The record-union., 1896-03-21
WARDE AND THE SCHOLARS
Mr.. Wardo Has an Audience That De-
lights and Satisfies.
Eleven Hundred People Hear Frederlck
Warde Descant on the Women
of Shakespeare,

w
actor and Shakespearean student, by re-
ouest addressed the faculty and pupils
of the Sacramento High School and their
pnests at . O'Clock yesterday afternoon
in the CONGREGATIONAL Church. Such
lam has not been seen in that audito-
rum since the time of Kellogg and
Carey. Indeed, it was the larger audi
ence. we apprehend, for there were so
MANY Youths in the church yesterday,
and they managed to sit so much closer
than adults that it is fair to estimate
the total number of auditors at 1, lOO,
and some placed the figure higher. The
church sexton, who has the capacity of
the house in mind is positive that con-
siderably more than a thousand people
were present Not a few were unable
to gain admission, even to the lobby
entrance
1t was indeed a sight for the eyes. for
more than half the auditors were young
girls. and the handsomest and freshest
young girls of the city, and no city can
boast of more to the square rod than
Sacramento. They were out IN all the
glory of spring attire, soft tints and soft
robes, and lovely flowers, and in their
best bib and tucker and humor. They
were in evidence in all respects, Tor II
was their day, and they gave it to be
so understood by managing things IN
the auditorium. In all this they were
ably seconded by large NUMBER OF
Young men. who, along with the girls.
wore high school colors and leaned over
a little from the weight of the enormous
boutonnieres that weighted them TO one
side
All the high school girls have hosts
of girl friends, and these rallied for the
occasion in splendid support, and the
boys themselves were not lacking IN
supporting outsiders, so that all IN all
it was such a gathering OF splendid
glowing youth as is seen here only on
rare occasions. OF adults the women
largely predominated, though there was
a fair sprinkling of men in the audience
but it was only a sprinkllng, ana ap-
peared subdued and cowed and shrunk
in the sea of femininity that crowded
the spacious auditorium, choked the
aisles, overf1owed into the lobby and
jammed the gallery.
The entertainment opened with a
piano solo by Miss Flossie Wilsey, and
then Professor Pond introduced Mr..
Warde with brief and fitting words,
and Mr.. Warde addressed the audience
on s'Some of the Women of Shakes
peare." He was received with a storm
of applause and with such warmth OF
demonstration as put him into harmony
with his auditors at once.
Mr.. Warde introduced his subject by
saving that none had ever paid sucn
high tribute to woman, or had drawn
her in characters so true, lovely, dlgnl-
fed and noble as Shakespeare. NO poet
or writer had with such splendid skill
presented woman in all the phases OF
character that distinguish. the sex he
then proceeded to consider the wit, IN
tellectuality, loveliness, affection, cour-
age, devotion and modesty OF Portla-
Next he took up the character OF
Rosalind and her grace, her gentleness,
archness, wit, accomplishments ana
love- Next came the story OF the love
of Juliet, which he pronounced the most
charming and poetic love tale ever put
by pen to paper. Desdemona ana her
love for the Moor, submission under
wrong, her patient long suffering, her
virtues, her l0geliness, her hllal al
fection and her womanliness were next
considered. Then came an estimate OF
the character of Cordelia, touched by
characterized Lear, her father, but a
daughter exemplifying more than IN
any other character the nobility of Ill
ial devotion.
Mr.. Warde then considered the char
acter of Lady Ann, one that he holds is
much misunderstood, and which mis-
understanding brings upon her too much
of harsh Judgment He sketched the life
vf7C 10 n
kept from knowledge of the world, was
weak, vacillating, untutored, had been
pampered in aristocratic privacy, and
in all ways untitled to contend with a
strong intellect or meet in everyday life
and contest with temptation or evil. 1t
was no wonder to him that she became
the victim of the wonderful intellect
uality of Gloster, who knew human
nature in all it's phases.
Lady Macbeth is a character he be-
iieves is much misunderstood. He does
not read her as fiend, bloody, cruel
and heartless woman; on the contrary
his idea of that remarkable woman of
Shakespeare is that she was simply a
woman without personal ambition, but
so loving the moral coward and weak
man who was her husband, that out of
that love she sacrificed happiness here
and hope hereafter.
In each instance he made a rapid
sketch of the story of the drama that
introduces these characters, and pointed
out the purpose of the great bard in
drawing them as he did. He analyzed
especially the motive of love, and the
heroic sacrifices to which it leads
woman. His advice to readers of Shake
speare was to read that author thor
oughly, fully, over and over again, until