The Sunday Oregonian., December 21, 1913, SECTION SIX, Page 2, Image 68

THE SUNDAY OKEGONIAX, PORTLAND, DECEMBER 21. 1913.
6b jn
v.i 11 F 1 H Ca T . 1.
BT DEIXA MAC LEOD.
NEW YORK. Dc 1. (Special cor
respondence.) Ann Swinburne
(Dltchburn) declares that It ejuit
"plain luck" to which she owes all the
rood fortune that has come her way
that it's luck end nothing; else that has
made her. as the lovely Serephlna In
Victor Herbert's operetta, "The Mad
cap Duchess," now playing; at theQlobe
Theater, one of the few successes of
this most uncertain season. Just luck
did It! Nothing but luck, she sticks
to It.
"Why, I've been lucky all my life,'
laughed the Portland girl who is having-
things all her own way In Mew
York. "I was even lucky In having; ty
phold fever."
And she hastens to explain that the
typhoid fever was the only thing; that
kept her from playing; the leading; role
In "The Man From Cook's," one of the
monumental failures of something; over
year ago.
"I thought It was most dreadful that
X should fall 111 and have to give up a
leading part," she said, "but when a
wreek or two after Its New York pre
miere the piece was sent to the store
house, I Just turned over and thanked
my lucky stars that I was saved from
all the disappointments that go wltn
such an experience."
To continue about her luck. Miss
Swinburne told me h,ow it all came
about her going on the stage. If that
wasn't the sheerest piece of luck, she
challenges anyone to produce proof to
the contrary!
"I came from Portland," she said,
when I suggested that she begin at the
beginning. "My father, la a retired
Judge out there. He was an English
barrister and left bis own country long
ago and has since been Identified with
the West.
"No. his nsme isn't Swinburne. That's
my middle name. I took It when 1
went on the stage because its easier
to remember than my own name. Be
sides that, the family dldnt approve
of the stage.
Afraid She'd Ba Westerner.
"My father, for all his enthusiasm
about the West, had one awful feat
and that was that I grow up talking
like a Westerner. So when I was 4
years old he began my training, the
training that has lsnded me on the
stage, when the stage was bis horror,
so far as it attracted anyone that was
near to him.
"When 1 was too small to know what
the words meant." she continued, "I
was taught entire scenes from Shake
speare. Scenes that meant nothing
to me except for the beautiful words.
My father taught me the classics; first
by making me memorise them. It made
no difference if I didn't understand
what I was saying; he was wise enough
to know that my vocabulary was being
enlarged and that my diction was what
It should be.
"They didn't know it, but my mother
gays she often suspected that my child.
Ish mind even then was holding its
deep, still thoughts about the stage. 1
knew the way they felt about It. I'm
not sure how I csme to know so early
as I did that there was any such thing
as the stage, for few plays came
THAT
THAT dear day I It makes a sort of
baiting place where one may smile
and rest a little In the sunlight of
Joy before the dread tragedy goes on.
A day that naught In particular was
expected of, yet one marked by such
happening as was to make It Known
to an entire world and to uncounted
generations yet unborn.
Perhaps -one little dark-eyed maid
watched for Its swift dawning, because
it was to be her wedding day, and
with a heart swelling with love and
sweet anticipation of happiness saw
the daffodil, low on the horlson, flush
with pink, that deepened to glowing
crimson from which suddenly sprang
the sun a first Javelin of golden light,
shooting low and level across the dew-
damped earth.
Her wedding morn! How she must
have sent gurgling laughter and bits
of song back to the birds, which twit
tered, chattered and preened them
selves Importantly at the close of each
gush of melody, while the maid In the
early crystal coolness of the morning
gathered flowers for ber own adorn
ment. The adored of her parents. her
choice all that their hearts desired,
that wedding feast was to be a famous
affair! The guests would be many,
and perhaps there had been a little
friction between the lovers and their
elders anent certain Invitations the
young. warm-hearted youth and
maiden wished to be given out that
the cooler, more cautious parents of
both frowned and hesitated at
-Am Israelite Wltboat Gnlle.
One can fancy how the little bride-to-be
queened it as brides do this day.
and argued hotly:
"We all know and dearly love Mary,
who was wife to Joseph ot the House
of Pavld. and can we bid her to-our
hoard and ignore her son? Impossible!
He took up Joseph's tssks snd worked
bravely after his death to keep the
home intact and now he needs to
make no more tables and doors and
windows, for the other sons are strong
to help, and he teaches and expounds
the law and I railed Rabbi, and has
shewn strange powers, and many be
lieve in him already; and never, never
hath he done wrong or barm to any
living thing."
And. boldly supporting ber claim,
ber lord to be may have reminded bis
elders how John the Baptist had al
ready testified for Jesus and openly
declared him to be the long looked for
Messiah.
6 Oil, in the Tery act ot pointing; put;
J - II ill FA 1 ' ,
that way and I ssw none ot these.
"The first actress X ever saw was
Sarah Bernhardt. Then I knew that
I was going on the stage, but still I
said nothing. I simply kept seeing
myself as an actress. I built the
mental picture and kept it photo
graphed in my mind. That's all," she
said, "that explains the things that
have happened since. I do must truly
believe that if one dreams a thing long
enough and faithfully enough it finally
will come to pass.
"I was sent to a fashionable finishing
school in New York. All my life I'd
taken musio and studied voice. When
I came ast I said nothtng about the
stage. There wasn't any use of my
saying anything; I knew my father
would never give his consent. At school
I diverted myself trying to be like the
Southern girls I met there. I roomed
with a girl from Virginia and I trid
to acquire the Southern voice. My
one thought was to go horn talking
like those girls. I'd say 'down town
and use all the funny expressions they
used, but once back out West there
wasn't any use of my trying to keep
that many in high" places held Jesus
to be a mere seditious trouble-maker,
who would incite the people to rise
against their governors and rulers, the
elders yielded so far as to say: "Call,
then, Mary and her sons unto the
feast"
But that Insatiate damsel, not yet
content demanded: "How may Jesus
be called, and not Andrew and Simon
Peter and Philip, who already follow
him. even as acknowledged disciples?
And that Nathaniel, whom Jesus de
clares an Israelite without guile? Call,
too, his friends, my father, that he
may he a happy and contented guest
at our board." and. as brides ever do,
she bad her will. So it happened on
that the third day. there was a mar
riage In Can a. in Galilee, and the
mother of Jesus was there, snd Jesus
was called, and his disciples, to the
marriage.
Oh. happy, happy bride, to welcome
such a guest at her wedding feast!
Think of the beauty of that stately
presence, those blue compelling eyes,
that (rare, sweet smile, the rare, low
laugh, the frank enjoyment of the
beauty and the cheer: How good it is
that his presence there proves beyond
all doubt that he was a very man in all
things, valuing close friendships and
kind, neighborly regard; responding to
the Jest that hkl no venomed point
never sourly rewarding the body as a
clod and drag, but as a temple worthy
of the soul's abiding. So he scorned not
the meat and drink and warm fellow
ship which flesh demands. Man. dear,
human, sympathetic, understanding
man. who yet was so unlike to other
men!
How gay they were, all In holiday at
tire; how beautiful and frsgrant
the flowers that decked the board and
wreathed the flagons and the baskets
of fair fruit! How new love may have
dawned In young eyes, since a weddtns
ever insures another to follow it! And
the mother of Jesus was there! on,
happy little maid, to gather such
blessed auests about your board! That
rose of women, whose perfect strength
snd loveliness of body, united to purity
of mind and soul, had made her the
angel chosen one to be purest mother
of perfect child! And now how grave
and stately must have been her mien.
for if her heart was tun oi love mere
must have still been room for fear
fear that perhaps slept that day for
the last time.
And then all suddenly there came s
halt in the general merriment a song
had ended, and as goblets were raised
to drink, lo! they had not been refilled.
Tbe feast master's brow darkened. An
that up. I dropped back into talking
my own way.
"So I came out in society and went
the usual rounds. I went to teas and
bridge parties, balls and receptions, and
all the time I was longing to do what
I wanted to do. Finally I could stand
it no longer. Dearly as I loved Port
land and I know every hack driver
there," she interpolated "I couldn't
stay there the rest of my life and do
nothing. I felt that I must express my
self In some way. And my parents
readily enough consented for me to so
abroad and study singing.
"My aunt was to accompany me. We
came to New York and stopped over a
few days with friends of mine. We
had our passage engaged to Europe. I
was asked to sing at a reception given
to me, and It happened that there was
a man present who knew Joe Weber
well. After he heard me sing he asked
to be presented, and told me I must
meet Mr. Weber and sing for him. He
told me about 'The Climax' which had
had such a success. Andabout the op
portunity in it for a voice like mine.
"We took It as a Joke. My hostess
ancient servitor bent and whispered
hurriedly into the ear of the master of
the house, the old wife heard and
changed color dtstressedly, the bride's
head drooped. Just under breath the
whisper circled the whole board. "The
wine Is out and the least out just Be
gun." The musicians' faces grew long In
deed, for they had hours of playing be
fore them yet and muslo making to
command Is ever thirsty work. And the
guests looked at one another and
asked: "la it a servants' theft, think
my own way. I J - s ,
"So I came out in oclety and went! - J i.rs,, v : - ' r ' -i ;-s iA
fiim ipsa jvff ws tissis a rrx i tte. m
ancient servitor bent and" whispered jlri'il t "JLa ' '" 'l
hurriedly into the ear of the master of Tt ' i tf . , t-iJfcS yJT' fftlM k
the house, the old wife heard and i5 SZJtir1 f"W f-JuJ
changed color dtstressedly, the bride's er" '.t?k fT i. ri JPT iff WuLfJh
head drooped. Just under breath the i',ca'- , - TTi i ' lisii i i i T ' '-V AJIlnirJ'IYU
immediately made up a box party for
the next night for me to see The Cli-
Tbea Jeeae 8althl "Draw Oat Now, and
you, or have they miscalculated the
number called to the feast?"
But none could answer, and Mary,
deeply conscious of the humiliation of
t max,' and after the play
I had suggested the whole
the friend who
thing brought
Bear Unto the Governor of tbe Feast."
her hosts, who were loved friends as
well, and helpless herself, yet feeling
that if any one could devise a way out
of the mortifying; situation it would be
Joe Weber around to our box and pre
sented him to me, and everybody
laughed over the idea of my being 'dis
covered.' "It was to carry out the Joke still
further that an appointment was made
for me to sing for Mr. Weber the next
morning. The Joke was when I kept
my bargain and sang. He Immediately
offered me a place in one of the com
panies he was getting ready to send
on the road. I was to do the leading
role in The Climax" in the No. S com
pany. "This was getting serious. Even if
I felt I could sing well enough to do
the part I knew nothing about acting,
and I told Mr. Weber so. He said that
he'd teach me that the whole secret
was in being natural. So, reassured, I
accepted the offer.
"This, of course, came as a great Sur
prise to my aunt. But she was de
voted and loyal and said she'd go wher
ever I had to go. And Tiow that I had
the chance to go on the stage I knew
I was going to take it whatever any
one said. The passage to Europe was
canceled and rehearsals began.
Typhoid Fever Lucky.
"Then we went on the road. It was
all new and strange to me, but I loved
It. It wasn't to my aunt's taste, for, as
I have said, we don't come of theatrical
people and she wasn't used to the hard
ships of one-night stands and the un
certain accommodations of country
town hotels. However, we stayed the
season out and then we sailed for Eu
rope. "Then came the lucky typhoid fever,"
she said. "We returned and I was to
have played the lead In the play I have
mentioned, Fate apparently .had
planned it otherwise. I was ill for a
long time and the illness left me fear
fully depressed.
"About that time Alma Gluck came
to see me and told me about a revival
of 'Robin Hood' and asked me why I
didn't sing Annabel in It. 'I know Mr.
De Koven would love to have you,' she
said, and she arranged for me to sing
for him. He offered me the part, but
since It wasn't a very large one he of
fered to write in a new song for me.
We wrote the song together and I be
gan rehearsals; all the while my doc
tor win telling the family that I'd die
If I did it
"The typhoid left melancholy, as
it often does Its victims," she said,
"and I told my aunt that if I wasn't
allowed to sing I'd kill myself. This
brought them around. I think Chat new
interest was all that saved my life. I'd
come off the stage fainting and have
to be restored before I could go back
for the next scene, but somehow I al
ways got back, and instead of getting
weaker I grew stronger, with every
performance. The people out In front
somehow seemed to give me of their
strength and vitality,
"This is another instance of my
luck," she saiu. "When Mr. De Koven
wrote the new song for me it was in
the last act. At the first performance
there were so many encores during the
firSt and second acts that it was- late
before the curtain went up on the last
act. Mr, De Koven and Mr. Arthur de
elded that something must be cut or
the performance would last all night.
They dared not cut any of the old fa
vorites, so they agreed to out out my
song. But who was to tell meT Both
knew how I had my heart set on the
song and neither could do it.
"Finally they called the business
manager and told him to go" back and
explain to me that owing to the length
of the performance I'd have to cut the
song. But he- in turn had too. much
heart to hurt me. So I came on and
sang the song and it got more encores
than all the others together and I had
to sin? it over and over and it was
past 12 o'clock when the curtain went
down, but after that I kept the song.
"I thought it was happiness enough
when one night Mr. Victor Herbert
came behind the scenes to meet me,
hut the heavens opened when he told
me he wanted to write an opera for ine.
He had heard me In certain laugnmg
passages and he said he wanted to
write an opera that I could laugh all
the way through. 'The Madcap Duchess'
is what he wrote.
"It's always luck for me," she said,
"I sang in 'The Count of Luxembourg,'
a lovely opera, and for a while I
thought my luck had deserted me. The
nleoe was DUt on In Boston, and I
wasn't a favorite with one of the man-
her own son who absently sat for the
moment, unheeding spake, Quick and
sharp, saying: "They have no wine!"
and when he gave her puzzling answer,
she, after the manner of all the loving
mothers who may not understand their
sons, passed it by without comment,
only, still certain of his power to aid,
aid aside, commandingly to the serv
ants:
"Whatsoever he sayeth unto you, do
If
For nigh 1000 years Christians have
wondered Just what purpose the dear
Lord had In that next action, oeaumui
as it was amazing; but because it was
not in answer to some anguished cry
or mental or bodily torment there are
those who can make themselves believe
that the wonder performed at Cana was
meant but to put in motion rumor's
brazen tongue and set the countrysiae
to marveling, that crows might follow,
open mouthed! Oh, It is unspeakable!
The ew strange rower,
Christ was young as yet in the very
earliest days of ministry! May this
fair deed have been In the nature of a
testing of the new strange power he felt
rising within him or couia nis
thoughts have turned for a moment to
the promise made Nathaniel, a day or
two before, whom with clairvoyant
vision Jesus had seen standing beneath
a fig tree, even before Philip, the mes
senger, had reached the place of bis
habitation?
And when Nathaniel arrived and tbe
Master explained his instant recogni
tion of the young stranger, by telling
how he had seen him even before Phil
ip bad called to him, Nathaniel had
been amazed and said:
"Rabbi, thou art the Son of God!
Thou art the King of Israeli"
Jesus answered: "Because I said unto
thee. I saw thee under the fig tree,
believest thou. Thou shalt see greater
things than these!" Surely the trans
formation about to take place was a
srreater thing. Therefore was It a beau
tiful reward for tbe passionate young
belief of Nathaniel?
Again. Possibly the newly-risen
prophet In that moment's pause asked
himself if the occasion were wortny
of a demonstration of hie power? If
there were such a question we have
the answer In the . deed that followed.
At all events. It is sweet to think that
he was moved by gentle human love
for the people of Galilee, where he
had spent all of the years of growth
and waiting for the striking of the
appointed hour, that he, who was so
tender of little children and all weak
and helpless things, shrank from see
ing" this innocently joyous festival
agers who produced It. I couldn't please
him for some reason, and he had four
or five other girls there studying the
part to replace me when we came to
New York. It happened, however, that
none f them could do the staircase
waits and they had to leave me in it.
"When it opened in New York, and
I didn't think I had one chance to stay
with It.-the papers came out the next
morning and said delightful things
about me. I'll never forget one critic
who said: 'One Girl Saves the Piece.'
That was the headline. But, anyway,
I wasn't happy doing it. And I am
happy in this piece.
"This is the first time I've been a
star," she laughed, "and the most ex
citing moment in my life was in Roch
ester recently, where The Madcap
Duchess' opened. My French maid, who
is excitable, ran Into my room at the
hotel and told me to look out of the
window toward the theater. I did so,
and there, etched out against the night,
was my name In electric lights. That
thrill was the 'big moment' of my life.
I haven't got used to the electrio lights
yet. I watob them and my maid
watches them. There's always a chance
that some bulb may quit working and
leave an empty space. So I drive by
the theater and if It isn't all going I
call up. the office and say. 'Will you
please look at the sign? There's a dead
bulb in the 'W.' Do have it attended
to at once.' " .
Lancbs With Abamdoa of Child.
She laughed with the abandon of a
child. And Victor Herbert knew when
he divined Miss Swinburne has the
gods' gift of laughter.
"The curious thing," she said, "is
that I have: never liked musical com
edy. I don't think I could ever play
In It. I've always dreamed of doing
some romantic opera, and this 'The
Madcap 'Duchess' Is. The book Is by
Justin 'McCarthy, but the lovely lyrics
are by D. S.. Stevens, who, it seems to
me, hasn't got half the credit he de
serves for them.
"In the piece I have to dance this
Is more luck," she said, "and I do not
know how to dance. , I know only a
few step's that Julian Mitchell taught
me for another piece. Of course I know
ballroom dancing, but that is alto
crathar a different nrODOsltijn from
stage dancing. Also, I have to fence.
and- I don t know now to rence. uui
most of all I have to sing, for when
Mr. Herbert writes an opera after his
own heart, which he declares this one
Is. he puts In his favorite high C
wherever he can stick it, and singing
high C is no laughing matter.
i-Xn tn ainor the role I have to con
serve all my strength. I'm pretty
frail at pest, and Keeping wnai mreujiu
I have takes all my time that I'm not
at the theater. I ride every day in
the park and walk some. Then i Keep
.. ... I7,anh T fan A French nlaVS
in; a- - - --- - - - -
every day with a teaoher who comes
to me in the morning and I rest and
rest betwoeii times.
Can't Entertain and Play Too.
"I know few people and even these
few I am not able to see often, for it
; .. tav nn m if I have even a few
people in for tea in the afternoon I
find my performance suffers at night.
"I don't know what it is. I used to
wonder sbout it. but now I know that
people can 'drink me up.' if you know
what I mean, as no work can. so I live
l life mucn isoiatea.
"All last Summer I was abroad.
-....-ino- anX nnlrinar nhnilt in Prancf.
..,- TKa M-ii1iiin nnchttHK' is laid. 1
haunted Versailles and I read bo:iks
about that period and picked up oul
souvenirs of Watteau, and all this
French furniture."
Miss Swinburne's apartment at the
Savoy Hotel is furnished with these
handsome old pieces. xna curioui
carved chairs are cushioned in mul
berry satin and there's a wonderful
desk and odd bits that she's going to
use to furnish a house later on. For
she's keen about housekeeping.
Her father has never yet heard her
sing, but her mother may come on later
and spend the Winter with her and
then the house will be an assured fact".
Ann Swinburne is a much-chaperoned
young person. It would be hard to
find another star in New York so far
removed from the theatrical atmos
phere. None of the family like the
theater any better than they used to
(Concluded on Page 7.)
turned to flat disappointment, and the
wedding of the little bride likely to
become hut a bitter and humiliating
memory- and added to the rest, may
hap, a natural desire to Justify his
mother's trust and confidence. What
ever the" purpose, our Lord drew aside
and noting six great Jars, such as were
used for the purification or tne jews,
Htandlng empty, he commanded briefly
the servants, "Fill the water-pots."
Which was somewhat of a task, for
water had to be drawn and carried
from the well. But however strange
and Incomprehensible the order must
have seemed, with that high look upon
hia face they dared not hesitate, and
so filled the great Jars "to the brim"
and drew heavy breaths and waited.
Then Jesus saith: "Draw out now,
and bear unto the governor of the
feast."
With what faces of stupefactron must
they have marked the acceptance of
that wine oo recently but water by
the experienced feastmaster. As the
wondrous vintage circled the long
board eyes brightened, cheeks flushed,
quick tongues passed approvingly over
moist lips. ,
How the bride and bridegroom must
have pressed hands beneath the ta
ble's covering! Hearts beat high and
tongues began to wag merrily. A sweet
secret pride throbbed in Mary's breast! .
Reaches Across Centuries.
Only the governor of tiie feast "was
black of brow and sorely vexed!" So
vexed he could not hold his peace, for
his was a palate of great delicacy and
trained by years of careful testing -rare
vintages. But here was wine ex
quisite as strange, whose age, or coun-
try, or name he could not divine, and
so 'suddenly he called up the bride
groom, who stood like a schoolboy
taken In fault before his mighty mas
ter of ceremonies, who sternly "and ac
cusingly saith unto him:
"livery man at the beginning doth
set forth good wine, and when men
have well drunk, then that which is
worse but thou has kept the good
wine until now."
Truly one may believe our dear Mas
ter's lips smiled with pure amusement
at that address, while Joy and laughter
and harmless merriment ruled after at
the marriage of Cana! And if its echo
sweetly reaches us across the centu
ries It Is because Jesus that oay in
hanging water into wine performed
tho fir3t miracle, manifesting "forth his
lory, and his disciples believed In
him."
(Copyright by the N. Y. Herald Co-
all rights reserved.)