Central High School - Interlude Yearbook (South Bend, IN)

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10 THE, INTERLUDE the lives in this country whose happiness is at stake with the character of the legislation that is here enacted. Wie should love this na- tion far too well to allow one jot or tittle to be abated from its sacred honor. Shall we crush to the earth and trample in the dust the faith that our forefathers over a century and a quar- ter ago established on this continent? Are we to flaunt in the faces of those serene dwellers in their orbs on high the ruins of the once cherished treasure for which they spent their fortunes, their talents, and their blood? I stand at sunset and I hear in the dust at my feet the slithering of countless serpents grovelling, with greedy, glittering eyes upon their prey. And then I look off to the distant mountain peaks and hear the cry of the eagle, that noble bird of freedom, as it soars to its nest among the rocks. That picture is before me now as I think of the men of this nation-those who are not true patriots, who would not sacrifice their lives in the glare of the cannon's mouth, men who love the dark and hate the light: men who sacrifice the nation's welfare for personal gain. They are all alike infamous. But there is the patriot who loves the nation and his peo- ple, who is full of honor, truth, and integrity, standing erect where freedom reigns supreme. Let us all strive to enlist ourselves in the ranks of the patriot citizens and set our ideals at a noble height toward which to aspire, keeping always in mind those manly virtues which have assisted in building nations and which have reared the walls of mighty people. I hope I have not encroached upon your time. I have made these remarks with malice toward no one. I believe I have pointed out the situation as it is. I hope that some of you will consider what I have said: and when I go from your midst I wish you all to remember this short talk I have made today. 1 want you all to love our nation: and in kindness and friendship to remove all lines of hatred and dis- sension. I thank you, Senators, for your attention. CHANci2Lr.oR IXIOSCIIELL, President of the Class of 1910. THE GLOBE THEATRE AND PLAYS OF SHAKESPEARE'S TIME HEXAGONAL, tower-like building, 17'I,f,y surrounded by a muddy ditch fash- ioned after the mediaeval moat, and only partially covered by a shelf-like roof projecting inward along the top of the tower and leaving a huge six-sided hole in the center, through which the rain might stream at will, such was the theater in which Shake- speare acted and for which he wrote his plays. It stood outside the center of Ishndon in the midst of a scattered settlement of old-fashioned houses with straight fronts, peaked gables, and tiny square-paned windows. Thebroad pathway which wound up along the river bank among green meadows and scrubby trees. was almost picturesque, but the theater itself was wholly unattractive. As far up as the height of an ordinary house the walls were perfectly plain and bare, and even the two rows of windows beginning at that point only gave a rude and barbarous appearance to the whole edifice. From a lodge built on one of the six corners a red flag fluttered, and from here the blast of a trumpet, announcing the hour of performance, sounded almost every afternoon. Even a stranger unacquainted with London customs, soon found that the foulest weather had apparently no effect on the English play- goers. Through drizzling rain and scorch- ing heat, the long row-boats still darted to and fro along the Thames. Boatmen shouting out the direction of their intended course in such Dhrases as Westward, ho, or Northward, ho, thronged the waterways, while others, having drawn their boats up close to the shore, kept calling at the top of their voices, Pass- age for the Globe Theater, Passage for the lllackfriars Theater, and a dozen other cries, indistinguishable in the general din. Cour- tiers and nobles, resplendent in velvet cloaks and jeweled doublets, jostled good-humoredlv against the ragged apprentice or professional beggar in the general throng along the shore. Once inside the theater, however, the dis- tinction between rich and poor was more sharply drawn. The lower class invariably sought the pit, a rude floor several feet lower than the stage. and placed directly beneath the open portion of the roof, while the covered gal- leries, ranged along the back and sides of the stage, were occupied by the more artistocratic populace. In the pit there were neither benches nor stools and even in the galleries these commodities were a decided scarcity, al- though they might, with much persuasion, be obtained for an extra shilling or two. Under these circumstances, even the wealthier audi- ence followed the example of that in the pit. and flinging thmselves on the Hoor, plaved cards, drank, or swore with as much energy as any of their lesser countrymen. In fact. an ac- complished courtier's quarreling with the rab- ble in the pit was no unusual thing, and for want of better missiles, apples, nutshells, and even beer-cans were often flung at random by contending parties. llrawls among the listen- ers were common. If an actor displeased them, they interrupted his soliloquv to tell him so. and instances are recorded where a disgusted mob bore the unlucky dramatist to the nearest tavern, and there subjected him to' all man- ner of buffoonery. In fact, so rude had their

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THE INTERLUDE 9 CONTINUATION OF SENATOR GORDON'S SPEECH lThis manuscript is an imagined continuation of Senator Gordon's speech-original with the exception of thc indented paragraphj .X few weeks ago I listened to an old gray- haired Senator delivering his first and last speech before the United States Senate. He had been chosen to fill a vacancy caused by a deadlock in the senatorial election in his home state. The- Senate chamber had been a scene of confusion. Men representing the private in- terests of the country had been pitted against true statesmen in the battle over a national measure. There were Senators who were sac- rificing their honor and their reputation to ob- tain the cherished legislation. There were other Senators who loved their country and their people, and were fighting for a righteous cause. The battle had waged hot and heavy and during a lull in the fight the great, slender six- foot man rose and addressed the chair: Mr. President, I have been informed that the deadlock in the senatorial election in my honle state has been broken, and that I must soon allow my successor to take my place in this body. As I am about to retire from the Senate, I wish to express my feelings, my pro- found convictions, gained from my brief ex- periencc here. I come to you to talk of friend- ship and of love for one another. My religion is the eleventh commandment of Christ, when he said, 'A new commandment I give unto vou, that ye love one another'. That is what I should like to bring about here. That is my object in standing here to-day to talk to you as I am going to. I want to implant in you, just as it is in my heart. a growing love for the country in which I live and the people I live with. I :un from the South, but I live with you all. You are not divided from me by Mason and Dixon's line. or any other lines. I want to wipe out all lines. I want to see Mason and Dixou's line obliterated from the map of the United States and in its place the words, 'Our country'. These words uttered by the Senator touched a sympathetic chord in the hearts of those present and evoked a responsive thrill, a senti- ment such as had not existed since the days of the Civil XVar. Men began to note with ex- treme interest the existing situation. Then the Senator continued: VVhen the first white man set foot on American soil, he was not restricted by any lines or boundaries other than those of nature. The country from the Arctic to the Gulf and from the Atlantic to the Pacific was solidly one and was not div- ided by any lines of distinction or separation. Since then matters have changed wonderful- ly. Generation after generation has seen prob- lems loom up before it anfl others have seen them solved. I have a series of pictures in mind. The first is a scene of the early settlers of this country as they felled the trees, hewed the rough logs, and builded for themselves homes there within the sound of the Atlantic surf. In the second I see their sons and daugh- ters with their axes on their shoulders toiling their way across the Appalachians into the broad Mississippi vallev. The third and final presents a long train of emigrant wagons winding slowly downward from the mountains into the beautiful valley of California. It is a splendid scene not alone mingled with joy and sadness as, pausing for a moment, those sturdy pioneers behold that fruitful valley which lies before them, and the golden sun as it sinks into the depths of the Pacific. Each of these generations had its problems, and so has the present one, Today We are facing a problem that is as old as the human race. a problem with which the first of the human species battled, and one that has ever since confronted man. And that is the prob- lem of integrity, the struggle of human right against corporate privilege. If every American could realize that integ- rity is an essential factor in governing, this nation could be handed down to posterity with the confidence that it would remain a world power for generations to come. And what a splendid thing that would be to have every man take a conscientious share in the preservation of our father-land! In this strenuous and progressive age we are likely to think too much of the remun- erative ends of life and sacrifice those splendid qualities which are attributes of man alone. I cannot but associate with integrity the names and characters of some of the nation's eminent men. And first among these I should name the father of our country, George W'ash- ington. Ifis character was a composite of truth, courage, and virtue-of honor which throughout his life he never compromised. Then later in history we find Abraham Lin- coln, who stood before the nation at the crisis with beliefs supported by strong moral convic- tions. Passing on to the present age, which is of perhaps more interest, I point with enthusiasm to the name of Theodore Roosevelt, a man who stands before the world and allows only his conscience to dictate his actions. These are examples of men who have stood for the right. I could name many more, but these are foremost. Now, Senators, I wish to press upon you the need of conscientiousness in this honored place. Think of the millions of homes and of

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THE INTERLUDE ill manner become in every way that no lady of nobility ever entered the theater without a mask, although her rank was clearly betrayed by the profusion of jewelry which she wore, upon the quantity of which fashion had pre- scribed no limit. Nor were the men in that age more chary of splendor than their ladies. W'ide, embroidered collars, jewel-bedecked doublets, gold and silver shoe buckles, wide hats, and ample cloaks of the most expensive fashion, were everywhere in vogue. In direct contrast with all this social splen- dor was the rudeness and primitive aspect of the play-houses themselves. The stage, cov- ered with rushes and extending far out into the audience room, was but partly protected from the weather. A small alcove at the back, hidden from view by a scant curtain, was the only available doorway, and through this the actors were accustomed to make both their en- trance and exit. There were very few stage properties. A rude throne, a rough table, and a bench or two, were usually the best that could be had, although wooden animals were sometimes included among the other theatri- cal necessities, and some few mechanical de- vices were used, such as a pullev with which to raise the ghosts or gods to heaven,,' and a trap-door in the floor, which, when occasion re- quired, would serve either as an entrance for spirits or as a grave. Owing to the small di- mensions and limited facilities of the stage, whole armies were often represented by as few as six men, and prologues were introduced to give the audience a more concise idea of the progress and surroundings of the plot, such an insertion being especially necessary when ac- tion was complicated or change of scene fre- quent, since this prologue, or chorus as Shake- speare terms it, and a scroll displayed at one end of the platform were the sole means of an- nouncing the place of action. Any further background could be supplied only by the list- ener's imagination. The acting was almost as rude as the scenerv --little, if any, discrimination being used in the choice of costumes. The actor who recited the prologue usually wore a long black robe, and the garb of a comedian was even more fantas- tic than that of a modern clown. Even the more important characters were sometimes crudely represented. Brutus and Cassius ap- peared in the second scene of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar with Spanish cloaks instead of Roman togas, and contrary to the Latin cus- tom of being unarmed within the capitol, car- ried their swords throughout the dialogue. No women were allowed on the stage. instead, when such a character as Juliet came in, the audience found themselves applauding an awk- ward, shambling boy in petticoats, who was embraced with the imminent hazard of brush- ing the brick-dust off his cheeks: the villain's moustache was a black streak made by burnt corkg while the knight had only to draw a sliirtover his coat and the gifted audience saw at once a suit of mail blazoned with some heraldic device. So versatile was their imag- ination that an actor besprinkled with plaster might represent a stone wall in one scene and by carrying a lantern, be received as the moon in the next. , Another unique and seemingly obstructive fashion of the time -was the presence of spec- tators on the stage. Nobles and distinguished courtiers were admitted to this privilege by every company and asserted their superiority again and again by interrupting the actors and criticising either their method of performing or the literary value of some especial scene. Imagine a present-day actor turning his back deliberately on one division of his audience, crowding past another, and hearing the oaths and wranglings of the third above his declama- tion, and you have at least a partial concep- tion of the inconvenience which the early drama tolerated. Men played cards on the stage as coolly as they would have done in a private tavern, decorum and attention were unknown terms, and the plan of the theater it- self was such as to give the spectators the least commodiogus point of view. In the midst of all these conditions the Elizabethan drama continued to thrive for years with no abatement of its intense and growing popularity. its appeal was made to rich and poor alike ,and there was scarcely an Englishman in the seventeenth century who was not the-,passionate devotee and patron of the London stage. So that in this the least fastidious age of history, the greatest dramas of the world were written. Having broken away from the old Greek and Roman custom of maintaining a single unity of time and place, there was nothing left which might re- tard dramatic growth. On the other hand. the demand made upon the imagination by poor scenery, with the consequent betterment of every play where words were compelled to do the duty which the modern canvas now nsurpsg the fact that every author of import- ance was an actor as well as a writer: and the very simplicity of the stage itself which could accommodate any amount of imagery, repre- senting the cliffs of Dover as veraciously as the English channel, or the Roman forum as truly as an linglish throne-room, made the drama one of intense emotion, spontaneity, and freedom, such as has been eqnaled in no late age. much less surpassed. TnUsA REAM, '10,