Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-10-08

dramas, but also afforded an insight into
the customs, manners and peculiarities of
the people of the epochs with which he
dealt.
The example he set has been productive
of enduring benefit to mankind. Modern
dramatists enGeaYor TO do rs he has done,
and today the stage is schoolhouse and
a history maker. Military dramas, for in
stance, like Paul Kauvar" and "Shenan-
doah,'' best illustrate this idea. Therein
historic scenes of tho French revolution
and of our own great war are wildly re-
produced and impressed upon the mind of
the spectator.
Again, comedy dramas like the one I am
now playing at the Fifth Avenue theater,
New York, THE Gilded Fool" or William
II. Cranes old success, "The Senator, -
are highly instructive as we'll as entertain
ing. They portray phases of life which
probably half an audience would be who'll
ly unfamiliar with. They reveal oddities
of character quaint incidents of metro
politan or capital life which rural audi
ence would never dream Of And again 1.
drama like 1.-THE Old Homestead" affords
city people peep at ripping rivulcts
pretty sl0ping hills and q picture of rug
ged bIcolio character and worth, of stur-
dy yeonan pluck, that they know not of.
l maintain, too, that the stage is a NOR,
al force as well us teacher of past and
contemporaneOus human history. l think
it is even greater moral force than the
pulpit for there are thousands upon thou
sands Of people who regularly attend the
theater who seldom if ever visit the
church. Indeed they exceed the church
goers 'by II large majority" as Billy Flor
ences member from the "Cohosh does
trick would say. The reason [ believe
that tho stage is moral force lies in the
fact that almost every play condemns vice
and applauds virtue. There are excep-
lions TO every rule, and the exceptions in
dramatic way are few foreigners who
write sensuous plays and novels.
A play like "Virginius" or "Sparta-
GUS" for instance believe to be pretty
nearly as good as any sermon and quite Us
salutary in its influence. If that master
piece Of Sir Walter Scott's works, "Ivan-
hoe, +" could be dramatiZed il would be q
greater incentive to right doing than al
most any sermon preached nowadays.
What could point n better moral than the
heroic sacrifices Rebecca made in defense
of her virtue, the lofty yet chaste bearing
of Rowena, the chiyalrous manhood OF
Ivanhoe the glorious spirit of King Rich
ard and lastly the fearful fate of Front de
Bmuf at Torquilstonc, the ignominious
flight of Dc Bracy to France and the final
overthrow of the master spirit Of evil, the
proud Tcmplar, in the lists at Temple
stowe? What a lesson such play would
inculcate in the minds of the young espe-
cially, and what noble sentiments and elc-
waited thoughts would it not begetl
Comedy dramas, too, point morals as
well rs those of heavier mold. Sometimes
as a corrcctor of human errors they are a
bit more effective. Good natured raillery
can bring about beneficial results at times
when invective fails The witty if some
what eaustic pen of Gilbert, for example,
brought about q reformation OF some OK
listing political abuses in England which
the scathing dcnunciation Of Disraeli or
the ponderous Examinations of The Thun-
derer Uondon Times) could never have
done. Charles Lever, in that sprghtly nov
el, ".I1ck Hinton, the Guardsman," tells
how the bravest kind of brave soldier
was laughed out of Ireland" Soa politi-