The Washington herald., 1907-11-04
"The Pilgrim. "
ldit0r The washington Herald

Editor The Washington Herald:
An article by your dramatic editor in
duced me TO 20 10 see The Christian Pill
grim a few days ago. II was "a
beautiful play" but allow me TO take
issue with him in the statement, most
beautiful"
\ dear friend. and our rector. said 10
my mother once. in the matter Of educa-
tion Of children Cand should not the
stage educate the people even as the
newspapers do9: Fill their hearts and
minds with the beautiful till there is no
room for evil"
There was much that WAS beautiful.
but the impression most deeply left les
pecially on one whose mind and heart
had not been tainted before by such por-
trayal OF evil in gorgeous settingD was
OF the improperly and evil Bunyan's
Pilgrim IS not clear in my mind just
now. but l rather imagine he would not
but regret that his work should have had
such setting.
To begin: Is il not against the law
Of the land. and OF civilized society, that
woman should appear in public in
male attire? asked a policeman on
the way TO church this morning and he
said it was against the law. II one Of
those women in the scaut attire had ap-
peared on the street, what would have
been the duty Of any Policeman Why
allowed on the stage? Ii was utterly un-
necessary to convey the impression OF
the temptation. Unfortunately. IL is too
Well known already. That the Christian
CD was a woman was only too apparent
and a fact that one never lost sight Of
from the beginning 20 the end Of the
part. which WAS acted in the most ef-
Terminate. self-conscious, and affected
manner
A child Of twelve. sitting next 20 me.
who has been in the habit Of freGuenting
other pIayhouses. and who evidently con-
sidered me ignorant as she heard me say
that Il never went TO the theater before"
constituted herself my guide and added
not a little 20 my diversion and edifica-
tcn by her remarks and explanations.
She had never read or heard Of Bunyan's 5
Pilgrim. and she called Christian she"
and when Hopeful appeared on the scene
she informed me that she would likely
be married IN the next scene as she had
now got a man
The love scene between Christian and
Christiana did not have the pathos and
sincerity that The possibilities admitted Of
and was tame. A love scene on the stage
may De intense without being disgusting
The child next me remarked "she" seems
right fond OF that other girl.
Suppose we put q daTk-haired. slight
figure, with large dark eyes burning with
enthusiasm and fire from above. rever-
ence and devotion shining forth from one
inspired. instead or the old gray-beard
with the horid face2 Think YOU he would
have carried conviction TO the audience
as did the evangelist OF the play last
evening"
II is my opinion that a play. rendered
as was The Pilgrim was rendered last
week, does more harm than good II is
not necessary 10 see murder committed
to be impressed with a horror Of murder.
Murder 20 the moral character is the
blaCkest of mUder. and because IL touches
the things eternal Scant attire should
shock the sense OF proprIcty in any moral
society, as We look AT things in an age Of
civilization. There was all can imagine
Of that description in the play 1 wit
messed. and ! cannot say I desire 10 view
any more OF the same description in a
mixed audience.
The one player who really did act the
part assigned 10 him in a realistic man
ner was Hopeful. I thought he ought
to have had wings TO show that he
could soar above all else, but as the
play had II, he went to sleep and Chris
tian had 10 shake him 70 wake him up.
His sleep was excellently done. and his
voice and manner fine. and l shall al
ways be grateful 10 him for redeem!ng
the ill-conceived arrangement OF his
part Hope was. I thought. expected 10
spring eternal, never 10 sleep or quite
20 disappear.
Then why should Christian be made TO