New-York tribune., 1898-12-25


TO the Imagination
THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE
The stage comes as aid TO the Imagination 10
show life ss II really Is. say to sho" ne "s ~
really is and hobgoblin life as IL reaiiy
&c not no, some vulgar life as 1t really shouio ho'
no No, some life as It might be. some morbid exist
.,ca falling into disuse and loss Of vitality, not
sooe oaralvsis Of the moral affections giving to
tho world play OF moral IDIOTS not knowing right
from wrong or good from evil This is not showing
e rns as Tree r of Knpp~iedse X owl Showing me as il
IS for shows life on the stage as no YOUNG & s,l
born wcll bred and divinely led. II is an oienSSe
against all the rules OF art. The enect ol . i,uc ,
Tree Of knowledge" was To make you want 10 llSe
in the open and keep from under the Tree , rag
terJ That the total effect Bur IN the ~, itae by
mentary presentation of T. stage ns by s'an ibai did not
Whole thing was tainted trash" but that u PRE- pho
nuhic eahered TO see NE as it should not see iie
presented In dh%, S Tay the utmost mos kindness Mr.
Frobman and MS company. .,s o.
Take the great plays Of Shakespeare as an al ad p rg
his hand upon play in so rich rePer'ory :, ,s oa
say that Hamlet is not SO much Hc,ng fS Gn af py bsns m
acted in the flesh but IT is enacted asan ana aga. aa
wherever irresouton becomes The hauhs h, srs rsat
ndem ndom ,,e ~ RRrownng sordeo 1t Is the story Of
The soul and even Of sf rt ana Of rs rresouton
the most part go down under TWO lntc.S nd
tue, Tho hghest instincts in the resistance ,
Msaph nhnn b be stage furnished has counterpart
in other fields OF life 10 show II rom
rs II ,n,ra 'hst men and women wise in the world
and so knowing in the human soul lhat on 49, Is .lnse
prTsd was Of ina' }T % Art and her sister
have brought to these men ana wol''s n,,, " and IN
coisored life exhibit Of the human soul mIo
the confessional the souls exhibit OF
conditions the sincere priest receloes saw This
with deliberate goodwill. II Is means ps srnoir
the walled clois'er IS turned mo nbosoming
OF art and literature and the SOU sor he
itself in confession of sin Is the traIint va nut
worlds use q he men ard rom "qT themselves and be
comes an aid 10 the Imagination "nicn ""'o' -
would fall dead
THE CLINIC NO PLACE TO STUDY AM
Rut. again there must he a limit OF cho'ce ~
what We see or the ministry OF the stage la"s' -
all ufo ~ he interviewed and exhibited? tmphau-
call no, Here certain things control In inc eNh'o'
=, ne se .he stage presents IT, LIES immaturty
shou,d mot be presented but lifes flower ana frult
The sage should deal with the normal 6rd 6on are are
night who in technical and wise way VII mar az
points more clear to you than Gan nb IA a. eeid
sketch Of what Is in his own dstinguisned , iieu.
We do not study art in the chncr am ,har e he weIl
shoud present the normal shouid ra 'hel oe - W
service than to hear all The theories about e heni'n
that ever drove men 10 sickness 40 ~, ob,cb
vrc abide and so the stage should deal WIN nortnfi
Did anybody read the book and get III ou, ,b Ul
I did not From start to hnsn +" ~ angh,srS II
began With a lowering sky and ended vi IN nisnt, NJ,
and from beginning 10 end so gs lar a. ma, shond
mke glad that he he b MAS 0oR Why HS Sh6nd ,T any
porrayed in that very dreful story In writing sucH
as this We s s Femaff' Re sqd he 10. setter it is the worse
it is daughter SO The Lady OF QHandH. IH.,
nai,fi nraSentation OF an afternoon with
dead man under the lounge? These are the things
sr wnicn II ,b eage We are TO have life
have II all we small 70 compass It IN IN any any
,sis fragmeni and make our choice of what
shall enjoy and what we shall rally aoout' ana ana
our life is made up in par OF whs We 90 ana ana wnna
e; US for ourselves. and FOR those IN the housS SO
hold and in the home to whom our ministry ,, IL @ au
dressed. choose The hest and hask on the luminous
margins of delight. -, ,..A,,,
This the pessn'st disagrees with Everyt@nins @
disagrees with the pessimlst. one does not won
der that he should disagree with this statementS;
7 hold I, IS sane thing TO be an optimist tand
by that do not mean man who has never rbss seen
the seamy side Of lfe) that since we cannot cnoo. -
\ Hsvs S hah aS' dark days that like sunlight and
may face my house to the souh nca bpra are four
main quarters OF the heaven toward winch my
b f9pe Choice sy r ,esf pve On e u have sunny
and an open sltv What profits me the buxom air,
or heavens choir" II go burdened all nv days
with discomfort Of lfe9
WHAT GILBERT AND SULLIVAN DID:
More than this It Is the claim Of art that has 10
he observed Whatever IS to be done must be
done through harmony and beauty. When the Gill
bert and Sullivan operas were put upon me Stage
there was a distinct rise in the public pulse They
were a distinct advance. not only because OF the
exquisite music in parts. and Mr. Giberts WHY
dialogue sometimes; but there was distinct ad-
vance in the sense Of harmony. color ana Deauty,
only liEe tho morning cloud and the early dew,
but YOU were glad OF them even II you nau 10 20
vance in tone. temper and picture effect or the
stage. - =, . ..,,,,at mat,
ter and that is the direct moral efect OF a me
moral ministry Of the stage am now 10 say wnat M
low that the reverse proposition is true that saying
T. W an not verv good people) But presume de-
nberatey 10 challenge your attention with TINS
ntatement ns,er Hu ana he Of slight moral stature
and questionable integrity, that since no banker
may have very loose ideas as 70 me laws OF eH-
main in care Of the funds Of other people; as no
teacher who is known TO oe OF loose moral chap
your child so no actor actress whose effrontery
OF immortality is made common byword Of the
people the moral sentiments OF great play. Gap
plaise, This Is net by the statement 'Oh, arr
llre by any extenuating circumstance that We can
arrive at" II is an easy way to excuse The seeing
ilights by being a little blind to the faults that Il
they were enlarged would cover me stage M ms rs
deliberate conviction.
Take the French actress who insulted ALL Amer-
can women by comparing her moral career with
theirs 10 their disadvantage in an epgram which
7 cannot quote in this presence-l ask you on what
ground II would be possible for this woman prop
erlv 20 present Joan Of Arc. There Is figure in
the history ~ tho world 10 whom the voice Of God
was plain and clear-you may call II false hearing
and 4 vision # a dominant ideal-hut 10 Joan of
Arc Of ali people in history. the voice was real
and the leadership was given and the achievement
was fact No slight stride where
she stood nor have flung upon unworthy shoulders
the cloak Of her inspired herosm Applause)
T-ntil We IRE ready 70 go 70 church 10 hear man
whom we do not respect. until we are ready 10
send our children 70 school TO a woman who could
moi be made their companion. let uS set for our
selves the same standard Of the moral ministry Of
the stage and refuse 10 hear the things that give
life and inspiration from the lips that have been
touched by divine afiiatus from on high.
JOSFPH JEFFERSONS CONFIDENCE.