The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-30

their resources and so fast are they axsd
in the rut of their indolent profession
Think of man who poses for a Greek
god shoveling coal into a furnace for a
pittance and then, firing of his vaeu-
Gus life, committing suicide! Such cases
are not unusual. The life of an artists
mors
One of the interesting events of the the
atrical season in Birmingham will be the
appearance here of Ben Hur' January
IS, II and 49, While the novelty of this
stupendous production has been somewhat
diminished. the play is still interesting.
and will be viewed by immense crowds In
Birmingham. Aside from the elaborate
stage spectacle which it presents, Ben
Hur'' was also well advertised last year
by the clamor of certain divines who
denounced it as sacrilegious and warned
their congregations not to attend such
debasing performances under penalty of
eternal damnation. This horid argument
had its effect in Atlanta and one or two
other towns in keeping people away from
the theatre who would have otherwise
gone, but 1t was not felt at the box Of
f1ce. At a rough estimate ben Hur" car
ried away $4,000 on its last visit to Biz
mingham This time the engagement will
be shorter and is an evidence OF man
agerial perspicacity A week of Ben
Hur' was profitable last year In Biz
mingham, but this year three days il
long enough.
1t was sad little Christmas tale that
was told about the young woman who
persisted in the snow of a large eastern
city within sight of the costly mansions
of the rich, and while the world was filled
with the JOY OF Christmas tide As she sat
there on a bench in the park, starving
and freezing, the bitter inequality of hui
man destiny must have penetrated even
her benumbed brain. People who read in
books the stories of waits adrift in the
world, of misery and suffering most pa
thetlc that is always relieved in the end
by a Samaritan or a good fairy of some
kind and close the book with a glow
of satisfaction, will find that the plot
does not always work out so pleasantly
in real life. The great novelist who writes
tllC hiotOiy VI a lhAhcH me Is AlOl ldDbl-
ing for the plaudits of reading public.
There is a deeper meaning to his works.
a meaning beyond the ken of ordinary
minds.
The other day in Omaha, William Jen-
nings Bryan was interrupted in the midst
of a quick lunch and came very near to
missing his train. He jumped aboard.
still clnging to "a section of western pie,
and continued his journey as if rodhing
had happened. Therein we see the states-
man, the commoner at his best. Nothing
so illustrates the greatness of our pub
lie men as their ability to cope with pie
and the simple democracy which permits {
them to eat it in public without a blush
Few men not truly great would have had
the temerity to board a train in the full
view Of the world while munching a piece
of pie The small individual who domi-
mates politics in a one-horse town would
as soon think of flying as of bringing him.
self into ridicule by such a performance,
yet Colonel Bryan did it. Colonel Roose-
welt also ate pie at st. Louis and was glad
to get that. He was overwhelmingly
elected Is Colonel Bryan's pie-eating cpl
sode an augury of the future?
P. c.