The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-06-24

RM EIl0N cf an artist. He was four
WEll ! Is9W teen, but small for his age,
H ErrzvN ! with lean, tragic face and
kEsNsgEs5l dark Italian eyes By day
E4NSaS this tragic face looked out
l2zSiGn@I OF the cloak closet near the
entrance Of a well known club, founded and
frequented by players, and the thin hands
trcmbIed when they took into their keeping
the hat and stick Of our foremost Shake
spearian actor Sometimes Fabio " did call, !"
and then, to recompense him for the weari-
some service on art critics. magazine writer's
and young playwrights (who sat in groups and
said mean things about each othcr) he would
occasionally bring til Great One high ball.
as Ganymede served the god, or tear joyfully
to find fresh sealing wax. Fabio wondered
why the club admitted these other people
the ria-raff Of the lesser arts. The actors
he served gladly. The Great One he wor-
shipped. Such another he dreamed to be
some day himself.
One afternoon the Great One checked with
his hat and coat a prompt book Of Hamlet, !"
and Fabio surrcpttiousy peeped into it, in
the dim recessesof the closet The solemn
words almost danced on the page beneath
his excited eyes. His lips began to move
Soon he was unconsciously reading aloud,
carried away with the mouth-hlling speeches
rolled to f.le stately music of the verse. So
the Great One found him, and smiled upon
tks shame-faced lad, caught red-handed.
<J1n 49,. H.. <Ln+D ha ocEaI
rabio could only gasp.
Keep it, said the actor "That is great
play, one Of the greatest ever written"
Do--do you play into ;" said Fabio.
sDo-do you say this To be or not to be-
pecch2"
That speech is called Hamlet's Soliloquy,
ny lad, said the actor. Yes, | speak it.
ftisone Of the most famous soliloquys in the
English drama"
Fabio gasped. "Oh, oh. I'd like to see
fou act
The Great One was in an amiable mood.
He took q card from his case, scribbled some
thing on it, and handed it to ihc boy "Pass
lssnt in at the gallery boz,office Saturday
night he said. \
Fabio helped him into his coat, with shak-
ing fingers. Tha. evening, in the tenement
an West Houston Street. he sat beneath the
iisekcring gas jet, oblivious TO the hubbut
,alic BY his innumerable small brothers and
;sstcrs, the brawl between his father and
mother, the noise and odor from the street
outside, and read and re-read Hamlet. y
And when he went to sleep the book was
un5cr his pillow From that time on il never
ls;fhin.. He had the child's quick memory,
aD:i by Saturday night he knew the title
sAe e.almost by heart. lIc sat in the gallery
hanging forward with his tragic face bent on
tins stage, and drank ii every intonation ol
tbe Great Ono s voice, uHconsciously mifnick.
;ng in his mind even the faults, such as the
! almost monotonous oyer-emphasis of the
censural words. When the soliloquy came
his lips, too, repeated it silently The house
was hushcd The people around him secmcd
to naye waited Tor this moment; they, too
appeared tQ know the speech by heart, Fable
rallied how great ii must be. The supreme
sensation Of repeating those solemn, musica
rnrds to a vas:, hushcd theatre thrilled hi.
;u;agination lie grew aincst dizzy viii
Falghty desire 10 rush ,laop TIE stage him
s.si, 10 sway tic audiar.c ~:t4 The spell d
his voice Then the clnsct scsac came, and
he Lrgct everything. earrir. away by the
piay whlsthc tear r,- ,,cun his cheeks AID
the savers disun his enine, ;soagh tie knew
nalght Of Professor .'hnI-eb statement tha'
"thr Ultimate test ai AIT Is ne spinal shiyer.'