Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-05
ABOUT PLAYS PLAYERS AND pLAYHOUSES

Don Pedro XIV In The King Of Peru,
Rodion in The Story Of Rodlon, the stu
dent Garrtck theater December 3. 1885.
Sir John Sombras IN. Castle sombrasL
Grand opera house. Chicago, November IL,
Dick Dudgeon in THE Devils Disciple.
Hermanus Blocker hall, Albany October T.
Eugen Courvoisier in The First Violin. '
Hollis Street theater, Boston. April Is, lS9S.
gerac,' Garden theater, October 3. 1895.
King Harry in King Henry "" Garden
Monsieur Beaucalre in "Beaucaire,' Gar
rick theater, Philadelphia, October Z. 1901.
Brutus in Julius Caesar" Grand opera
house, Chicago October H. 1902
Following are Robert O. Ingersoll's IA
nous lines on The Children of the Stage"
which he delivered at a benefit in New York
March %. 1899:
These children OF the stage with fancy's
wand rebuild the past. The dead are
brought to life and made to act again the
parts they played. The hearts and lips
that long ago were dust are made to beat
and speak again. The dead kings are
ows Of the past emerge the queens, jeweled
and sceptered as of yore. Lovers leave their
graves and breathe again their burning
vows. and again the white breasts rise and
fall In passions storm. The laughter that
died away beneath the touch OF death IL
heard again, and lips that fell to ashes
long ago are curved once more with mirth.
Again the hero bares his breast to DEATH;
again the patriot falls. and again the scat
shrine.
The citizens Of the real world gain Joy
and comfort from the stage. The broker,
the Spectator ruined by rumor, the law
yer bafted by the intelligence of a jury or
the stupidity Of a Judge, the doctor who
tients, the merchant In the dark Jaws OF
depression, and all the children of mis-
fortune, the victims of hope deferred, for
looking on the mimic world. When the shaft
OF wit flies like the arrow of Ulysses
through all the rings and strikes the cen
the clowns conceit, when rolly laughing
shows her pearls and mlrth holds carnival,
when the villain fails and the right tri-
for the moment fade away
And so the maiden longing TO be loved,
ferred. the unloved wife, hear the old, old
story told again-and again within their
hearts is the ecstasy Of requited love.
The stage brings solace to the wounded,
peace to the troubled, and, with the
wizards wand touches the tears OF grief,
and they are changed to smiles OF JOY.
pulpit, the cathedral of the heart. There
the enslaved and the oppressed. the erring,
pity gives them all her tears-and there, in
spite Of wealth and power, in spite Of caste
and cruel pride. true love has ever tri-
The stage has taught the noblest lesson,
the highest truth, and that is this: 1t is
better to deserve without receiving than
to receive without deserving. As a matter
of fact, It is better to be the victim Of
villainy than to be a villain, Better to be
stolen from than to be a thief, and In the
last analysis the oppressed, the slave, is
less unfortunate than the oppressor, the
master.
The children of the stage, these citizens
of the mimic world, are not the grasping,
shrewd and prudent people Of the mart;
present and credulous enough to believe
the promises of the universal liar known
as Hope. Their hearts and hands are open.
As a rule, genius is generous, luxurious,
lavish, reckless, and royal. And so, when
they have reached the ladders topmost
round, they think the world is theirs and
cloud. But from the ranks of youth the
rival steps. Upon the. veteran brows the
wreaths begin to fade, the leaves to fall,
and failure sadly sups on memory. They
; tread the stage no more. They leave the
/ mimic world, fair fancyts realm; they leave
gone, and from their hands the scepters
fall. At last, in age and want, in lodgings
small and bare, they wait the prompter's
call, and when the end Is reached maybe
a vision g~loriies the closing scene. Again
they are on the STAGE; again their hearts
again the flowers fall about their feet, and
as the curtain falls. the last sound that
greets their ears is the music OF applause,
the 'bravos" for an encore.
And then the silence falls on darkness.
Some loving hand should close their eyes.
some loving lips should leave upon their
pallld brows a kiss, some friend should lay
graves drop blossoms jeweled with the
tears of love,