The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-19
Confession of the Habtual New Yorker Named George
First Experience in a
Middle Western Viii
lage Has Its Charms
Repeated in City

IT met him after the theatre the follow
ing night. Hastily he adjourned to a cafe
deserted by all other patrons, and there, in
the small hours of the morning, seated at
table which he refused to leave, at intervals
he threw back his head and gave vent to
an astonishing howl which he insisted was
the cry Of the mating seal.
Have you ever met that incompatible
old Corinthan of the eighteenth century. the
Rev. Alexander Carlisle. some time minister
Of Inveresk' in Scotland? If not it is time
you read his sturdy autobiography. In his
day. $50 years ago, there still remained
bitter opposition on the part of all respec-
table churchfok with those disreputable gen.
try, the players. And deliberately resolving
to shatter this pharisaical nonsense the
stanch old minister of Inveresk an inti-
mate of all the titled and the great men OF
his day, openly sat in the taverns with
brilliant actors and invited the synod to try
him for this crime. The examining board OF
clergymen, be it remembered to their credit
forever, upheld him in his choice of COM
t'nonshp. And am obliged to him.
81 am well aware of the traditional vanity
of the actor, but it is not a characteristic
that has ever annoyed me. My contacts
with the men and women of the stage have
always been brief and separated by long in
tervals. If, in any of these half hour con-
versations, the actor turned the spotlight
wholly upon himself his naive egotism al
ways seemed to stranger like myself to
be merely mood of the moment. 1t had
freshness to me that made 1t always de-
lightful. always interesting.
Indeed, fatter myself that I possess
sympathy for the art of the stage that
would make such egocentrism endurable
even If 1 were obliged to listen to 1t for
weeks. Most people. I think, fail to take
into account the fact that when the actor
speaks of himself he is in reality speaking
Of the stage, topic which is general, not
personal Either the business man or the
artist may discuss matters nearest to their
hearts and not be accused of egotism the
actor and his world are one and indivisible
When he says t. translate the word as the
actor'-and I warrant you he will never be
found conceited
But we were not speaking of trfvialities.
$50 long as l can retain strength to
journey in mid winter from my chimney
corner to the street where the hundred
thousand are crowding their way to five
score theatres; to sense and share their
tinglng anticipation of the play, but also
to cut across their course and gain the
stage door on the darker side street; to
enter into that half darkness in which the
painted canvas scenes rear themselves loftily
through festoons of dangling ropes; to see
mysterious shapes Fastening to their places
in the taut moment that precedes the cur
tain; to be hailed in discreet whisper by
some chance acquaintance unrecognizable in
costume and grease paint; to be conscious
of the waiting audience on the other side
of this buried countrys borderline, the foot
lights; to be part, and yet not a part OF
this muffied machinery Of dreams-so long
shall I be young so long shall | thrill at
the voices of the folk behind the scenes"
That's what George thinks is the essence
of New York