davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08

they want to be helpful and earn their
livings.
They, too, are taking the work cure.
1t must not be believed, of course, that
America has any monopoly Of this
remedy. Folks in other lands, as well as
we, are recognizing that the best way of
forgetting afflictions and troubles and
illnesses is to take an intelligent, active
interest in the affairs of the world and
of others less fortunate than themselves
in the matter of worldly goods.
To the police came the woniba resi-
dents of two small towns in an eastern
state the other day with tale about
having been called up on the telephone
by a woman who, guarded by the safety
of the wire, said that the husbands of
the other women had been guilty of
scandalous doings
Fortunately for the slanderer she re-
mained at the other end of the line,
for the men attacked are good and hon
orable men, and the "woman with the
serpent's tongue lied when she tried to
poison the minds of the wives against
their husbands
The newspaper which printed this bit
Of news called the slanderer a "poisop
talker." Good name!
We have had many poisoned pen"
! cases in which persons who hid behind
cowardly anonymity wrote scurrilous let
ters We have had other 'poison talk
ers." They are a venomous breed.
But not all of the "poison takers" get
behind the security of the telephone
when they do their nefarious work. Some
of them are bold enough to come out
into the open
OF such are the peddlers OF implied
slander and innuendo. They are near
akin to the they say breed. They are
the retainers of idle. unfounded, vicious
gossip.
Active testimony to the weakness of
man and his slow progress in the ages
are these folks, for their like was known
when Cheops erected his pyramid and
was recognized even them to be of long
and dishonorable lineage.
All of the ages since then have known
the "poison takers"
We could go about our daily work
perhaps with lighter hearts If we could
assert with safety that the number of
gossips In proportion to the population
of the world has decreased and Is de-
creasing. But, alas for the faith In hui
man nature, there Is no such certainty
What makes fighting such persons very
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08

who turned wlllfully away from all
the maps and charts and soundings
which long experienced predecessors
have thoughtfully provided for him!
Is the young man or woman much bet
ter who turns away defiantly from the
advice of elders who have sailed the
sea of life? That way shipwreck lea
To those who are about to embark
on the voyage:
study the charts. Aequaint yourself
with tho wisdom OF the ages as set forth
in the best books. Rightly considered
and thoughtfully read they are more in
teresting than the latest novel and no
more difficult to read. They make you
think and that is good exercise for the
BRAIN Above all, listen with patience
and respect to the elders who have mes
sages to impart.
TO those who are nearing the final
haven
Do not be afraid to share your knowl-
edge with the members OF the newer
generation who are about to assume the
burden which is slipping from your
shoulders. They are entitled. to all that
you can give them in the way OF advice
and warning and encouragement
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08

present season. To Mr.. e A. Sothern's
use of a word in Hamlet I shall recur
presently.
The conspicuous Players of the most
eminent characters in the plays were as
follows: Mr. z. A. Sothern. and Miss
Julia NARROW; and Sir Johnston Forbes
Robertson, and his beautiful wife. Miss
Gertrude Elliot. OF MIR. Sothern I shall
say but little, for, doubtless, he will be
seen by many of us for years to come
but Mr.. Forbes-R Robertson is playing for
the last time in this country. and here
after if the reader would see him he
will have to crose the Atlantic and grati-
fy his desire in London.
Forbes-Robertson gave his New York
audiences Hamlet Shylock, Othello and
others, Miss Elliot playing Ophelia. Por-
tia and Desdemona. This lady is classic
ally beautiful, and at once strikes her
audience with her physical perfections.
her grace of carriage and notions and
with the sweetness and musical resonance
of her voice. Yet. one thinks that she is
incapable of expressing the heights of the
strongest passion. Yet, perhaps, this is
really more enjoyable than Miss Mar
lows acting, which is often too intense
and too loud. In Miss Marlow's Opheia
there is too much effort at "acting;" in
Miss Ellot's Ophelia one feels that her
GOODNESS is preferable to tearing pas
sion to tatters' Ophelia's pathetic men
tai plight and her gentle quietness after
hearing of her fathers death, as por-
trayed by Miss Elliot, more than make
up for an apparent lack of feeling in
the forepart of the play, The same gen
eral criticism applies to other characters
as these two ladies' play them. But both
are charming actresses with many per-
sonal fascinations and with distinct his
trionic ability, and will long live in the
annals of the stage.
L shall call attnntinn To Enrhne. chart
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08

the throne of Denmark, not on the
floor as all the actors from Maereadys
time have done. Being an old timer
somewhat resented some of his. inno-
vations, yet, with others I was much
pleased. lie needed not some of the
aids that many others require. for his
gestures were suffieieY. one could see
at once that an intellectual master had
the responsibility of the play. and that
lie was equal to the occasion.
Forbes-Robertson' voice Is not as
strong as many others that l have heard
on the stage. but his enunciation is so
perfect and his pronunciation so ac-
curate that one never misses a word.
In the soliloquy. ITO be or not to be-"
he sat in chair until he reached the
line, ITO sleep, perehance to dream
here he stood erect. Mr. Edwin Booth is
the only other actor of whom | know
who repeated even part of the soliloquy
sitting A number of the stage traditions
this great actor puts to flight, but for
their loss he usually gives one something
better. Beyond all question Forbes Rob-
ertson is a great actor, and is perhaps,
the greatest Hamlet in the world.
The time has come for me to speak OF
the single word to which | referred near
about the beginning of this paper, as
having been used by MIR. Sothern in his
Hamlet 1t is only fair to say that he
changed to another word which he uses
row.
1t will be remembered that when Ham
let requests the First Player to recite
to him, this Player gives the text of
an old play, and this follows according
to Mr. Sotherns View:
First Player. But who, o, who had
seen the inobled qneen?'
Hamlet: THE inohled queen?"
Polonius. That's good; inobled queen S
good.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08

hard-eyen when they do not show their
cowardly ingenuity by crawling into the
telephone receiver to Disseminate their
venom-is the difficulty that is met in
tracing the source of their nasty stock
in trade. Trying to run down a piece or
mischievous gossip is a heartbrealdng
and mind exhausting task. When a per-
Nson lends himself or herself to the thank
less, ungracIous task of spreading abroad
slander he or she takes care generally
to cover up the tracks.
The slanderer knows that he Is doing
something unworthy of his membership
in the human race.
And the line between idle gossip and
slander is vague, shadowy, often in
definable. 1t is a good plan to fight shy
of this boundary of evil
Likening human life to a sea voyage
is an old metaphor The olden Greeks
used it, and it's employment is com
mon in all the literatures, ancient and
modern, of the world.
To sail the seas properly the marin
er must have his compass and his
charts and his instruments of navlga-
ton So 1t is also with the voyager
on the sea of life.
He needs to be as wary OF the mani
fold perils of life as is the seafarer
OF the hurricanes and typhoons and
reefs and icebergs. And he needs all
the aid he can get.
First among these Is the experience
Of those who have made the voyage
before him. They have charted the
billows. They have learned the reefs
They have learned which lanes of the
sea to seek and where the perilous
coasts lie. They have embodied their
wisdom in the books. and they have
handed some of 1T down from mouth
TO mouth.
No map can travel the great ocean
of life for any number of years with
out becoming weather wise. IT speaks
to him and enforces it's teachings with
the weight of penalties for warnings
neglected and dangers needlessly run
1t beckons to him sometimes to sail
his bark over cruel treacherous, hid
cen reefs. 1t RACES at him in the tones
of the storm blast. when 1t would
wreck him.
SO he becomes store OF wisdom for
those who follow.
"The first mariner who ever went
forth to sea became the guide ana
adviser of the next one. and so on.
How idIotic would sailor be today
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08
HEART TO HEART TALKS-By Charles N. Lure

All the rocks have been removed from
the path. 1t is not good
DO not pray for a reduction of your
burdens" said Phillips Brooks. Pray
for gerater strength to bear them"
When the burden presses hardest,
think-if you were not able to bear it it
would crush you. And in the thought
find renewed and greater strength to
bear it and to tighten it.
However weary and long and endless
the way seems, 1t has been travelled be-
fore. Your problems have oppressed
others; your sorrows and woes have been
Affections to the spirit long before your
time.
The thing of which you complain-be
it death or sickness or financial distress
or loss of affection or anything else-is
not a new thing in the long history of
mankind.
Others have felt it and have overcome
it, living to look back from happier days.
So can you.
The accommodating load of little troubles,
leading at last to that ancient straw
which breaks the camePs back"-how
hateful is that last straw.-may be pre-
vented from becoming reality il each
little worry is faced bravely and cheer
fully as it comes.
There is in certain big city a brave.
cheerful old woman, who has known
many sorrows and distresses Her hus-
band died. leaving her poor. Her sons
would not work. Her daughter added
TO her sorrows by marrying a man of
alien religion and race. Her health
broke. But through it all she was cheer
full.
know l haven't much to be cheer
ful about she said, ''but the woman
who is living in corner of my base
ment until her husband can find work
is worse off even than 1 am.''
She found surcease of her own sor-
rows In helping a neighbor who was
still poorer than herself.
So in the little" things. In the big
ones
There was great disaster in America
Thousands of persons were drowned when
the sea arose and flooded southern city.
But the city arose from the waters and
rebuilt itself
Hearing of its courage, the German
Emperor said:
ne energy and ingenuity of the chill
dren of the new world are always equal
to the vastness of their misfortunes"
Fine tribute from a great man!
Let us deserve it, individually and col
iectively as a nation.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08

indication pointed TO a prosperous year.
and the flash Of confidence was in the
eye of every planter. Cool snaps would
now and then come, but they were not
of such character as to occasion con-
eern. and the young crops were growing
rapidly apace. Corn had been planted
early, and excellent stands were every
where to be seen. The peculiar season
excited much wonder, and was the occa-
sion of not a little comment. There
was a rush and hustle of life every
where. Cotton was early planted. was
chopped out, and was rapidly growing
off
The burst of summertide had practi-
cally come by the middle of April. the
gardens were yielding abundantly of
vegetables. and cold weather came to be
regarded as a memory The Oldest de-
clared that they had never before wit
messed year like that, and the indi-
cations were that the harvest would
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08

scene of the second act. Now, when
Forbes Robertson was approaching this
particular place in the play, became
quite nervous. | was afraid that some
one would speak to me, or that some
body would cough, so that l would be
unable To hear distinctly. morally
knew that this Hamlet would not say
'inobled" although | positively knew
that this word was in the folio OF 1929
waited breathlessly and the word came
that | expected. 1t was "mobled" queen.
Mr.. Sothern now says 1t, but he says he
does so out of respect to his audience,
not because he believes ''mobled'' is the
word originally used.
One of the New York papers took up
this verbal matter of difference. "inobled'
and "mobled" and asked why Hamlet
should have Interrupted the First Player
with the question, 1.-The mobled Queen
lie library TO consult the quartos and
the folios, with the following results:
found that the only place where "inobled'
(Which means ennoblod) is found Is in the
folio of 1928 and the best critics tell us
that it is here by the mistake of the
printer. In this same folio a question
mark follows the word as Hamlet used
IT.. But In every other folio, and in every
quarto the word "mobled" is employed,
and no quarto so far as l can remember
gives the question mark. | examined the
quartos of 1903, 1901, 1905, 1911. 1886, 1897,
but not one of them has "inobled," they
all have "mobed," followed by a period
And even the folio of 1852 has "mobled."
Evidently, 'inobled' is the result of some
printers carelessness, which was cor
rected in 1922, though wrongly printed in
1928
one of the newspapers during this con-
troversy stated that the word ''mobled"
was printed as two words in the second
folio, and meant that the queen WAS mob
led carried on by a mob, But IL Is
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08

you sacrifice what is in many ways the
greatest and best part of yourself.
II have been taking the air cure. in
the Tyrol, the grape cure at Meran, the
after cure at Baden Baden and the post
graduate course at Paris, and as | could
not find any more unoccupIed cures in
Europe l have now come back to the
best of all cures, the American cure,
which means hard work.
So spoke a prominent New Yorker on
his return from Europe. He is right
America, from Passport to Los Angeles,
is one vast sanitarium. We have the
''workingest" country on earth.
Just think of how many of us are talk
ing ''the best of all cures. the Ameri-
can cure, which means hard work.
No sympathy is asked or expected by
the 'invalids,' either.
We're all proud of this big, hustling,
workaday America of ours We are ALL
or we all ought to be, at any rate, proud
of our distinction. Europeans call us
dollar hunters" but we find when we
go abroad that they are just as keen after
the sovereign, the franc, the mark, the
lire and the ruble as we are after the
dollar.
Another thing
Our pursuit of the dollar. while alb
sorbing, does not occupy all our time
Hours of work and other labor condi-
tions are as good here speaking gener-
ally, as they are anywhere else on
earth. In many places they are better
Profit sharing and other methods of
recognizing faithful service by employees
are spread ding.
And music and the other arts are gain
ing as wide and strong a foothold as
they have in countries with much longer
artistic lineages.
We have many wealthy men who need
not toll for their daily bread. They could
live on their investments and permit
others to work for them. But the morn
ing whistle is heard by them at their
desks and often the quitting time bell
has no significance for them. They are
taking the work cure. 1t is sovereign
remedy for many of the ills which afflict
mankind
Women, too>are finding that a plunge
into useful activity washes away many
of their ailments. real and imaginary
Society women are turning more and
more to sociological investigation and
aid, for instance, not merely because they
are tired Of doing nothing. but because
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08

on the doctors Are they not all minlst>
ing spirits?
Above all things do not Witty tn
Church For with all her faults and Ia
spite of the largeness and difficulty OF
her ask, she is beloved of the Lord, and
very precious in His sight You say she
has always prosecuted whatever was not
in accordance with Ter traditions. You
say she does not care to find out whether
these things are true that you tell of,
while she has great sympathy with cal
low enthusiasts" by which you seem to
indicate men like the promoters of the
Emanuel movement Ali. my brother. big
and wonderful as these philosophical con-
cusions of yours doubtless seem TO your
own pragmatic mind, and although you
have even aired them In the worlds winds
through the pages of Mr. Harvey's RE-
view there are others whose philosophy
tends quite elsewhther. greater Chris
tians, greater philanthroplsts, greater
men. who would deplote, as the very
triumph of the soul over the spirit, the
surrender OF the church To the "Aryan
philosophy 90 which You haye surren-
dered. Yon do them less than Justice
brother Churchman. and you malisn tho
mother who bore you. How comes Ii that
YOU can assan her FOR indifference 10 ths
worlds woe and to the claims of un-
acknowledged truth tspelt with a capi-
taD2 Has she not borne YOU? For once,
modesty has quite obscured your vast
significance even from %onr own eyes.
BE cheered. All is. rot Lost. With sly
shynees. most becoming. YOU have spoken
to the Nation through the North Amed-
can Review
And now. though | have sadly over
run my space. let me urge YOU and all
who walk in the same fog concerning tho
theology of the churches. 10 study mod
ern theological opinion aud philosophical
and scientific dogma more sympathetical-
ly. At least study these things, and so
avoid the pit Of darkness In which you 80
evidently grope, supposing that the prob
lem OF evil has no light flung upon it by
the facts of evolution. Thus you shall.
as an apostle advised. put away childish
things.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08

rapidly changed to warmth again, showers
followed and the seasons thenceforth were
ideal. Every condition favored germina-
tion and growth, cultivation was rapid.
and within few weeks the fields were
again radiant in vernal freshness. The
leaves came again slowly on the trees
though many Of the trees died. Fruit ut
terly failed. and not few of the fruit
trees were killed.
As with conpensating balance, long
summer ensued, followed by late fall
the erons grew rapidly to perfection. every
condition favored their tillage and final
harvesting. the whole resulting in one of
the most hountcous crops produced up to
that time in the state.
Hiel<orynuts, walnuts, acorns, and
swampmast generally were abundant
to the salvation of the small game
Of the woods, aud to the supplement
tary aid of the raisers of hogs, and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08

sons characterization OF the Jealous
Moor was wonderful in it's conception,
masterful in its portrayal, and bril-
liant in its intellectual comprehension.
After seeing Forbes Robertson in 9th
clio one goes out into the night with
the conviction that he has seen mas
ter of his art. and will perhaps not
look upon his like again,
4 brilliant audience sat in the Schu-
bert theatre awaiting the rise of the
curtain upon the castle walls of
ShalSespeare's most Intellectual play.
Nearly all the spectators, I suppose,
had seen Hamlet before, and yet every
body was filled with profound interest
for it was believed that we were to see
the worlds greatest Prince of Den
mark Mr.. Forbes -Robertson's physique
fitted the part precisely. he was supple
and slender, and looked the part of a
young man just home from the uni
versity; the word fat" as applied to
Hamlet in the text l have always re-
garded as used figurative1y. as it is
in the King James Bible which was
translated only about seven or eight
years after Hamlet was written. He
Wore no wig, nor was he made up
He wore the usual "trappings of woe
and was exceedingly graceful in all his
movements. He apparently cared not a
fig for the conventional reading of
tie lines. nor for the stage business
that is usual. There was no portrait
used when he said to Gertrude. Look
upon this picture, then upon this a
wave of the lfand Indicated the differ
ont pictures. He wore no plumed cap
IN the grave scene, which has been done
by every Hamlet, l suppose. since John
Philip Kemble's days; he entered with
Horatio, and on his head there was a
black hood which formed the upper
part of his long. black cloak. And, in
The n e scnnn he l,nnn tln nd hie II nn
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08

son as he appeared in only two plays.
Othello and Hamlet. For some reason
nearly all of us have entertained the
notion that Othello should be represented
by a large man. This idea may have
grown out of Othello's wonderful exploits
as he recites them before the court over
which the Duke presides; for one may
logically think that only large man
physically could do the things that he
did. Or it may grow out of the fact
that we have been accustomed to see
only large men in the role, men like
Phelps, Salvini. Forrest, MeColough, or
even Louis James. But there is really
no reason why the Moor should be repre-
sented as above the average height OF
men. Yet, when Mr.. Forbes Robertson
appears as Othello one experiences bit
of disappointment Not that he is a very
small man. lie is much larger than
Garrict ever was and is about the size
of Edwin Booth about 10 years before his
death, for during the last years of
Booths life he stoutened. However
Forbes-Robertson is not a large man; and
furthermore, seems TO be lacking in vital
force In those parts of the play that
are expected to run along in smooth dis
course he is perfect. His ideals are above
questioning. But at the last scene his
physical reserve force seems to be spent
being too heavily drawn upon in the ap-
proach to the climax a
Many OF my reader% will remember
that years ago Booth would change
characters with Barrett-he would play
Othe1lo and Barrett Iago, the next
night he would act 1ago to Barretts
Othe1lo. / thought that as Iago,
Forbes Robertson would stand at an
unapproachable height above all the
lagos of the world since the time of
Booth for the same draft upon physl-
cal energy in Iago is not made as in
~ N1N. LII .la.s- Io1al.. 1T
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08

no Inconvenience was experienced
save that everything was backward
The opening of the cotton market
was delayed for a month or six weeks.
but the price was good, and the year
iSi9 recovered from its disaster. and
proved to be one of the most prosper
Gus that had ever heen experienced.
Merchants who we're accustomed to
&c north for their stocks were some
what delayed. but so were the seasons,
and conditions We're amply equallzed by
the close of the year. aud events took
their usual and uniform round.
To be sure, scientific wiseacres here
end there declaring that the seasons
were changing. Just as Is always true
when pneumonia como, but practical
men went on their way, farmers be-
coming more economic and careful,
but as 10 receded. II became a year
much talked of during the then ex-