Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-29
AS ONE WOMAN SEES IT
The Spontaneity Of Cheers for a Not.
able Philsdeiphian---criticism as
Lost Art In This Country o..
BY SARAH ID. LOMRIE

~ 'fhfsFhh bs iIoNhtD
I WAS very much struck the other night
Il on coming out of the theatre by the vim
and hearty enthusiasm OF the crowds which
thronged Broad street to welcome the cardi-
nal. The cheers as he passed swiftly along
In his motor holding out "blcssing hand.
almost drowned the barc Of the band. II
was very spontaneous and came from many
not OF his creed or race. One felt 1t was
tribute to his personal character and in a
sense voiced tho belief that he would use his
great position to foster peace and inculcate
justice and curb class enmity.
IAN America cannot rest on the laurels
OF its fight across the seas but has more
than ever to be occupied in righting wrongs
that the war brought into the limelight as
well as in righting the abuses which the
war entnicd. In spite of their restlessness
under conventions the youth of this country.
especially the youth OF the Legion, seek
men OF conviction and of authority to sta
biliZc society And it struck me as looked
al the throngs on the sidewalks that hun
dredS OF the young men that had marched
few nights before in the ALL American cee-
bration were out to cheer n man who stood
for law and order and for religion just be-
cause he was q man of convictions thnt
rested on the past as well ms hopes for the
future.
America can afford to cheer its notable
men of amy creed with carefree enthusiasm
since ITS government Is neither church ruled
nor church ruling. and the fact that the
hcads OF the Jewish synagogue and of one
OF It's Protestant churches formed part of
the committee Of welcome was the natural
outcome of the very real freedom in the
worship of God which is the practice ms
well az the right of the citizens of this
country.
TNiERE are some, however. who are apa-
thctic to cardinals on sectnran grounds
nj hn hn, ,la ...l.
looking for love story in a book sbop
Tho clerk rather apologetically suggested
The Kentucky Cardinal" by James Lane
Allen He was apologize because it has
heen long time since It's publication, and
hence might seem dated" TO the customer
She looked it over briefly and with evident
un"illingnHss. saying as she laid it down
clergy" ''>' VI ~"
The clerk hastencd to explain that the
Kentucky Cardinal was n bird
Yes. they all are rather that sort.
fear, said the lady severely as she turned
away.
Til" clerk left II at that. feeling the cpi.
sod" had been worth raise in salary to
him. Most sales clerks in bookshops are
not SO witty in their restraints. ] often
wonder what has led them to enter on their
JobS. liorc and there you do find one who
can put the book and the reader en- rapport.
but for the most part one finds strange book
critics behind book counters.
NRITlClSM as the French understand IT,
~ we have little Of out Of France, either
for books or plays or for exhibitions II
Is not regarded here always as an art or
pursued as science or read as an edu.
cation.
Neither the book reviews nor the play
and concert reviews are as n rule signed
lnPN are sometimes ppinlpnc pf
known persons.
Thcs" last belong to the school Of preju.
dice that has for its uor,o:
Il do not like YOU. Dr. Fell:
The reason why cannot tell
But this know. and know quite well.
do nor like YOU. DR. Fell
This family of critics know as little why
they like as why they dislike. They can
only say thing is intercsting-or "iu-
trigucS Or that the effect is poor, or
marvellous. They do not trouble to 60 into
the technique of the badness or rightncss
Perhaps they tcel il is beneath them to
spend time over the study of an artists
technique or Of a books idea. Yet bernard
SHAW took pains 10 be great critic of
plays. and Finck taught one while he criti-
"izrd an opera, and Dickens reported pollti-
cal speeches and Carlyle reviewed books.
T'O REVIEW book 50 that the public
" ~ '''''P'''''' 80 "'I ~ "r IoIIH oT to
criticize an opera so that tho audience will
hC intelligent listeners or to shift the light
Of appreciation to the point the actor is
striving to accent. belongs to the same great
intcrpretatvc art that til" leader of an
orchestra practices when he puts work
before the public 50 that public can follow
and know il for good or for i'll.
Some one asked man | know for his
definition Of helpful criticism. He said
IF by helpful you mean cnlightening. |
can only say. something that accounts for
what one secs or hears. For instance. the
publ" s"CE-Ie rs say. nn empty dish
The critic comes in and remarks "Ah yes.
well YOU see
" Jack Sprat could cat no fat,
His wife could cat no lean
And so bPtwiyt them both
They licked the platter CLEAN"
yI,n AVE to co ,o ,bo ,h,o,,o ,,;L. e,