The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-20
POLLY AND THE PREACHER
Slang is Put TO its Best Usage in the
Play.


Play.
Slang is put to is best usage in ono
Of the scenes In Polly Of the Circus"
The little dck.a-bed lady Of Che tam
bark, injured BY fall from her horse,
Is seen tucked away under coyerieta in
| the home of rural minister, who is
the good Samaritan OF the occasion.
She wakes up early in the morning and
slowly comes TO q realization Of what
happened. John, the clergyman, sits be-
side her, and their conversation devel-
ops the most charming episode Of the
story.
Polly talks in the only language that
she knows, the argot OF showland, and
the minister gives, gentle, often puzzled
responses, The spirit Of girlish naivete,
the decicate, impulsive realism that Miss
Fay Wallace who plays the little cir.
Gus rider puts into words, invests the
scene with subtle poetry, and carries
current Of pathos underneath its mild
humor. As the talk goes ON, people in
the audience laugh, and at the same
time would like to cry little. In this
epoch OF slangster on and of the stage,
the vernaclar is usually forced TO abb
surd hyperbole Real in its outward
semblanee, II is only cheap pose with.
in. In life slang Is usually merely an
effort TO be smartly colloquial, and when
put upon the stage its insincerity is
accentuated. The Rose Stahls, the Vic
tor Moores, and the irrepressible slang
mongers of the Vaudeville stage re-
present strained point of view, they
are of the key Of reality. But Polly
talks In circus metaphor, because she
Ia child who knows nothing beyond
it, and with delicate art Miss Pay Wal
lace makes this perfectly clear. Her
slang is absolutely spontaneous.
kinder tough, amt lift" says Polly,
when she finally understands that the
show has gone on and left her behind.
How long will IL beY
"The doctor can tell better about that
when he comes, answers the young
minister.
"Doctorl As bad as that, ehf It's
my wheel, amt 1T"
''Yo whati" demands Mandy, the
colored nurse. in surprise.
My wheei-my cfeeper. Oh, golly,
that hurts. Is it puneturedf'
When Polly learns that John Is
clergyman she bounces up with. Great
Barnum and Baileyl You a sky pilot
Well, ! never thought | would be talk
ing to one of you guys"
my church is right ont there says
John. You can see it from the win
dow
"How long have you worked here
she asked.
I've only been here about six months.
Six months. Haven't they got mighty
tired of your spislp'
Il hope they haven't
Gee Six months in burg like this. |
They must be sick Of you---or perhaps
you change your act. Do YOU do the |
same stuff an the time or have you got |
a repi"
"a repf" queries the puzzled SKY
Sure. Repitory. Different acts
entries, some call them Why, Uncle
Toby he's our clown has rot TWEEN.
ty entries. Makes 8 heap Of difference
in the big cities where you have a
rum
Fl see. Well, I try to say something
new every Sunday
None Of your acts Is like circus acts,
are theyf i there any laughs in your
aetsW
Not many laughs, I'm afraid But
ministers try to tell their people things
which help them and make them for
get their troubles for a time
Why, that's just Ike the circus bus
mess only circuses draw more people
than churches
The scene closes when Polly Il given
a peep at the pictures hi the minis.
ter's Bible Her eye il caught with
the figures Of Ruth and Naomi, from
whose costumes she argues that aThav
must be circus folks. SHE asks to
Be- read the story, and the minister be-
rims with:
"Entreat me not to leave thee. Viii
ther thou goest, will 10. Thy people
shall BE- my people; thy ways, ny ways,
and thy God, my Cod HI