Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-03

aspects, which one, if any, is sincere? Has
he chronic grudge against the world and
mankind? Or does he really regard life as
worth living. and will he last?
These and other questions Of the sort
which seem to be stimulated by the new
aspect of our witty author as revealed in
Caesar and Cleopatra cannot, of course,
assume to answer Dramatically A per-
sonal and professional acquaintance with
Mr. Shaw, however, extending over per-
hdIs a dozen years. during which time
have played in his Arms and the Man and
The Devils Disciple besides the current
pie:e. which was written for my wife and
myself six years ago, prompts me to ex-
press my admiration for and belief in him.
SO far as 1 can do so without laying my
self open to the charge of egotism.
My first reading of Arms and the Man
shocked me, as a ruthless attack upon
romantic ideals Later, when l learned to
know Mr.. Shaw and to take his point of
View. l was amused and delighted that is
the whole secret. What a man-an Irish
mar, especfally-says in Jest can't be pom
derei over in earnest with any proper I'M
de standing. For instance, when you read
or his saying: If 1 were to go to America
they would be sure to make a great fuss
over me, and perhaps run me for President
and that would be beastly bore You
If you take it seriously. Yet If you were
with him when he said 1t, you would laugh
with him at the joke.
SHAW Is not a pessimist. On the con-
naturally combative and loves a row. If
he pokes fun at things sacred, l suspect
1t Is mainly on the chance of soaring up
some hldeous hypocrisy, that more than
likely turks behind the fairest outward
show.
In his treatment of imperious Caesar
there Is no irreverence, but rather a vast
deal of poetry and even tenderness One
who has never known hope, cannot despair
Hate treachery? o, foolish Egyptian. that
Is no more to be hated than the wind that
chills me or the darkness of the night In
which stumble and lose my way; no more
than ambition. or the laughter of youth
that mocks at sober age And CLEOPATRA
represented as a spirited girl of sixteen
the actual. historically recorded age at
which she first met Caesar, is surely any
thing but a bloodless abstraction
will his fame endure in the theater and
In literature? In my opinion, yes-it is as
safe to endure In his ways as is Ibsen's or
that 1t Is essentially sound and of its age
and time. Moreover, Shaw's work IL broad
ening with maturity. and / venture to saw
will go for its verdict to posterity in nobler
proportions than as yet 1t has attained"
BLOSSOMS RECORD RUN.-In order to
hold his record in never having missed q
performance since becoming q star, Rob-
ert Edeson was recently compelled to work
a hand car thirty-one miles into Shreve-
port, La.
Mr.. EdeSon, who was on the road from
Fort Worth, Texas. to Shreveport, La, was
entertaining New York friend in his state
room. He became so interested In the con-
yersation that he failed to leave the train
at the junction at which they were to have
changed to the main line, and learned to
their horror thirty minutes later that they
were ten miles past their station. Tele-
phoning to the junction they found their
train had left none Of the Edeson COM
pany having thought of the star, knowing
his wonderful proclivity for catching trains.
Mr.. Edeson and his friend appealed to the
station agent for q special, only to be in
formed that there was neither engine nor
coach available at that point.
II have never lost a performance" said
Edeson. I'VE have got to make It, Loan
me that hand car over there, and will be
responsible for the result Of the run" The
workman's car was put onto the track. the
star and his friend peeled on their coats
and went to work
While the curtain did not go up until
9:l5, Mr.. Edeson played the performance
and in his speech TO the audience he Of
fered some very valuable points on Ail-
reading.