The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1915-11-08

II would be useless for one whose
acting is confined solely to the screen
to say that we do not miss the mag.
netic presence and enthusiastic ap-
plause of an audience. We do miss
both very much. and while the realism
and charm Of nature in scenario work
compensate for many things, never
th0less we miss that personal touch
with the public that restrains, sug.
Hests, encourages and inspires.
One whose audiences consist day af-
tar day solely of director and prop
erty men has no direct communicA-
tion with the public except through its
letters to him. and 1t has occurred to
me that in my case might strengthen
and facilitate this method Of commu-
nication by using the press ~ q me.
dium. ~
It will not only be simpler. then. for
my letter friends to reach me. but the
fact that we are reading the same
every day, with our letters
to each other in 1t, will give our a..
sociation that little. intimate, homo.
like touch 1t needs TO enable u to
be Of mutual help. It will be just As
II we were gathered around the same
table to make our little plans for the
future. to laugh at the plans that went
awry, to cheer each other, ana per-
haps to tease each other little bit,
for / contend that we tease always
when we love.
A Welcome Visitor.
What great times We will have! The
Newspaper, which has always meant
something to which father has the prior
right, gets cross about II it IL late
and Srumblingly hides behind, will
then have a more personal, z more In
innate, meaning to each OF rs. Always
the one visitor every member OF the
family welcomes, think how much
warmer that welcome will be when 1t
becomes the medium Of our daily little
friendly talks.
In a very pleasing way the scenario
artist has an advantage over what
some pleases to call the Legitimate
We do not have the exquisite joy OF
seeing the smiles and tears In the
faces before US; Wa miss the supreme
bliss of the curtain call, but-and
think what this means!--our friends,
our admirers, our critics are not con.
fined to the few cities whore he have
appeared.
They are broadcast, and as letters
from every point In the Globe, from
South Africa to Alaska, pass through
our hands, we can afford to smile q
little triumphantly at our bowing and
scraping rival. True, we have not the
JOY of the curtain call. but neither are
ours the narrow limitations Of one lit
tie stage. He has season In Chicago
for instance, and only those who are
fortunate enough to be in Chicago see
him. We have q few busy days IN
studio, in the country. on the hills OF
in the valley, wherever realism takes
us, and appear In the next month al
most all over the world.
And those to whom v7e appear, real
izing that we are blind to tears and
smiles and deaf to applause, and feel
ing that they must find an outlet fol
their admiration, find 1t through the
ink.bottle. Bless it's inky face! l say
for it has done more through those
who hover around 1t to encourage and
help me than anything else In the
world. What a greater medium o1
help the newspaper will now become
An Early Awakening.
Would it make us feel more at home
l wonder, II tell my friends right al
the beginning something about myself
was tiny girl Of four when my
aunt carried me downstairs one morn
ing, and I knew by the manner II
which she held me tight to her breas,
when we passed a certain door thai
my father lay dead behind it. know
too (the tragic precocity Of itD, thai
l was my mothers Oldest child, and
now must help her.
We had no means. was four, Lot
tie was three Jack was a baby II
arms, and our grandmother, help
less paralytic, was a more hopeless
burden than we. In looking backward
now, l can see that the seriousness o.
our situation was magnified in m,
childish Imagination. I seem, In m,
minds eye now, never to have known
the care-free. happy-hearted CHILDHOOD
which is every child's due. I always
clung closely to my mother. as II
instinctively knew that she must mo-
be left alone to grieve and work, ant
ono of the first questions remembel
asking her was how many years !
would be till would be old enough t.
work and help her and Of counting OF
the years on my fingers when she re
plied that l could not earn money be
fore l was fourteen.
But God was good to me and dt'
not have to wait that long.