The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-11-22
Or does age play SO conspicuous a


role.
Maxine Elliott says that beauty is
handicap to an actress. That people
will not give her credit for what tai
ents she possesses.
That she cannot exploit the latter
because she is given no channel, no
medium, through which to do SO.
That she is posed. Not cast.
And that sometimes ends carer
in bitterness and chagrin.
Perhaps this may be SO. In fact the
history of the stage proves it to be.
Although there are exceptions.
Eleanora Duse, in instance, was, or
is, woman of little beauty, so-called.
That is, of perfection of feature and
charm of color and contour.
But she has a greater asset. The as
set of supreme genius. For no actress
of her day, or any other, has ranked
the Italian in the expression of her
art.
Duse has the strange fascination of
genius.
1t cannot be explained. But wher
ever genius is found this exists. No
one discounts the personal charm of
Riley, in instance. 1t is the charm of
genius, for Riley is an ugly man. So
far as the mere facial conformation is
concerned.
But none who have known or met
him can resist his charm.
1t is so with others gifted of the
gods.
Madame de Stael was a woman of
little physical attraction and yet she
swayed men and concentrated inter
est.
George Elliott was undeniably ugly
And yet she held the attention and
compelled the devotion of a great
man.
George Sand-the famous French
novelist-was a woman of few physi-
cal projections. Still her love affairs
| with the great-Chopin and Alfred de
Musset, for two-were famous, or no.
torious, as you will.
You can't explain genius.
Sundry of the elect have sought to
do so.
By saying that genius is the capa-
city for hard work-and other gibber-
ings of like nature
Genius is not the capacity for hard
work
Genius is the finest essence of life.
But it has to work out.
And the working-out is a more or
less a laborous process. Therefore the
uncou and the Grass say that that is
genius itself.
No great work of art was ever pro-
duced easily. Tipped off the beam.
Tossed off in an odd moment.
This is popular fallacy.
But the contrary is true:
1t is hard work-yes. But it's some
thing that is attendant upon the pos
session.
Lots of people work hard who aren't
geniuses.
And all geniuses don't work hard.
Because some of them are mute, inglo-
rious Millions. Unable to evolve the
light.
Because of temperamental handi-
cap, or inherited curse, or fated cir
cumstance.
IneSe are they VINO are the woe
stricken of the world.
Obsessed with the knowledge OF
their possession, unable to concen-
trate it to point, with the desire but
without the will-they helplessly beat
their wings against the bars of Fate.
Such are to be but regarded with
profound commisseration.
They are at once the happiest and
the most wretched of mortals. For the
possession of genius confers ardours
and dcspairs of which the rank and
file have no conception.
Genius is the medium of humanity
1t is humanity's mouthpiece.
And it works and ferments and pulls
es and beats until at last it foams over
the sparkling life fluid.
There are some mute geniuses in
the dramatic profession. And some not
mute-but notwithstanding des
perate stabs with the dagger through
the arras-but never hitting.
Prices are still serving seven flaw
ors of their delicious cream and ices