not
raise his eyes, for he was mentally
doing the fifth act of "Othollo."
Presently he heard his cue, and adj
vanced to speak his lines. 1t was
then that he caught sight of the
young lady. For a moment he was
speechless. He stared at her intent
ly, until the prompter exclaimed,
"Go on, Mr.. Gunny; you've played
this part dozen times,
With an effort Phineas recovered
himself, and went on with his lines.
When he made his exit, Virginia
turned to her father and said;
Papa, who is that tall, homely
man, who stared SO oddly at meG"
THAT, my dear is Mr.. Phineas
Gunny."
'Heavens What name for an
actor"
Yes; he's a little bit eccentric, but
useful in small parts,
When Phineds had reached the
shelterof the Wings. he turned to the
nearest person, who happened 10 be
the second old woman. an invet
crate gossip, and said
Mrs, Thurston, can you tell me
who that young lady is, sitting be.
sid. the governor"
That's his daughter
Phineas stood and gazed ut her
long after he had finished his part
a,.1 sxras "a l.l.,..x. A. -. -. ~