Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-03-02
From the PHILADELPHIA. Ledger.

A"S SNAAi ~ =,
much more definite and acute interest
in Philadelphia, perhaps, thar any
where in the world. The presentation
of the play in Paris does not excite
especial comment. The production in
New York was preceded by discussion.
and there was ar attempt to prevent
its presentation, but Mayor Gaynor de-
cided that he had no authority to inter-
fere with the play. In Philadelphia
the objections We're voiced by a depu-
tation of ministers of the gospel. and
FINALLY the mayor forbade the per-
~formance, not on the ground that the
play was improper or that the subject
was necessarily beyond the pale of
dramatic representation. but because
he held that the promoters of the play
had definitely promised him that the
play should not be given.
Rostand's play was first produced in
Paris i'm 1897, and has been regularly
given since then during holy week.
The play is based on the fourth chap
curtain discloses h well of Jacob and
the spirits OF Abraham. lsaac and
Jacob awaiting The coming of the Re-
They disappear and are fol-
lowed by the Samaritans. who hate
the Jews and are by them despised.
The crowd talks of the coming of the
Messiah, to whom jews and mi
itans shall all be alike. Then comes
the striking scene which introduces
the Savior. He enters mt the head OF
His II disciples, all modelled after
world-famous neutrality-suspicious., youth
ful: Peter, gray and somber n Judas,
f%orbidding and sinister. The disciples
go TO buy foo and Immediately Pho
tine, the woman of Samaria. portrayed
by Bernhardt, appears at the We'll. One
version in English, from which extracts
are given. follows:
JESUS.
Woman.
Give me to drink. The suns hot rays
are burning. Give me to drink.
PHOTINE.
L fancicd that the Jews
And he is of that race. his features
show it
Would naught of us, the people of Sa-
maria.
And looked upon us as a lowly people
Deemlng our bread pestiferous like
pork.
Like blood of birds, the honey of our
bees.
The waters of Samaria fill this we'll
From which l draw the jug upon my
Hence thou Wilt TURF thy countenance
away,
No longer Wishing
JESUS.
Still l wish to drink.
PHOTINE.
So then thy thirst Surpasseth thy dis
gust"
Know. then. they foot will be much
less polluted
BY Shiny ooZe of vcnom-bearing load
Then if thou drink the water from this
vessel.
with wicked volubility.)
No. ever ii thou begged me until morn,
VNhI ing wn1Jll mot lnNn,- from nay.
shoulder,
I lift it high and now 1 hie me hence.
Farewell, Elisar without gift and
treasure,
Thou art in cIror-I ann no Rebecca!
And tho tongue cleaNe to mouth, thou
shalt not drink!
Coming a little closer.l
See here this water. look. how clear.
how limpid,
The jug seems empty, tho it ever
flows.
See. how it sweats dew through it's
open pores,
Like pearls the drops glide down or its
round belly. @ .
This water. pure and clear like unto
heaven,
To thee. unclean, forbidden and i'm
No, thou shalt not have one drop!
Not o:3e!
JESUS.
Oh, if thou knew'st the heavenly
gift,
The message that the Lord sends thee
his day
And who 1t is hat asks this drink OF
thee
Thou wouldst Him to quench thy
bitter thirst.
PHOTINE.
WOuldst thou detain me with myster-
iOuS prattle?
JESUS.
He is the steward of the wells of life.
PHOTINE.
I must admit, o TRANCE and captious
Jew.
Thy voice, thy beauteous eye displeases
me not.
Now tell me of this water, prithee
OF which thou speaketh with so much
assurance.
How wouldst thou draw it from tn.
cistern's depth"
n tho thou knewest of another
source,
II would not be water clear like unts
They come from far to draw upon yo
we'll,
Given to us by our father Jacob.
Who drank taerefiom himself. and al
his tribe.
In all Samaria there is not it's equal
Wouldst thou with boastful words i'm.
pugn it's fame?
Art greater thou than father Jacob?
JESUS:
Yea
~ PHOTINE.
Were to pour into the hallow hands
A little of this water, thou wouldst see
JESUS.
Whoever OF this water. drinks
Will thirst for it again upon the morn
But whatsoever drinketh of the water.
That shall civ. him. never shnn "a