Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-09-18
MRS. WORTHINGTON.
A LADY WHO USES HER EYES AND
CAN USE HER TONGUE.

go lecturer, was seen this morning at
the Olympia, where she is staying. AT,
ter laughing over the Comedy of Err.
rors" which last evening deprived her
OF an audience and the audience who
had assembled of al entertainment,
she was asked how she liked the West
and she answered.
Every much. You have room to
grow, out here; room to think. Com
ing over the Canadian Pacific and
looking out upon those vast stretches
OF land where the earth runs on till it
appears TO bump against the sky, |
recalled to mind some lines of hymn
There's broadness in Gods mercy
Like the broadness of the sea-;
And again:
d" For the love of God is broader than the meas
ure of mans mind"
/ don't see how a mean, narrow
thought could be harbored in the pres
ence of this breadth and grandeur of
Nature. / think the influence OF such
surroundings is easily discernable in
the big-heartedness Of western people"
You came through Canada
Yes. had some thought of stay
ing outside my country until election
excitement had subsidized; but oh! it
was impossible. Western Canada is
not accustomed to art, and don't know
what to do with it. And l was so
homesick! Had l been in the heart of
Africa / could not have felt more des-
olate. l was indeed delighted when
we crossed the line into the land OF
the free. Hard times, or easy times,
intend to stay in my own country; to
sink or swim with the dear old ship.
l made my boys take off their hats at
the first glimpse We caught of our
starry banner"
/ wish you were here in different
times, Mrs. Worthington.
81 heartily wish | were, for to use
trite phrase, l have seen better days
professionally speaking. l have asked
my business manager to go East. if
matters don't brighten soon. In the
East, even in dull times, there is some
field for art, and one can do fairly we'll.
l do want to stay West, if possible,
long enough to see more OF the people.
l use my quill great deal, and l want
to know what l am writing about when
l alllde to the West"
l think California will be better.
There is a very cultured class there,
especially in the Southern part OF the
State.
"You don't mean to say there are
no cultured people in Washington ?"
Oh, no; there are plenty OF them.
Il believe that, and still hope to
see Them"
Are you an Eastern woman, Mrs.
Worthington
"No, Southern rather; I think you
may say. St. Louis was my old home.
i think every one there knows OF my
father. Geo. p. Strong-Judge Strong,
for he was one of the leading lawyers.
l thought there must be legal blood
in the family?
"Well, there is Judge Strong of
Washington, of the Supreme Court,
was my fathers cousin. ard Judge
Strong, OF Portland-perhaps his name
is not unknown here-was his brother.
Where were you ed ucated profess
sionally?
"In st. Louis and Chicago, prin-
cipally; though / have studied else
where. have had, l think, unusual
advantages. In the first place l was
partially trained for the stage. One
of my teachers was John w. Norton,
the we'll known manager, who was
killed in railroad accident, a few
years ago."
How came you to abandon the
stage?
81 never was really on it, for my
family was bitterly opposed. We had
q hot time of it for awhile, for l was
mere child then, and was willful about
it. The st. Louis papers got an ink
ling OF the matter, aud made much of
it. but I gave it all up on account of
my parents. / think it would have
killed my mother. We compromised
on elocution. In that I was trained
by Professor Scott, of the Washington
University, the most scientific teacher
/ have ever had. His wife, who was
also my teacher. was the more prac-
teal elocutionist, but he was the
deeper of the two. His was the Muir.
dock school, for he had been one of
Murdock's favorites. and think it is
the school of Nature; no ranting, no
false, fiimsy passion, but actual
scenes lifted out of life, on to the
platform, or stage. l have taught
some, and in rehearsing, | always
have said to my pupils, Divest your
self of your personality, and put your
self into the place of this man, wo.
man, or child, and speak the words as
he or she would speak them I was
trained according to DR.. Rush, of
Philadelphia, and that admits of no
superficial work, and then in Chicago
1 studied the Delsarte system.
How long have you been reading,
Mrs. Worthington?
" l read for about a year, when my
marriage ended the work, temporarily,
for my husband didn't wish me to an.
pear in public. At the end of nine
years-fonr years ago-I was left
alone with the children; for two years
l taught Conversation classes; then I
decided to read again, for the returns
are larger. l had only recommended
my Readings-had appeared only
about dozen times-when 1 received
a handsome offer of seventy-fve hun
dred dollars to 60 on a six months
trip, but although l was sorely tempted
to accept, | was forced to decline, be.
cause l couldn't arrange to take the
children with me, and l wouldn't
leave them"
The children come firstg
eyes, sir; and the public second. 1
have been very successful until this
trip, and even on it, have done we'll
in some places, and my audiences
have been so enthusiastic it has fairly
inspired me-"
How came you to enter the lecture
fiald9