MISS ADA WARD'S LECTURE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 507, 14 May 1909, Page 3

MISS ADA WARD'S LECTURE.

THE STORY OF HER LIFE. It was to a orowded audienco in ' tho Salvation 'Army Citadol, to which Hiss, Ada :'.--':.:--.-':'. , Word'lßßt'night"told.'tho story of her life as an aotress and evangelist. . Boginning with an account of her lonely childhood; and her 1 x as a .young.girl actress, Miss Ward 1 : * told of hor early and very unhappy marriage and divorce, and .then of-her meeting .with ■ the kindly 1 gentloman whom she afterwards married. There -was obviously .in the wholo - course of her crowded career so much detail : that it'could only bo doalt with on the broadest lines, and Miss Wafd throughout reforred vaguely to her- stage, career, only mentioning, . . as a.'featuro incidental to tho story; ofhor -fe:; husband's death, that she was playing the part of Juliet when tho telegram 'arrival : with nows of tho tragedy. One felt, that it ' : would have, ,much'interest and point-to 5; tho -narrative'if- just■:a few names of■ plays and parts had been introduced. . The story of - the: influences-that led Misß ■■■■■■;. Ward to givo up'hoi\ lifo on tho stage, and become an ovangelist, . was told in a very . interesting way. She told how hor husband .'. had' almost , persuaded her to .givo her • .■• professional work, ibut how after..his aoath, : lho:craving.for oxcitement led'her to lovo it / &ore ; than ever, and how.she sought fordis- : paction'in gambling and gaiety.- After: sevo- . ; Jal years ' that were, to-outward seeming, , a' l -• irilliant success, but which left her heart ionely and miserable, Misß Ward happened to iee. Sarah 'Bernhardt''in a' play iwnich; she determined to ibuy,, and' produce in England. . She spent many hundreds of: pounds in frocks for'her part, went to other expenses in connection with it, and made numerous: engage- • menta to produce it,; but within a very few weeks she had been converted through tho ■'.influence of a Salvation Army meeting, and decided to ; renounce the stage as soon as her .manager would release W. • She-described how. when Bhe left the stage ■ ' for over- , she > distributed all • her -stage wardrobe and jewellery to. her comrados, and went to- livo in a quiet little .English ~vil-. .lago for some: time before, by degrees, she . -was .led' into -tho .work of an evangelist. - It. had been reported;that she meant to-return . . to the stage, but that - was "incorrect. The : : ;-xstory had arisen through an interview which ~ she had. with a reporter in Melbourne, who 'took her statement that she meant to .«• return to the stage to mean-that she would - once moro become an actress. Her: real in-tention-.was to take advantage of -the ,key: . sho possessed to the lives of . actors and aetresses, to work among' .them • behind - the >4 Bcen'es;*'aiid, : L dbiall._ inher.'.ppwer;save the; young girls- ; - : especially the girls- in' tho pan7. tb'mime-Tfrom iyieldihgfito -.the ;man'y:,tempt'a- . tions ; which'. surrouud their' path. Sho was ; • . glad to Say tliat' the 'evils of. stage life were V not so ;'gWt' as'in years gone'by; The green . • room. had* been dono away with, young men were hot allowed to go behind-tho scenes lis freely as they used to do, and converse with the girls of the ballet,-and there had been' • an attempt to minimise the amount of drink- : ing that ..used, to bo indulged in. Sho was -.; A clad, , too, to see '/that .; tho;' old-fashioned drama -was .beginning -to- take the: placo in public favour once occupied- by low -burlesques, but'eVen sp', tho. temptations to .Sin. woro so great-that she really did not think s man or.'woman could remain on tho stage 'and bo a Christian. Miss Waijd .tpok occasion "to refer, with bitternfcss,-to -.the' fact that, The Dominion- . : last Saturday : published in its'columns a brief ; resume of her life-story''as told to a ChristCohurch;audience. Sho' thought it showed bad taste on . the part-of the persons' concerned. . It. was a very serious matter, and sho did not know how-the.law allowed such things to-be done. ' ,' , : 'y At the conclusion of tho mcetiftg, Mr. F. i JI. B. Fisher, who presided, spoko of tho - very, great pleasure it had given him to .listen to Miss Ward's admirable lecture, and said that ho sincerely hoped ,that;;she-would . meet with great success in- tho now work . 3ho'intended.; to ..'undertako. -- A; - vote of i:-.-': thank's -to .'Mr. : jFisher -for -presiding was'then icmed,'-: and ' th'e; : meeting' closed. with tho linging of a hjmn.