ACTOR AND ARTIST

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 282, 17 August 1918, Page 9

ACTOR AND ARTIST

.■PROM EABftY LAUDBK'S NEW BOOK.- • Harry Liuider has just published a deiigiiUul booii, "A iiliustrei in i'raucu." iicre is an eiiract; "Not every actor and artist who lias tried to help in the hospitals has fully understood tho men lie or she wanted to please.' They meant well, every ono, but .-.omo were a wee bit unfortunate in the \ray they went to work. There is a otory that is told of one of our really great serious actors. He ie serious minded always, on the stuge and off, and very, very dignified. But some folk went to him and asked him would 'he not do hia bit to cheer up tho puir laduied in a hospital? .. "He never thought'-of refusing—and I would no have you think I am sneering at the man! His intentions wa'e of th"< best. " 'Of course I do not eirig or dance,' ho said, drawing down Ms lip. And tho look in his eyes showed what ho thought uf such of us as had descended to such low ways of pleasing the public that paid to 600 us aud to hear' us. 'But 1 shall very gladly do something to brinjr a littlo diversion into the sad lives of the poor boys in tho hospital.' . "It was a stretcher audience that ho had. That means a lot of boys who had to Ho in bed to hear him. They needed cheering. And that {front actor with all his good intentions could think of nothing inoro fitting than to stand up before thorn and begin to recite, in a sad, elocutionary tone, Longfellow's 'The Wreck of the Hesperus!' "He went on and his voice gained power. Ho had come to tho third stanza, or tho fourth maybe, when a command rang through tho ward." It was ono that had been heard many and many a time in Franco along tho trenches. It came from one oC the beds. " 'To cover, men!' came tho order, "It rang out through Hie ward in a hoarso voice. And on the word every man's bead popped under tho bedclothes! And the great actor, astonished beyond measure, was left there, reciting away to shaking mounds of bedclothes that entrenched Ims hearers from tho sound of his voice!"