Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-10-10

/ LITERATURE AND LIFE
!. A. j. N.
Observation-Disclosures.

I +
We are sorry for Clara Morris. Hel
new book will add nothing to her repu-
tation. She has stood high in the love
and esteem of the public. and her Rec
objections of the Stage" led us to expect
much in her novel, but the "Pasteboar6
Crown" is an unfortunate affair, bad
piece of business all around, to be con-
demned for several reasons.
First, it is poor literature, just the
conventional story of stage-struck
girl, with few shocks, and sensation
toward the close to make up for the alb
sence of plot
Second it is reflection upon her
art, and withal gives us no real insight
into the secrets of the stage. She takes
a narrow view of her profession, and
certainly lowers the standards main
tanned by Jefferson, Barrett and others
Since the heroine attains that degree OF
success enjoyed by the author, the title
-"Pasteboard Crown'-would imply
that Clara Morris regards her own
crown with contempt, and ii so. 1t is
an insultsboth to the public and to her
profession.
Third, the story teaches erroneous
ideas concerning the road to success.
All the moral teaching and experience
of the race proves there is no royal road
to greatness. That on the stage, as
elsewhere, success is won only thru pa
tient plodding, and that calls for time
and labor. All the world knows that
Clara Morris, herself. has won the
crown only by the rugged route. Yet her
heroine. a crude. provincial, inexperi-
enced girl in her teens. without any
knowledge or training whatever for the
stage, applies today for a position, and
tomorrow bounces into fame, and is
crowned queen OF the tragic stage.
No reader can avoid the inference
that her success is due mainly to her
beauty and brightness and every stage
struck miss. with a modicum OF either,
who reads the book, will imagine her.
self an embryo queen. and the stage the
palace car of the lightning express that
leads up to her throne.
The fourth count in my Indictment
the book has bad morals. Clara Morris
may, and doubtless has. seen great
deal of naughtiness on the stage. but
that she should uphold and justify it in
her heroine is beyond the comprehen-
sion of one admirer at least Had we
not confidence in the author, we would
suspect She was under the influence of
wine While working out the entire story.
True, George Eliot lived the same life
as Sybil Lawton, but there the parallel
ends. Let 1T be said to the credit of
Eliot, she lived her life openly, and not
secretaly; and she paid the penalty in
a life of sorrowful protest social ostra-
cism and soul anguish. The most pa
thetic feature In Eliot's career was the
fact that she could not make her own
conduct conform to the high standard
set in her fiction. No purer or sterner
than that standard to which George
Eliot sacrificed the happiness of her her
Dimes, Romola, Dorothy, Janet and
Maggie Tulliver.
That Sybil Lawton remained true to
the memory of Stuart Thrall, the muir
dered manager who had made her life
one of luxury and delight, can not wash
out the stain of her secret sin.
To sum up the morale of the story,
it is not strictly ideal to lead a naughty
life, but 1t is delightful, provided you
are sure of your lover, and in return,
love him with an undying love. So dear
girl, go ahead and be happy, only be
sure that the public don't find you OUT
and after your lover is killed off. you
can reform and satisfy your conscience
by adopting twin babies.
Pious women and clergymen have in
Weighed against the stage since time
and it is to be deplored
that this book puts into the hands of
every preacher Il cudgel wherewith to
strike the stage blow and proclaim
to the world, II told you so"
THE Pasteboard Crown belongs to q
growing class of fiction that should be
tabooed in every pubic library ana
well-regulated home. No young girl
has any business with such books. and
vet we know of one library in a grow
ing city, under the management of a
club, whose committee refused
TO place Morris Stage "reminiscences"
in the library, OH the ground that as
they could not afford all the new books,
that was one they could leave out; and
vet, strange to say, the '.Pasteboard
Crown was placed on their shelves be-
fore it was scarcely out of the press,
and ere they had heard from the critics.
In a late number of the L. III. j., Edi- |
Tor Box has an editorial which we COM
mend to club women. II is a presenta-l