The Washington herald., 1916-03-13


My small effort is only to lift the heart
that is heavy and to provoke a laugh
The death Of the poet and playwright
Mr.. Stephen Phillips arouses a chain Of
memories. knew him in his younger
and more prosperous days His father
is the Rev. Stephen Phillips, a canon OF
Peterborough cathedral and his mother,
from whom he inherited his poetic tai
ent is a descendant Of the poet Words
worth. In his early youth, for six years,
stephen Phillips was a member Of the
company Of his cousin F. R. Benson, the
Shakespearean actor, a man who speaks
exquisite English himself, but who pro
duced no impression upon the peculiar
accent OF Stephen Phillips Before Sir
George Alexander produced the delicate
moving tragedy Of "Paola and Fran
cesca," Canon Wilberforce, whose de-
Hghtful old house is in the shadow Of
Westminster Abbey, gave an afternoon
party for the purpose OF making known
to small public the beautiful poem.
And Mr.. Stephen Phillips read "Paols
and Francesca" alone TO me.
1t was a warm afternoon in the middle
Of July. The season had been very
splendid, busy and gay. Every one was
tagged, overfed and tired from long din
ners and many parties. Mr.. Phillips
voice was monotonous. singsong and
soothing. II he had administered poppy
juice to his audience thev would not have
slept more soundly. In a short time the
( long, white drawing room with its peace
| full audience resembled the Court Of the
Sleeping Beauty. No one save Mr.. Phil
I lips and myself. suffering from incurabIe
incomna, were awake
The most creditable OF the slumberers
was my beautifully dressed neighbor
Mrs Henry Labouchere. Having been an
intellisent actress before she married Mr..
Lhbouchere, she had composed her fea-
lures before she closed her eyes TO =
pleasant appreciative. listening express
sion. light smile Of approval rested on
her mouth, and her expressive face con-
veyed. My eyes are closed to rest them,
but ! hear every word you say" She
moved little ct PBola's passionate yet
spiritual words:
! Again and yet again, and here and here
Let me with kisses burn this body away
That our two souls may dart together
free,
I fret at intervention OF the flesh,
And I would clasp you-you that but
house in Chelsea married more brilliantly
inhabit
This lovely house
But her expression never changed
ahe still slept And Stephen Phillips
finished that new voice in poetry 10
me alone. And my wde-eyed listen
ing established a little bond Of SYM
pathy between US that was never quite
broken. Richard lie Gallienne particu-
larry called MIN in his early days "a
real nightingale in love with a real
rose" Henry Ainley, rich in youth
and extraordinary beauty, made his
first success as Psola. In the colored
picturesque italian dress he remains
an unforgotten picture in the memory
of those who saw that living poem.
Ulysses" and 'Herod." produced by
Sir Herbert Tree at His Majesty's were
great events. Coleridge Taylor, whose
father was an African. was at his best
in the music, and was It Tree. in
'Herod." who enchanted the audience
with those large lines
The red gray cataract OF her stream
ing hair
Is tumbled Ger the boundaries Of the
world"
Three volumes at least Of his work
can be classed among the great liters-
ture Of the nineteenth century. indeed
four-"U1ysses," Christ in Hades" his
first tragedy Ulysses" ''Herod" and
"Paola and Francesca"
News has come from the east Of the
gallant spirit OF the Irish. Con-
nsughts, Ministers and Dublins rushed
against the bayonets Of the Bulgsrs
with an Irish yell. And the brave
tenacity OF the Irish division. IL it
did not give a victory. defeated the
enemy's hopes. The Germans made a
grotesque miscalculation when the
message of the Kaiser was read 10
i the Roman Catholics interned in Ger
many, promising to free them from the
English yoke. After this promise was
given time enough to sink in for
! digestion. Sir Roger Easement e1-
pounded a traltorous plan to get all
| Irishmen to join the German army.
They were to wear an emerald green
uniform with a gold harp on the COL
lar!
This proved the last straw. The sons
| of Erin charged Sir Roger out of the
! camp, with 4 tail OF missiles in his
| rear. No Irishman or Irish woman
will wear green. 1t is considered
most unlucky. The late Charles Stew
art Parnen would not even wear a
tweed II II contained a thread Of
! green. What a true son Of Erin he
was In superstition, When the black
cat disappeared from the rooms Of the
/ Irish League he would not decide a
momentous question until the dusky
mascot was found
I went with Mrs. Willard, OF Vogue, on
Sunday afternoon to see the Pioneer
! Players in Mouse" a play by Ed
ward KnoblauCh. A sweet old-fashioned
| English spinster Of thirty-five lives as
housekeeper and governess to Pattison
Grey. a literary man with a slangy
daughter of fifteen, who sdores her and
calls her Mouse.
A rich bachelor. Reggie Hemming an
intimate and agreeable friend Of the
| house. is in love with Mouse Pattison
Grey. slightly overworked, goes to Monte
| Carlo for a change. Meets the YOUNG
dashins. reckless, passionate niece Of
Mouse, fascinating. erring Elsie Falls
in love with her and proposes marriage.
| She gladly accepts, having been SERIOUSLY
compromised by married man. Paul
Tremenheere. His excuse, a rich. fat.
much older wife, lack of sympathy. etc
On the return OF the Tremenheeres with
Elsie and Pattison Grey from the south.
Mouse, through a letter sent to Miss
Townsend, finds out the ugly complica-
| tons. 1mplores Elsie to speak and tell
Pattison all" Elsie promptly and per