The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18
CLEVER IMPERSONATIONS
 BY MRS. LOIS FOLEY
A Word About Mollere With Ills Com edy of Manners and Goethe Deal Ing With the Mystery of Sin
 and Fate,
BY ANNIE KENDRIcK WALKER.

~HE MOST interesting event of the
 week were the talks on the sub
 | feet of the stage by Madame Cath erine Deschamps Elford and Mrs. Lois
 B. Tolley yesterday afternoon to large gathering of women at the Womans club. The stage whether moral or immoral in it's influence is a subject that will always interest all calsses of people, those who go to the play to be entertained as well as the more serious students of the drama and the still larger class of non- play-goers who denounce the stage.
 Madame Elford who is associate prin- cipal of the Pollock-Stephens institute, is a native of Paris, but speaks English so charmlngly that her audience was not only delighted with what she said but pronounced her discourse one of the most finished that has ever been heard at the club.
 Mrs Tolley who gave a brilliant talk is director of the Birmingham School of Expression and Dramatic Art. Yesterday was her second appearance before Bir- m1ngham audience. She received close at tention, her talk on the importance and general aims of the school of expression being of great interest. Mrs. Tolley also read one of Kipling's lyrics LEW Voy," and short story by James Lane AL len. and gave an impersonation from Sheridans School for Scandal.
 Madame Elford and Mrs. Tolley were introduced by Mrs. Charles Samuel Sim "A T president of the club.
 may well feel diffident," began
 ne Elford, "in addressing the intel
 ladies present on subject on they are well versed embracing as itA .he chief glory of the world of letters the author and dramatist, who more than all others combined, possibly have sounded the depths of human eX- perience, and given expression to crea- tion's greatest types.
 "The subject on which l am to offer few thoughts has called to mind a line of Montaigne, the great French essaylst, the greatest of all essayists, who pre- ceded Shakespeare and that galaxy of Elizabeth's age, and who influenced them all. Montagne had these words written above the rafters of his library, T do not understand; l pause; l consider and that might serve as a guide to dogmatism on the question of the good or evil in- fiuence of the drama"
 Madame Elford said that almost any conclusion may be arrived at according to the point of view. and probably if dozen judicial minded moralists were to decide this moment on the matter their verdict would be the Scotch one of mot proven to both sides "The drama-the active drama-of any age" continued Madame Elford lis what the public ap- preciates, and the advancement of any people, any section of people, can be accurately ascertained by what they love and what they admire. This Is the test that modern seers, like Ruskin and Carl isle. apply with searching insight
 ,t1rhe advocate of the good influence of the drama could bring forth the produc- tions of the very greatest minds in the realm of letters, Eschylus Shakespeare Moliere. Goethe and hundred others whose creations have hallowing and influence. Those who hold that the influence of the stage IS an immoral one cite an overwhelming list of plays so-called at all events-artless, purile, vulgar. which are put on the stage fre- quently to crowded houses, and exhibit ing little spurts. initiating others of ex- alted station, the larger number relieved from absolute folly by whole scenes of -"McFaddens Flats and "A Trip to Chinatown" for example.
 "So long as these hold the stage l think you will agree that their tendency is degrading, and although they are not the drama, as you understand the drama, vet they usurp and replace 1t. You must have observed. however, that the ma jority of ordinary people talk, not of go- ing to the play or drama. as they gem eraily do in Europe, but to the showV something to amaze and exicte. which indicates the average taste truly enough, and so long as there is money in such ex- hibitiens the legitimate drama will be ig- nored except by the intelligent few.
 You ladies of the clubs of Birmingham can. in my judgment, perform great service to art and literature by ignoring the one and patronizing the other, and with your wide influence and culture per