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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (April 9, 1898)
tO. -r ' 2 -; fn iTV ?" 7' ?"- THE COURIER. I. I I MIIMIHMMIMIIIIHMM The Passing Shoyv WILLA 'An open letter toXat C.Goodwin, I jay uear uoodwin: So averse are yota to any appearance of dignity that I ran never brine mvself to nmflit a fopnal "Mr." to your name. There are, indeed, many of your critics who And fault with your irrepressible levity and censure you accordingly. Mr. Elwyn Barron, a very gifted writer on matters pertaining to your profession, once impatiently corn- plained that you did not take either you sacrifice your real gifts to certain your art or yourself seriously enough, taking personal mannerisms. They After a life spent so largely among have said that you .might even do player folks, r should think that he great things in the legitimate drama would have found that a unique and if you would but abandon your whim somewhat refreshing failing. For sical smile and forego, the brushing of whatever the faults of your fellows your 'Yew thin locks" and the im'bib may be, a light regard for themselves ing of cocktails upon the statrc. or their work is seldom one of them I;have no doubt that the most grace less novice who ever played minor parts in' your company could give you instruction in the matter of taking yourself seriously. Yet I believe that much of the pleasure we derive from your acting is due to the fact that you have' not followed the advice of vour critlfcson this point. We both know .only too' well the madness which seiAs-'ladfes and' gentlemen of your profession wnen once tney begin to "take themselves seriously." That particular kind of self esteem is in its effects not unlike the magic brew of Robin Goodfellow in its effects; hav ing drunk of it asses straightway be think themselves heroes, matrons dis port themselves in ingenue parts, and soubrettes go a-starring as the un happy daughter of the Capuleta. But critics have done their worst with you in vain. With all their sub tile flatteries and alluring promises for the future, they have never been able to freeze your erratic humor into pretentious gravity, or to inveigle you into cultivating ideals-a species of agriculture more pernicious to gentle- men of your profession than the faith- ful trilogy that honest Martin Luther loved. In short, you have not become P3mpous and insincere in the abortive effort to be "creative." In the face of protests, pleading and indignant, you have continued to play the one part for which you are fitted by nature. You have put upon the stage for us the common young man; not a hero, nor a man set upon by fate and sub merged in woe, but "one of the boys;" a young man with the common per plexities, the common faults, the com- mon tastes and the common desires; a fellow whom every man in your audi- ence meets at the club and whom every., woman has scolded and made much of. Although your work owes some of its happiest qualities to the fact that you are never sentimental, you are by no means without a certain vein of set timent. It is not at all the senti ment which accompanies a Spenserian fancy, and which turns most of the prose of life into poetry, but rather that wholesome, unexaggerated senti ment which lives in many a good fel low's heart and which is responsible for our finding photographs and withered violets in the desk drawers of the most circumspect young men . I remember once having seen you strike a man who had just kicked a dog. and it affected me as much as your best work on the stage does. The combat degenerated into a common street scuffle and was quelled by the blue-coated officer of the law, and this MMIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIWIIMIMIIIIIMI i: CATHER. too, was? unfortunately characteristic of you-' TJifs strapge, present, in your. -work; alloy' is ever , Vet I never see you in your best moments behind the footlights, moments in which the thorough good-fellowship in you shines, through, that I do not say; "That is why he struck the fellow who kicked the dog!" Critics have railed at you for your lack of versatility and have said that Frankly, my dear fellow, I do not believe them. To do anything worth while in the legimate.drama, a man mast have a certain passion for intel lectual problems, a taste for tine shades of interpretation, a consecration of purpose which you do not possess, and I trust, will ever be wise enouch not to affect I sincerely hope that you will never be persuaded by your enthusiastic ad- mirers to attempt the comedies of Shakspere. You have neither the training nor the taste for them. Yet I dare say that of all the players on our stage today, personally, the Master would have fancied you. He was no anchorite himself, and he wrote not only of Ilamlets and Ferdinand, but' fondly enough of Touchstone and Fal staff and wild Prince Hal. If, some spring night when the season is well over and the play actors are drifting back to town, from the distant prov-' inces, from Seattle and Helena and Spokane and Kansas City, if then he could drop in at the "Players" for an nour' 1 fancy that of all your fellows, ifc is vou ue would chose to drink a glass with. Or if you could have stepped into the Mermaid tavern tliree hundred years ago, when Ben Johnson and Dick Burbage and Shaks- Pe1"6 ana perhaps Pembroke, his "sweetest self," were about their table. I think that out of those grave eyes of his the Master would have looked at you and measured you smiled and held out his hand. The legitimate, Mr. Goodwin, is not for you. You must be content to lie on the sunny side of the apple tree You are a prince of good fellows, and you must let it go at that. We smile with you, but when we have- tears to shed we must shed them with other men. We go to see you for just what you are; 2fat C. Goodwin, and I do not see why we may not quite as properly like an actor for his personality as an author for his style. At any rate we like you for what you are; not for what. you might be; something of a scrape grace, a good deal of a vagabond, and just enough of an artist to redeem your qualities You are incorrigible, sir, and I for one like you the more for it. Pittsburg, Pa. The Courier has reduced its sub scription price to SI a year See title page. Edith I told Mr. Converse the other night that I resembled him in one re spect. Clare What was that? "That I always enjoyed hearing him talk." ?;,,,L,-..fn-,..-l .:..,! MIIIIMMIIIMMmMMMIIIMlUlllllllllllllMMIMMIHIMIMMMMIIIIM CARRIAGES BICYCLES We Have the Finest Carriage Repository in the State. We are exclusive agents for the best line of goods in America: MIMmMIIIIMIMIMIIIiniOMIMUMMMMMIIHMM ttlMIMMH i COLUMBUS T CO, Columbus, O. MIMMIIMIMIMIM IMIMIIHH H. A. MOYER, Syracuse, N. Y. X mm mm Y CO., Columbus. O. U III f lIIMMIIMIIIIMIIlMIIIIIHIIMtlMMMIMMMfltll)IHIMMM J IC X MMMMIIMHIMIIIIIllllllllHMHmHHmKHM0)Hl)ll Billmeyer I 202-206 South Eleventh St., Lincoln, Nebr. t I TT-T-TITTMMITTTTTTTTtlfTfTITffftllTTtfttMMnnHHiminDnfinOOJtotlOOooofrOaE THE PARTING LOVERS. Good night, sweetheart, it can't be ten, I know; I wish that clock was just a trifle slow! I do not see how it can have the face To rush the hours at such a rapid pacr. Full well I know ten minutes have not blown Since it struck nine. good night, my love, my own. "Good night, Charlie." Oh! yes 1 Last night while going down Broadway, Whom. do you think I met ? Dick Gray! Just home from Europe; you should see him walk. Twould make a mummy laugh to hear him talk. He's captivating with ha London air ! A last good night my love, my jewell rare. "Good night, Charlie." Oh! Katie! Wait dear, I forgot to tell You something. Let me think that s funny: well, It's gone, and in a moment so am I My darling, how I hate to say good bye. Some fellows would much later stay, I know, But ten your mother says, so I will go "Good night, Charlie." Oh! Katie dear, tst it too much trouble, think To get a match? I could not sleep a wink Without my smoke. It is a lovely night, So clear and sweet, and just as bright As day. Well, I must tear myself away. Thanks, dear, good night once more Pll say. "Good night, Charlie." CARRIAGES SURREYS PHAETONS TRAPS BUGGIES CONCORDS SPEEDING AGONS STANHOPES BUGGIES BANNER AGONS SPEEDING CARTS imiihw SPIDER PHAETONS STANHOPES BROUGHAMS NOVELTIES TRIBUNES DEERES MOLINE SPECIALS & Sadler, Some time, bewitching Kate ah, sometime time, sweet, "Good bye" shall we consider obsolete. No more will clocks slrike terror to my heart, And in exultant tones l bid me depart. But now, like Cinderella at the ball I fly from happiness. Good night my all. "Good night, Charlie." Oh ! dear ! How stupid of me ! -. There's my cane. I must come back and get it ' Should it rain Tomorrow I will come and let you know About the picnic; if not we'll go. Hark ! Catch me ere I fall Oh! What a shock! It strikes again. Good night Confound that clock! "Good night, Charlie." Mary Day Harris. HARPER'S Magazine Sharpens T Razaar HARPER'S Weekly ( or any $4 ( S Magazine n With ? THE COURIER One Year for $4. 1 I I.. I .v ii !