The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-06-21
4 sToRv rLUsIve OF WORDS


oi scenes as are necessary for pre-.
Fhtniing the play on q lArhe fpale,
and ui a distance from sllesBunlence,
IN the version made for Miss Ad,im&
Schlllera prologue becomes Act i
hds first act Is Acl II. his second and
third acts are combined IN Act lllf
bis fourth and fifth acts are also the
fourth and NTH acts OF Miss Adams
acting version,
The story Of Joan OF Arc has been
told IN many ways BY many wrliersi
romance and legends without mum.
Der have been woven around Il So.
rlous efforts have been made in our
generation to treat the strange cpl.
sode with historic and scientific
truth. The best and most recent Of
such attempts is Andrew .Lang's
thoughtlnl volume, q singularly sym.
uathetlc Joan Of Are written first
anonymously and finally acknowl
edged hy Mark Twain. and, most re.
contly Of all. an aculely psychological
study hy the greatest ma~ior q
modern prose, Analoie France.
Scholarly and sympathetic as these
sttempts have been, II is, neverthe
loss fact tISat the story Of Joan Of
Are eludcs words u has never been
told In type, and u never can be
told. The great thing Is that the
minacle was wrought and France,
aud French civilization, saved from
The grip OF the English BY the peas
Sut maiden IN 1879. and the fruits
i've IN 1909 Words AMI pictures
however beautiful must be cheaI
and inadequate. unless they can sug
gest the wonder OF the spiritual In
fluoncc that Is beyond words, and
that may only be suggested bY "ac
ion, godlIke action"
The theme Of Schiller's poem Is
The eternal tragedy Of an inspired
sdul trying 10 fulfill its mission. II
onfllct with human ties, humar
needs and short sighted human VI
sions. Joan's appointed worl
transcended her time. and her time
could not understand her II Is eass
20 imagine The distrust and suspiclor
v her peasant father. Thlbaut DARE
10 whose honest and narrow minf
her visions were matters OF fear ant
'orebodlug. He could not know tha'
the light that illumined her LITE,
face was the light Of inspiration. II,
could not comprehend the splritua
Jaw By which she knew the hcimei
Tor her own, and took Il as glgi
rom Heaven that the time for hel
appointed work had come. The por
tenious figure OF the peasant O
D0mremy symbollzes the narrowness
and superstition OF the age v'hlcl
had their part IN defeating and de
stroylng the Maid OF Franco.
To Joan OF Arc, saving Franco
meant saving Charles VII and seat
Ing him on his fathers throne She
had overcome her humble environ
ment. She had overcome opposition
md unhelief Al the court OF Chi
non for for the first first time she eucouni
cred indifference, fer thero France
Sas humbled IN the dust Charles
lfadequate and despairIng. was ldlinl
hlb time with lrOuhad0urs and fool
sh pleasures His kingdom wa
'ofn IN tko by civil war His parlla
mont had disowned him. His las
stronghold. Orleans. was about Il
'ail. His mother was In league Will
his enemies, and England claimed
his crown Hopeless. denuded O.
klngiy spirit he was about 10 la
aVoryihlng fall and fly from bits diff
icnltles Rhen came loan Of Arc Z
make him believe IN himsolf. and
sill more wonderful to make hin
believe II Ger She lifted and in
splred him BY his own order. sh'
a6nt a message OF defiance 10 Eng
land and dellverance 10 Orleans.
France Is up and marching. liflef
into life and power By the battle err
Of fGod and The Maidl" The enc
my, beaten back. Is rallylng for an
"qter stand The Enaiish generals
their French ally. Burgundy tbs
'reachetouB queen pursuing her 30
with relentless hate. lncesaantl,
7sirlplng to reconcile his foes. When
ever the Maid appears, the Englisl
fall back The warning factions o
the French are reconclled. But Joal
1f Arc. whose greatness has conquer
cd the enemies " France, "a herseI
conquered by the weakness OF he
woman's heart. She encounters tn.
English general Lionel. Re Is e.
her mercy. but she cannot strike. Il
hlf proud and beautiful face sshe rec
1gnlzes n spirit kindred 10 her own
Her heart Ia broken by her realza
lion OF q mortal love. which she be
lleyes 10 be a sln She never falters
she never ceaaes pressing forwart
10 the accomplishment Of her In
| splred mission. nrt henceforwars
lhe asadow OF death Is over her soul
Only two more glorious military
achievements remained for Joan o
Arc after taking Orleans. One. thu
Bloodlesa March after tho corona
ton when every English stronghold
heiween Rheims and Paris surren
aered 70 the Maid without striking
blow The other. the fatal sorlli
against rse English. when the Nal,
wes wounded and carried, O prisoner
70 the HufgnDdlan camp. After thl
coronation. tho Maid had wished T.
70 back to D0mrems to her simple
shepherd life. but Destiny shapel
her toward a far different end i
history. the Maid WIS burned as
MARTYR At Rpuen. But IN Schiller
she fulfills lher mission. sees France
victorious. and dies Of her wound Of
the battle field.
Such Is the story Of Joan ol Arc
elht Miss Maude Adams and hel
company VIII act IN Tho Stadium
Tuesday night The play win hegli
with the snectacle Of a lliiIe. lcneI.
figure coming over the Hill az twl
lient to listen IN the shadow Of ths
great tree 70 The voleea which speal