The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-01-03
A CRITICS HEART.

Alfred Smithers, who was young,
loved. He had loved before, but never
SO creditably. Ernestine Gilbert (pro-
nounced Zheelbear) appealed as we'll to
the better side of his nature. 1t was an
appeal whose merits he made haste to
recognize.
Until Smithers met her he had thought
of marriage as a speculation, in which
his friends seemed to have made absurd
failures, and as handy ending to plays
which should close dramatically at or
about 10 80. Smithers was-is, for that
matter-a dramatic critic.
When 1.-THE Fullness of Life" was
produced at the Empire, his criticism of
the performance was so pleasing to the
management that they put it first on the
list upon the poster which was placed
conspicuously in many parts of the town.
There was personal reason for this
special laudation which Smithers him
self hardly suspected at the moment.
He had seen his ideal in the flesh for
the first time.
There is in the most calculating of
men a spirit of chivalry which appears
unexpectedly. A pretty girl in whatever
distress wrings the heart of any man not
responsible for the distress
Smithers was sensitive to dramatic
injustice, and his ideal practically was
an extra" His prerogative, within
certain limits, was to discover unrecog-
nizod genius and to deprecate the recog
nized.
1.-THE Fullness of Life"-this piece
dealt with the social problems of the
day. The leading woman, an ample
blond of aesthetic proportions, played
the role of an adventures Of the modern
type-a woman corrupt in mind and
manner, but keeping her place in soci-
ETY. and outwitting many of the good
people in discouraging fashion.
The action of the piece called for the
appearance of dressmaker's assistant.
The wicked society woman is made by
the dramatist to scold the girl soundly
for delay and to slap her in the face.
The girl has but a single line TO speak,
but it is appropriate. And it struck
Smithers on the opening night of the
piece that although the contrast of good
little seamstress and bad big mondaine
is an old one he had never seen vice and
virtue more effectively compared.
The young seamstress was pretty,
we'll formed, as virtuous as women
should be TO make their position con-
vincing, and she had just that modest
way of using her eyes, that gentle man
ner of speaking which Smithers, in his
mood, liked. He was much attracted to
the little seamstress. He thought per-
haps he would marry her.
If he had seen her the week before,
she might have impressed him less. in
deed not at all. But his personal affairs
suddenly had taken such turn that he
questioned the veracity of all women
and rather hoped that he might die or
have serious illness.
So it came about that he hungered to
know such a woman as he felt Ernestine
Gilbert to be. That she was but be-
ginner ON the ladder of fame rather
added to his interest and piqued his
vanity. He believed she had talent, and
il would be his proud privilege to help
her develop it.
These dramatic fellows are we'll gifted
with imagination, and Smithers was
young.
Thus he wrote Of the production good
humoredly, even enthusiastically, as a
piece which should be seen by all who
are interested in the vital questions of
the day.
He omitted to speak in terms Of
praise of the performance of the leading
woman, the ample blond, and this
piqued her. If Smithers honestly had
explained this omission to himself, he
would have said that he was annoyed
because his seamstress, with her un-
doubted womanliness and talent, was
forced to play so inconsequential part,
while the leading lady, who might or
might not be qualified, had matters her
own way.
Others guessed that Miss Gilbert was
poor, lived in hall bedroom, had a
hard time to get along, and that she
knew few men. She would be much
gratified to find that person of his
standing took an interest in her He re-
solved TO call. The stage doorkeeper
gave him her address. Next day he went.
1t was an unusal proceeding, but Smith
ers argued that it would be less embar-
RAISING for him to see her at her home
than to send his card to her at the the
alter. Theatrical people are so jealous of
each other. They would put base mo-
tives upon his attentions.
Miss Gilbert was in. And she pleased
him. Enormously she coDfided to him
her enthusiasms, and he was charmed.
His call did not seem to surprise her,
but Smithers accounted for that by her
inexperience
She had been in the city but COM
paratively short time, had come from
the country, filled with ambition to do