The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-05-07
NEWEST PLAY OF
DARKEST RUSSIA
BY COUNTESS LYDIE ROSTOPT-
CHINE

BY COUNTESS LYDIE ROSTOPT-
CHINE.
Russia is the land OF contrasts. Or
one hand are the Hottest ideals of art
and on the other grinding servitude
Both speak with a masterfuI eIoquence
to the young men and maidens, sum
mOning them to the heavens on earth
the highest evolution Of the human sou
in life devoted either TO political ac-
tivity for the amel:oration of the lot
of the people or to the service Of art
uncontaminated by any other consider
alton. Both demand sacrifice of pleas
are, OF inclination, sometimes, for the
sake Of preserving the ideal uncontam-
mated. OF life itself
In such an atmosphere lived Marcus
sya- When her mother died and heT
father married an old woman for the
sake of her money, the girl, unable 10
endure her stepmOther's cruelty, ran
away to her aunt, who jOyfully opened
her arms and her doors to her needs
Believing above all else in the ideal OF
art, her gentle soul received a terrible
shock when she found that the artist
whom she admired beyond all others
had pandered to the baSer instincts of
the people by turning aside his own
her to believe and painting a picture
for the possession of which the money
changers of the world Wed with each
other. When she took him to task he
explained that il was need Of money
which made him paint the picture Her
Indignation knew no bounds She de-
cIared IL was a proclamation and sac
Tilege for any one to betray his art in
that way
The world which contents itself with
merely looking on at the evolution of
souls whose aspirations it cannot un-
deTStand Is apt to smile at what IN its
superior wisdom. il designates eXaggeT-
ated sentiments. and it has sCant sym
pathy with the beautiful girl when she
refuses 10 marry the artist who loved
her with a passion greater even than
that he had for the work of his life
Besides. MarOUSSya had determined to
be an artist, too and in the flush Of
excitement at the-prospect of becom-
ing an actress her heart had no room
for any passion but the work to which
she had chosen to dedicate herself.
With the highest ideals before heI
eyes, the young girl resolved to go 70
Paris TO study. To strive and to sue
ceed- In that world. as in the world OF
life, beauty is the open sesame to most
doors. and nature had bestowed hel
gifts with no niECaTd hand on the
young idealist One day she met q IA
nous dramatist- She smiled upon him
and for the sake of that smile he in
PRODUCED her to the manager of thu
Theatre de Ia Renaissance. with view
TO an engagement. To her the possible
ity of exercising the art she loved was
everything. To him art was nothing
He saw only a beautiful woman who
had but to appear on the stage for al
Paris TO fall at her feet because of he
beauty
In all Paris few Of the men haC
greater vogue than the DUs de LUne
Vile, whose beauty loving eyes were eli
chained by the charms Of the would
he actress, into whose favor he ingra
tiated himself not by praising the fair
ness of her face or the symmetry o
her figure, as less clever men wouI,
have done. but by the subtle appeal [,
what she valued mOre-her talent ant
the expression of his belief in her sue
cess With her enthusiasm. wOrl
scarcely existed. It transformed itsel
into pleasure, and at the dress rehear
sal Of the play in which she was q
make her debut all the friends of tn
manager and all the actors. as well Al
the intimate circle of those who ar
privileged To attend these functions il
loudly proclaimed their belief in he
triumph
All but one. The exception was Mile
NiOlette. who had hitherto been pre-
eminent lin the theatre and who saw
her prestige likely 10 be lowered by tn
newcomer In England an actress SUI
feTs eclipse. whether that eclipse b.
temporary OF permanent. III silence anJ
III sorrow but she does not dis a rule
allow her feelings to incite her to seeI
the discontinue OF destruction of he
rival It would appear they order thiug
differently in France. NiOlette deter
mined to crush the possibility of rival
~ in one Overwhelming coup. She ha,
no difficulty in peTSuadiuE an actor
over whom she had influence. to 50 al
range his part of the great scene h,
had to play with MarOUssya that shu
would be prevented not only from ap
peaTiug at her best. but would breal
down. and i'm this way meet with pro
nouuced failure
The plot succeeded To her utmost de
sire. At the moment when she seemed
To hold success within the hollow of he
hand MarOuSSya was overwhelmed will
failure. and the curtain that shoult
have fallen ON a tUmUlt of applause
descended I'm OminOus silence. For sucl
failure few have any sympathy. We
one man appeared 10 speak the onl,
words of consolation that could brin,
balm to her wounded spirit That mai
was the Due de LuneviIie. In Eratitud
for his sympathy at the supreme mo
ment. when she needed sympathy most
she yielded her life into his keeping.
SeusuaIists. fascinated by new faces
soon tire of one beauty to seek another
and the due was no exception TO tn
rule. Leaving MarOuSsya at the VIII;
he had provided for her at Biarritz. h
went away. For two months she wait
ed for his return. Then she resolved &
go to Paris and learn from him tn
reason of his neglect. To her surpris
ne told her that she had not the slight
est place IN his affections that he CareI
only for her beauty while she was new
to him. and he CyniCally suggested tina
others of her admirers would gladl,
nav their homage. and be q Worshipe
at its shrine instead of him. 50 n
shattered the ideal of love she hal
built up for herself when her rival hal
shattered her ideal of art
It is in such crises of the soul tina
the tree of life bears only Dead sea frUi
of ashes, and death is a welcome ano
dvne to the agony of existence. On tn
table lay a revolver which the duk
always carried with him. MaTOusSyt
saw the weapon. She picked il up. and
Dointing il to her breast she put bUl
let through her heart and died.
Yet death was kinder to her than life
for she drew ner last breath in tn
arms of the painter Who constant Z
the love he bore her. had disCOVere
where she was, and arrived just i'm tim
to close her eyes as her poor, tired sou
started on its long journey from tn
world of turmoil and despair into tn
reacpfuI realm OF rest