Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-02-13
She has a soul,


Not the pln-point variety supposed TO
animate the physically of "sapho,
Carmen" "Iacouvreur' and other
creatures Of the neither world whom she
pictures; nor yet the inAnitesimal
supposed to Turk somewhere In the veg
etable. the mollusc and the mortal alike
spark" supposed to lurk somewhere In
the vegetable, the moilusc and the NOR
tai alike-but a full blown, healthy,
vital sort that reaches out tirelessly
for, and grasps all things that may tend
to its development and progress.
II am ike a cormorant," said Miss
Nethersole sitting IN the little drawing
room of her private car in the Short
Line depot yards Il am like cormo-
rant insatiate In my yearning for
knowledge, for experience that Will
broaden and uplift me or humanity.
My soul is the God in me; my intellect
is the arITor sthat PROTECTS 1t, II is like
sheath to my spirit which needs this
trusty guard Creeds2 Creeds are shells,
(which we must burst through to find
freedom and light. There is beautiful
line In ono of Bjornsons plays which
tells all there Is OF religion. The story
Is that of a man whose conviction
forces him to give up his life's creed,
and in consequence he suffers ostracism
at the hands of the community, AT
length a plague overwhelms the village,
and the doctor, forgetful of all wrongs
devotes himself to the care of the peo-
pie. saving the lives of many. Touched
by his self-sacrihce and service.
the townsfolk gather round him wi b
the oldtime expressions of love and
confidence.
But" the doctor warns them. do
not make tho mistake of believing my
sentiments have changed have still
no faith In your creed a Great
silence falls in which the man him
self Is weighed against his belief.
Then, finally the minister speaks the
verdict of his own and the peoples
hearts.
Where a good man walks. there
are tho ways Of God" Isn't that re-
igion? ] think so, 1t is mine. /
love humanity, and every day ! go
about searching for knowledge and
ways TO help the world. l visit the
| hospitals. the prisons the orphans
homes ! study politics. religions. sci
ence, medicine. anything that Will give
me knowledge and power. BY the way
II | had not been an actress I should
have been a doctor love the science
OF medicine"
All this with the ported lilies and
camelias uodding at her in the sun
shine from the car platform outside
converted into tiny yerhnda
You noticed my flowers? Yes, /
! have them with me through All my
| travels l like lilies best. and came
| llas--l have many camelias given me
because of my play you know. l don't
1 T1 ffFFt gHff D.
! love life and all things that manifest
! H. Lie to be sure is both good and
bad, 10 know only one side is 10 know
only the half OF life. Everybody wants
| TO be good but can any one be good
! by knowing no evil? That is the prob
| lem in al my plays. II Is the lessons
| evil teaches that bring good That IS
| the moral Of life How did happen TO
| choose my problem plays I commence
! ed my career with one, II was In Lon
don when | Was II years old II was
a play called Harvest and by the
way--that word Is the lesson In all
my plays. When l first read "saphoH
l wept, l read and Te-rcad it--and
each time ii brought the tears. said
20 myself, there must be some good
In this story on IL would not affect me
In this way. All al once saw Its
meaning. l realized II could make
me world weep as ] had wept at It's
terrible lesson what power II would
be, | have not been disappointed.
hrst prepared a scenario OF the play
ana sent for Clyde Fitch Write me
something on these lines | told him,
and ] win produce IT, He did so and
II met with tremendous success Why?
Because OF lts details, it's Incidents,
lts stage business or settings? Not at
all My audiences nom the first have
been representative Of q class who
would have been repulsed had there
peen nothing else. II was the great
human lesson which the pulpit and all
mediums OF reform are trying CON
tnuaily 20 enforce which more than
~ lalk ana preaching my plays mus
lrate mat has attracted my audiences.
Ihe Wages ~ Sin Is Death" No
matter how dlluring the temptation.
lshment
Il have had letters upon letters tell,
lns me OF the influence my plays have
mao Ia saving Others. One woman
Wrote me thought nothing nattered:
lhht eNll ana good We're the same thing
w me END amusement pleasure, hap
plhess. When ! saw your play Il
opened my eyes 10 the reality OF lie
ana the inevitable end Of sln--and ID
saved me- l have scores of such let
lers' Ihey are proof OF my theory.
10 you think / could have perseyered
though my many trials II / had moi
mad right al my back? Think OF my
great law sui. II was The most terri
pie experience OF my life The lawyers
used words and terms of which / mad
no knowledge. They were not In nv
vocabulary. They cnnJured things
which had never Imagined II was
literally persecution Said "A frtand Ia