Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1910-06-16
MARGARET M'MILLAN.

Meantime the rich patron saw a
possibly great future for Miss McMil-
Ian and resolved to train her for the
stage, thinking perhaps that if the
girl achieved great personal success
1T would entirely erase from her mind
all her SILLY ideals" Of improving the
condition of the poor. She was sent
to take lessons from a skilled voice
producer and for year or two al
most lived in the company of throat
trained her for the stage and pre-
dicted for her a great career. OF
tragic mold she essayed the great his
toric parts, and those who saw her
at this time looked forward to her be-
coming one of the great stars of the
age
Encouraged by her rich friends
3teur convinced her that fame and
overwhelming success only awaited
the stretching forth of her hand.
During all the time of her musical
and dramatic development however,
great struggle was taking place in her
soul. She possessed curious dual
personality, as it were. When acting
she could feel her true self thrown alb
solutely aside, while she lived to the
life the part she was playing. This
peculiar psychic gift made her ap-
pear to her admirers as one of the
great coming actresses. On recovery
Of her normal being, however. her
thoughts always reverted to the cause
OF the poor. Her contact with such
persons as Louise Michel and other
women who were suffering for the
people drew her more strongly every
day toward the sacrifice of wealth and
fame.
The Crisis of Her Career.
At length the crisis approached in
her career. Her lady patron wished
Margaret Mcmillan to sever her con-
nection with all her friends from the
underworld of misery. She began to
realize that her protege was serious
.ly in earnest. All her prospective
success 'on the stage, all her genius
and talent, seemed to be growing
smaller in her aspirations and farther
away from her heart. in order to
bring matters to a climax the rich
lady one day offered Miss Mcmillan
a large sum and promised to leave
her welloff on her death. Thus be-
friended, ana possessed Of undoubted
genius, the world lay practically at
her feet. Miss Mcmillan does not
deny that the temptation was a great
one. Faced with the sudden neces-
#sity of making up her mind always
difficult thing for anyone to do under
such circumstances met the
crisis with an equally sudden deter
mination; she decided to give up her
rich patron
b Packing her trunk, she suddenly
decamped to Bradford in Yorkshire,
leaving Park lane far behind. Natur-
ally correspondence followed be-
tween her and her rich friend. Those
who know Margaret Mcmillan, how
ever, well yund that once hay-
ing set her hand to the pillow, she
would never look back, and she has
remained in her chosen work since
that day. The die was cast, and
finally her wealthy friend informed
her that she had decided to Job
literate Margaret forever from her
memory
Miss Mcmillan had not been long in
Bradford when she was asked to stand
for election to membership on the
school board She had never been on
school board or occupied any public
post; but acquiesced merely to please
her friends. She was elected though
at the very bottom Of the POLAND
one Of the labor members was heard
to say In her presence: Think of it;
that's all we got woman on the
board Before very long, however,
even the most pessimistic labor mem
Der recognized in Miss Mcmillan a
splendid champion of his cause.
Care 81 Children.
me SOCIALISTS were even then de-
manding the state feeding 81 neces-
4 sitous children IN the schools; but
4 Miss McAdillan had q larger idea than
4 heal Ina ina
4 ieh every physical
I5ailnnent RI the child gpuld receive at
q tent son Il md this, rs course; ir.G luded
d prors feedix!e eed in9 sS1aa her
enly sez enc ha.