Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-21

fHi-es Az zA'SSlS
Az DOYLE awoke with a dreary
Vl sense of trouble upon her. That
was usual, but this morning,
y eVenswith Christmas but day distant,
Y 4 pressed heavier than before. oh, yes,
Z the play! She didn't like the play. Well,
j What 1t she didn't? 1t wasn't her fault
Z " Chaplin She turned her thoughts
again. Maybe something could be done
with her part. after all. 1t was sicken-
ingly short, sickeningly unimpcrtant it
seemed yesterday, but ii she pu. a
childlike quality in the first act, SIM
plicity and unconscious helplessness,
che could command as no other woman
IN the world could. Her mind ran over
the scenes. Yes. yes, surely there was a
kinship between this part and Amy
(Amy had bees one Of the successes of
her itfel. She lay absorbed for time
IN recalling the old part and considering
the new, in the artists ardor almos.
forgetting that dull oppression in her
heart, but not quite, 1t was there STILL
when al last she arose and made her
toilet without calling Ellen. because It
was still SO early, and poor old Ellen
needed her res..
There was shadow on Mays life
that had long been there, and 1t was all
ways deepening and spreading but
/; slowly, slowly. SO that with her WONDER
g FULLY trained powers of self deception
she generally succeeded in putting the
thought of 1t from her. When recogni-
ton awoke. willy nilly, 1t brought an
intolerable pang. provision of despair;
still as yet it was but a provision, and
she couls soon again shut her beautiful
eyes to 1t. This morning the shadow
was cold upon her, but there was more
than that expressing her something
omiaous. Imminent, undescried. But
Z indeed the old shadow and the new
dread were one thing, though poor May
4 would not see it, She was growing old,
& she who had been young and lovely, the
Z very type of youth and the incarnation
OF loveliness for world of worshipers,
so long! Yes. SO long, and that abb
surdity was the special horror Of her
position.
Age is terrible always. Dizziness alone
, can give an optimism that facilely COM
pounds with age and death, but ii is
only women. such women as May Doyle,
who must meet the scourglngs Of time
stripped Of every defense and anodyne
Her nature. so gentle, so singularly free
I from some of the alloys that commonly
= debase US. from hardness and cruel pas
sions, yet was ours I'd in possessing lit
tie power of maturity. We have all
seen such youthful temperaments in the
captivity of age. At the best May
grown old must have seemed cruelty
wronged, as Circe's lovers in the foul
Too rryoy, "a
was She must meet age on the hardest
terms possible. The delay of the evil
day had confirmed the work of her tenn
permanent and her profession. and her
youth and her identity We're one Her
profession! All, that alone was enough
to account for all the tragedy! She
had been on the stage more years than
5 she ever allowed herself to reckon, and
she was an artist She had put serious
L ness and strenuousnes5. all the strength
OF her character, in her art, and into
that alone. Life had been merely the
intervals between thesacts. Her beauty
and charm had been materials for her
Z creations. ard the pride of the artist
had fed the vanity Of the woman. All
her LIES investment was In fairy gold,
and the hour for its transformation was
about to strike,
Tuesday new play had been read to
: the company. For years past Chaplin
had always consulted May Doyle in ac-
cepting a play, but this time the play
4 was bought before she knew anything
about It, and he left before the reading
was concluded. He had given her no
chance to discuss 1t. She was put aside
made nothing Of; that was new. That
she did not like the play, that the lead
& ing part was too slight, was, as we have
seen, all she fairly faced and admitted
In the situation.
When she had drawn about her a lace
! oefoamed white gown, a garment like a
mower IN Its delicate perfection, she
drew curtain that softened the light.
and with q new sensitive exaltation
shining in her face and dilating her
dark eyes, her soft lusterless black hair
falling about her, she stood before her
pier glass and gazed into 1t. The shad-
ed light was kind. the whitening of the
delicate skin did not show, the express
sion was the one In all her gamut that
brought out her angelic, her divine
quality, and. although she had arranged
the picture with such art, she drew
1 comfort from 1t. ss I2
An hour later, as she breakfasted-she
\ hved alone with her servants in an
\ anartment Ike a. big bonbon box-oid,
Ellen came In with q roll Of paper in
her hand--the new part, Of course.
Chapin had said he would send the
parts out this morning. She took It and
opened IT eagerly. She was quivering
Win the hope Of making something
much Of It. after all. She held her
preath - she, stared at the page. Then
placing one hand over It she leaned
back In her chair and closed her ewes
Il was the mothers part! She was
asked 70 play the mother Of the young
girl whose looks and ways she had been
preparing TO embody. What cruel,
cruel Christmas gift! Now she knew
she had bean Sasrins sps,aathtns J.,kA this