Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-01-07

New York. Jan. l. Il can always sym
pathize with the little girl who said: |
g | do like the world-not the skies and |
grass and furniture and houses. but the |
people in the world.'' That small |
woman and l are in harmony to the |
last degree. Studies in still-life,
whether they are done by artists in oil
or water, or anything else, or even by
nature, are to me intensely tiresome.
/ imagine that / am writing myself
down great fool But ! never could
get up any wild enthusiasm about
scenery. l enjoy, in an even, quiet
sort of way, beautiful outlook, but ]
like better an effective inlook, when it
means glowing fire, properly
furnished room, with plenty of books,
and best of all, plenty of interesting
people. Interesting people make life
worth living. OF course, the people
who interest me may seem stupid TO
you. but then we can fall back on that
blacklist of falaenoods-th Declaration
ali '.born free and eqral,' and that
each has a right to decide as to the
interesting man. 1t goes almost with
out saying that each has that right,
but then, we ars not born free and
equal. just now two people are interest
ing me. So imagine yourself in front
Of the open fire upon which l insist
wherever do abide-imagine yourself
/. in a comfortable chair--imagine having
had a good dinner, which is the right
OF every human being-and imagine
that, feeling as comfortably as man
should feel under these circumstances.
: / am telling you of two interesting
people l met to-day. Being man.
you look at me in a patronizing way
and permit yourself, as has man from
the beginning. and as he will even
unto the end of the world, to be enter
tanned by woman.
First thing then say, 81 had the
pleasure of Meeting that well-bred
gentleman and artistic actor, Herbert
Beerbohm Tree. His personality? He
is tall, well-built aud fair. He has
that peculiar shyness which belongs
TO well-bred EnglIshmen, and which,
confess to you, is rather fascinating.
/ said to him: Mr. Tree, what did
you think of Doltaire?'
..Said he: .Doltaire is no better and
no worse than the men OF this time.
He was only little cleverer than the
average courtier; be realized all that
his wit mean to him; he knew that he
was laughed at because he was the son
of peasant mother; and approved of
because he was the son of king. At
that court illegitimacy was made SUBJ
ject for bon mot but it was not counted
disgrace provided there was royal
blood on one side. Like all bad men,
be was not entirely bad. There were
times when he absolutely longed to dc
right; there were times when he did
kind acts, was ashamed and furiousNii
they we're discovered. He belonged to
an artificial era; men minced in theli
steps as they did in their morals. The,
took short steps for fear of shaking of
the powder from their hair, and they
laughed at goodness and virtue to
excuse their own shortcomings.
"You see, | am taking it for granted
that you have read the Seats OF tn,
Mighty, but if you haven't, don't dc
it. Instead, go to see the play; fol
the play introduces you to somt
fascinating people. Madame Pompadou
among the rest And then it makes
you understand, as we are all trying t,
realize these days, the cause of revo
luton, socialism, or whatever yol
choose TO call the fiery outburst Of tn
people. You wave your hand at me-
you say don't get excited; but that
where we women find more pleasure il
life than men do: we are enthusiastic
90 Then, asked /, talking this tim
to Mr.. Tree, tell me about Hamlet.
There was polite little smile abou
the DOCTORS lips as if l had asked hin
to tell me about everything that ha
bappeneu since the world began
Women invariably rush in where any
thing human or divine fears even t
use an Interrogation point. Then b
said: / think that which most dis
tinguishes Hamlet is his simplicity.
you take up the play and look at th
character as child would read stor
you will get the poets meaning, but
when you approach it with supersubtl
thoughts it becomes nothing but
riddle. 1t vexes you and spoils you
temper. Hamlet, himself, is human
and it is because he is eternally huma
that this play mas it's lasting hold on tn
sympathies of the world Look at
this way Here is a young prince
lofty ideals, whose natural refinemer
OF mind has been cultivated at tt
University of Wittenbefg; his sensi
tive nature shrinks from the conten
plation of the boorish court of Del
mark. He returns because be mus
and he finds riotous rabble, merr
making over the nuptials of b s oW
mother, with his fathers brother.
sees this hiccoughing monarch sittir
on his fathers throne, and the hu
band OF his mother. What wond
that he sickens at the sight! Tht
he hears of the apparition of b
fathers spirit. He has but one desIr
and that ia, revenge Then, as b
is essentially ths literary mind, aft
he meets the ghost, the fire becomes
fierce that it burns itself out, al
subtlety takes the place of action.
Following the story, one IL forced
acknowledge that Hamlet delights
playing upon the people around hin
he analyses everybody, including hir
self, and is always an artist
literary man who makes copy out of h
own emotions for his own edification.
is true, he seems, at times, to forget b
love for Ophelia, but can you bar
him? To him all womankind seer
smiGrbed by the act of his mothf
His madness | have always thong
was feigned. A great many peoI
who read the works of Shakespeare
get that before everything else he "
an actor manager, and that his MIA
we're primarily designed for the stag
that he was an experienced ar,t
and that the prompt copies of his on
plays must have besn, original
filled with stage business that thu
oughly illustrated the text, and I
greatest part of which has been Ii
forever"