Evening star., 1901-08-24
Is There Compatibility Between Re-
hgion and the Stage.
CLARA MORRIS THINKS THERE is
An Actress Life is Not Necessar-
lily Without Faith.
HER OWN EXPERIENCES
tcopyrigh., 1901, by 5. 5. Mcclure Coz

! Copyright, 1901, by s. s. Mcclure Co)
| Nothing in the autobiography seems to
| have aroused so much comment, so much
| surprise my admission that l prayed in
moments of great distress or anxiety
| even when in the theater.
| One man writes that he never knew be-
| fore that there was such thing as
praying actress Poor fellow-one feels
| there are lots of other things he doesn't
know; and. though / wish to break the
| news as gently as possible. 1 have to in
form him that I am not rara avis: that
| many actresses pray. Indeed, the woods
| are full of them, SO to speak.
| One very old gentleman finds this habit
| of prayer "commendable and sweet" but
generally there seems to be feeling of
| amazement that 1 should dare, as it were,
| to bring the profession of acting to the
| attention Of our. Lord; and yet we are au-
| thorized OF pray: Direct us, oh Lord, in
| all our doings, and further us with Thy
continual help-that in all our work we
may glorify Thy holy name"
1t is not the work but the motive, the
| spirit that actuates the work, whether
| embroidering stoles, saving wood, wash
| ing dishes or acting-ff it is done honestly
| for the glory of the Holy Name-why may
one not pray for divine help? One lady
| who, poor souli should have been born two
or three hundred years ago, when her mar
shocked, almost indignant; and though she
is good enough to say that she does not
accuse me Of intentional sacrilege," still.
addressing prayer to God from theater
is nothing less in her eyes than profana-
tion. For" she says, you know must
only seek God in his sanctuary-the
church,
Some thousands Of us would !. become
of a church.
Does this poor lady not read her Bible
then? Has she not heard the psalmist
cry: "If 1 ascend up into heaven Thou are
there! If l make my bed in hell, behold,
Thou are there also! Whittier shall / flee
from Thy presence?" Surely there are a
great many places besides the church be-
tween heaven and hell, and even in the
ater we may not flee from this presence.
Lest the young girl writer's should feel
abashed over their expressions of surprise
at my conducct / will show them what
good company they have had. A good
many years ago a certain famous scholar
and preacher of New York city called upon
me when was absent attending rehearsal.
Ihe creed OF his denomination was particu-
larly Objectionable to me, but having wan
dered into the big stone edifice on 4th ave-
nue. one Sunday, l was so charmed by his
clear reasoning, his eloquence and above
all, by his evident sincerity that 1 con-
tInued to go there Sunday after Sunday.
The Pastors Remarks.
In my absence he held converse with my
mother as to his regret at missing me; as
to the condition of the weather; as to the
age and attainments and breed Of my small
'dog, who had apparently been seized with
burning desire to get into his lap. (We
afterward found she only wished to rescue
her sweet cracker which he sat upon).
In his absent-minded way he then fell
into long silence-his handsome, scholarly
head dropping forward. Finally he sighed
and remarked: She is an actress-your
daughter?'
Ny mother, with lifted brows, made sur
prised assent.
"Yes-y-yes' he went on gently, IAN ac-
tress, surely, for I see my paper commends
her work. have noticed her presence in
our congregation, and her intelligence. q
never sleep in the daytime.) Our ladies
like her, too-an actress, and yet takes an
interest in her souls salvation-wonderful
II don't understand! MOI l don't UNDER
stand!' speech which did little to entlear
its maker to the actress mother, I'm afraid.
This reverend gentleman was personally
gentle, kind. considerate and naturally
Just-yet knowing no actors life, never
having seen the inside of playhouse he
without hesitation, denounced the lheater
and declared 1t the gate of hell!
In the amusing correspondence which fol-
lowed that call the great preacher was On
the defensive from the first, and i'm reading
over two or three letters which because Of
blots or errors had to be recopied, l am
fairly amazed at the temerity Of some Of
my remarks. In one place l charged him
with standing upon his closed Bible to
lift himself above sinners, instead of going
to them with the open volume and teach
ing them to read it's precious message"
Became Friends, Though.
Perhaps he forgave much to my youth
and passionate sincerity-at all events, we
were friends. had the benefit Of his adj
vice when needed, and, IN spite of our
being of different creeds, he it was who
performed the marriage service for my
husband and myself.
The question, then, that has been put so
many times, is, "Can there be any comparx
Utility between religion and the stage?"
NOW, had IT been question of church
and stage, | should have been forced to
admit that the exclusive spirit of the first
and the unending occupation of the second
kept them uncomfortably far apart. But
the question has invariably been as to
compatibility between religion and the
stage. Now, take it, that religion means
a belief in God and the desire and effort
to do His will. Therefore see nothing in
compatible between religion AMI acting.
am church woman now, but for many
years circumstances prevented my enter
ing the great army of Christians, who have
made public confession of their faith and
received baptism, as an outward and Wis
ible sign of a spiritual change Yet during
those long years without a church l was
not without religion. 1 knew naught Of
Justification" Of ''predestination, of
obey she W oa Go Hny was the Bbe
it was the word of God! There was
Christ-beautiful, tender, adorable! and He
said: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, with all thy soul and
with all thy mind!'' This is the first ard
great commandment-and the second is like
unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself." On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets.
Add to these the old Mosaic ten and
you have my religious creed complete.
And though it is simple enough for child
to comprehend it is difficult for the wisest
to give perfect obedience. because it is not
always easy to love that tormenting neigh
Dor even little bit, let alone as ones self. ]
A MfsconceptiOn.
How wish there was some other word
to take the place Of religion" It has
been so abused, so misconstrued Thou
sands Of people shrink from the very sound
OF 1t, believing that to be religious means
the solemn, sour-faced setting Of one foot
before the other in hard and narrow
way-the shutting out Of all beauty, the
cutting of Of all enjoyment. Oh, the pity.
the pity! Can't they read. Let all those
that seek Thee be joyful and glad in Thee,
and let such as love Thee and Thy saliva