第10章

therearemanyelsewherewhosesagesayingsandforciblelogicareappreciatedbyallwhohearorreadthem；but，onthewhole，Americansexcelothersinthereadinessoftheirwit，andtheirpowertomakeagoodextemporespeechonanysubject，withoutopportunityforpreparation。 NeitheristhefairsexinAmericabehindthemeninthismatter。 Ihaveheardsomemostexcellentspeechesbywomen，speecheswhichwoulddocredittoanorator；buttheylaborunderadisadvantage。 Thefemalevoiceissoftandlow，itisnoteasilyheardinalargeroom，andconsequentlytheaudiencesometimesdoesnotappreciateladyspeakerstotheextentthattheydeserve。However，Iknowaladywhopossessesapowerful，masculinevoice，andwhoisaverypopularspeaker，butsheisanexception。AnyhowIbelievetheworstspeaker，maleorfemale，couldimprovebypractisingprivatedeclamation，andawakeningtotheimportanceofarticulation，modulation，and——thepause。 Anotherclassofsocialfunctionsare\"AtHomes\"，teaparties，andreceptions。 Thenumberofguestsinvitedtotheseisalmostunlimited，itmaybeoneortwodozen，oroneortwodozenhundreds。 Thepurposeoftheseisusuallytomeetsomedistinguishedstranger，someguestinthehouse，orthenewlymarrieddaughterofthehostess。 Itisimpossibleforthehostorhostesstorememberallthosewhoattend，orevenallwhohavebeeninvitedtoattend；generallyvisitorsleavetheircards，althoughmanydonotevenobservethisrule，butwalkrightinasiftheyownedthehouse。Whenanewcomerisintroducedhisnameisscarcelyaudible，andbeforethehostess，orthedistinguishedguest，hasexchangedmorethanoneortwowordswithhim，anotherstrangercomesalong，sothatitisquiteexcusableifthenexttimethehostsmeetthesepeopletheydonotrecognizethem。 InChinaanewfashionisnowinvogue；newacquaintancesexchangecards。 IfthiscustomshouldbeadoptedinAmericatherewouldbelesscomplaintsaboutnewfriendsreceivingthecoldshoulderfromthosewhotheythoughtshouldhaveknownthem。 Inlargereceptions，suchasthosementionedabove，howeverspaciousthereceptionhall，inagreatmanyinstancesthereisnotevenstandingroomforallwhoattend。Itrequiresbutlittleimaginationtounderstandtheconditionoftheatmospherewhenthereisnoproperventilation。 Now，whatalwaysastonishedmewas，thatalthoughtheparlormightbecrowdedwithladiesandgentlemen，allthewindowswere，asarule，keptclosed，withtheresultthattheplacewasfullofvitiatedair。 FrequentlyafterashorttimeIhavehadtoslipawaywhenIwouldwillinglyhaveremainedlongertoenjoythecharmingcompany。 IfIhaddoneso，however，Ishouldhavetakenintomylungsalargeamountoftheobnoxiousatmosphereexhaledfromhundredsofotherpersonsintheroom，totheinjuryofmyhealth，andnoonecangivehisfellowshisbestunlesshishealthishearty。 Nowonderweoftenhearofahostorhostessbeingunwellafterabigfunction。Theirfeelingsonthemorningafterareoftenthereverseof\"good-willtomen\"，andthecauseisnotaloweredmoralheartinessbutaweakenedphysicalbodythroughbreathingtoomuchairexhaledfromotherpeople\'slungs。 Whenmanunderstands，hewillmake\"goodhealth\"areligiousduty。 InconnectionwiththisIquoteDr。J。H。Kellogg，theeminentphysicianandSuperintendentoftheBattleCreekSanitarium。 Inhisbook，\"TheLivingTemple\"*，thedoctorspeaksasfollowsontheimportanceofbreathingpureair:\"Thepurposeofbreathingistoobtainfromtheairasupplyofoxygen，whichthebloodtakesupandcarriestothetissues。Oxygenisoneofthemostessentialofallthematerialsrequiredforthesupportoflife…… Theamountofoxygennecessarilyrequiredforthispurposeisaboutoneandone-fourthcubicinchesforeachbreath…… Inplaceoftheoneandone-fourthcubicinchesofoxygentakenintotheblood，acubicinchofcarbonicacidgasisgivenoff，andalongwithitarethrownoffvariousotherstillmorepoisonoussubstanceswhichfindanaturalexitthroughthelungs。Theamountofthesecombinedpoisonsthrownoffwithasinglebreathissufficienttocontaminate，andrenderunfittobreathe，threecubicfeet，orthree-fourthsofabarrel，ofair。Countinganaverageoftwentybreathsaminuteforchildrenandadults，theamountofaircontaminatedperminutewouldbethreetimestwentyorsixtycubicfeet，oronecubicfootasecond…… Everyoneshouldbecomeintelligentinrelationtothematterofventilation，andshouldappreciateitsimportance。Vastandirreparableinjuryfrequentlyresultsfromtheconfinementofseveralscoresorhundredsofpeopleinaschoolroom，church，orlectureroom，withoutadequatemeansofremovingtheimpuritiesthrownofffromtheirlungsandbodies。Thesameairbeingbreathedoverandoverbecomesdenselychargedwithpoisons，whichrenderthebloodimpure，lessenthebodilyresistance，andinducesusceptibilitytotakingcold，andtoinfectionwiththegermsofpneumonia，consumption，andotherinfectiousdiseases，whicharealwayspresentinaverycrowdedaudienceroom。Suppose，forexample，athousandpersonsareseatedinaroomfortyfeetinwidth，sixtyinlength，andfifteeninheight:howlongatimewouldelapsebeforetheairofsucharoomwouldbecomeunfitforfurtherrespiration？ Rememberingthateachpersonspoilsonefootofaireverysecond，itisclearthatonethousandcubicfeetofairwillbecontaminatedforeverysecondthattheroomisoccupied。Toascertainthenumberofsecondswhichwouldelapsebeforetheentireaircontainedintheroomwillbecontaminated，sothatitisunfitforfurtherbreathing，wehaveonlytodividethecubiccontentsoftheroombyonethousand。 Multiplying，wehave60*40*15equals36，000，thenumberofcubicfeet。 This，dividedbyonethousand，givesthirty-sixasthenumberofseconds。 Thusitappearsthatwithcloseddoorsandwindows，breathpoisoningoftheaudiencewouldbeginattheendofthirty-sixseconds，orlessthanoneminute。Theconditionoftheairinsucharoomattheendofanhourcannotbeadequatelypicturedinwords，andyethundredsofaudiencesaredailysubjectedtojustsuchinhumanetreatmentthroughignorance。\"—— *\"TheLivingTemple\"，byJ。H。Kellogg，pp。282etal。 PublishedbyGoodHealthPublishingCo。，BattleCreek，Mich。，U。S。A—— Theaboveremarksapplynotonlytochurches，lecturerooms，andotherpublicplaces，butalsowithequalforcetoofficesandfamilyhouses。 Ishouldliketoknowhowmanypersonspayevenalittleattentiontothisimportantsubjectofpureairbreathing？Yougotoanoffice，whetherlargeorsmall，andyoufindallthewindowsclosed，althoughtherearehalf-a-dozenormorepersonsworkingintheroom。 Nowonderthatmanagers，clerks，andotherofficeworkersoftenbreakdownandrequireaholidaytorecuperatetheirimpairedhealthattheseaside，orelsewhere。 Whenyoucallataprivateresidenceyouwillfindthesamething，allthewindowsclosed。Itistruethattherearenotsomanypersonsintheroomasinanoffice，butifyoursenseofsmelliskeenyouwillnoticethattheairhasclose，stuffyexhalations，whichsurelycannotbesanitary。Ifyouventuretosuggestthatoneofthewindowsbeopenedtheladyofthehousewillatoncetellyouthatyouwillbeinadraughtandcatchcold。 Itisamatterofdailyoccurrencetofindanumberofpersonsdininginaroomwherethereisnoopeningforthecontaminatedairtoleakout，orforthefreshairtocomein。Afterdinnerthegentlemenadjourntothelibrarytoenjoythesweetperfumesofsmokingforanhourorsowithclosedwindows。Whatapicturewouldbepresentedifthebacteriaintheaircouldbesketched，enlarged，andthrownonascreen，orbetterstillshowninacinematograph，butapparentlygentlemendonotmindanythingsolongastheycaninhalethepernicioustobaccofumes。 Itisacommonpractice，Ifear，tokeepthewindowsofthebedroomclosed，exceptinhotweather。Ihaveoftensuggestedtofriendsthat，forthesakeoftheirhealth，theyshouldatleastkeeponeofthewindows，ifnotmore，openduringthenight，buttheyhavepooh-poohedtheideaonaccountofthatbugaboo——adraught。Itisoneofthemysteriesoftheagethatpeopleshouldbewillingtobreathesecond-handairwhenthereissomuchpure，freshairoutofdoorstobehadfornothing； afterinhalingandexhalingthesameairoverandoveragainallthroughthenightitisnotstrangethattheyriseinthemorninglanguidanddullinsteadofbeingrefreshedandinhighspirits。 Noonewhoisdeprivedofasufficiencyoffreshaircanlongremainefficient。Healthisthecornerstoneofsuccess。 IhearmanynowadaystalkingofEugenics。EugenicswasfoundedtenyearsagobySirFrancisGalton，whodefineditthus:\"Thestudyofagenciesundercontrolthatmayimproveorimpairtheracialqualitiesoffuturegenerations，eitherphysicallyormentally。\"TheUniversityofLondonhasadoptedthisdefinition，whereachairofEugenicshasbeenfounded。 Thisscienceisundoubtedlyofthefirstimportance，butwhatadvantageisgoodbirthifafterwardlifeispoisonedwithfoulair？ Adust-ladenatmosphereisagerm-ladenatmosphere，thereforephysiciansprescribefortubercularconvalescentsconditionsinwhichtheairis90%freefromdust。However，theairofthecityhasbeenscientificallyproventobeaspureastheairofthecountry。Allthatisnecessarytosecureproperlungfoodisplentyofit，——housessoconstructedthattheairinsideshallbefreetogooutandtheairoutsidetocomein。 Airinaclosedcagemustbemischievous，andwhatareill-ventilatedroomsbutviciousaircages，inwhichmischiefsofallsortsbreed？ Americaprofessestobelieveinpublicity，andwhatis\"publicity\" buttheopenwindowandtheopendoor？Practisethisphilosophyanditwillbeeasytokeeponthesunnysideofthestreetandtodiscouragetheglooms。Thejoysflyinatopenwindows。 Chapter14。TheatersTheidealofChinaissinceritybutanactorisapretender。 Heappearstobewhatheisnot。Nowourancientwisemenfeltthatpretenseofanysortmusthaveadangerousreactionaryinfluenceonthecharacter。Ifamanlearnshowtobeacleveractoronthestagehemaybeaskilleddeceiverinotherwalksoflife。Moreover，noonetowhomsincerityisasthegumsaretotheteeth，wouldwishtoacquiretheartofactingasthoughheweresomeoneelse。 HenceactorsinChinahavefromancienttimesbeenlookeddownupon。 Actresses，untilthelastdecadeorso，wereunknowninChina，andaboywhobecameanactorcouldneverafterwardoccupyanypositionofhonor。He，hischildrenandhisgrandchildrenmightbefarmers，merchantsorsoldiers，buttheycouldneverbeteachers，literarymenorofficials。TheChinesefeelingforsincerity，amountingalmosttoworship，hascausedtheprofessionofanactorinChinatobeconsideredaverylowone，andsountilthenewregimetheactorwasalwaysdebarredfromattendinganyliteraryexamination，andwasalsodeprivedoftheprivilegeofobtainingofficialappointment； infacthewasconsideredanoutcastofsociety。NorespectableChinesefamilywouldthinkofallowingtheirsontogoonthestage。 AsanaturalconsequentthemembersoftheChinesestagehave，asarule，beenmenwhowereasmuchbelowthelevelofmoralrespectabilityasconventionalismhadalreadyadjudgedthemtobebelowthelevelofsocialrespectability。Regardanyoneasamirrorwithacrackedfaceandhewillsoonjustifyyouropinionofhim。IfthemoralsofChineseactorswillnotbearinvestigationitisprobablyduetothesocialostracismtowhichtheyhavealwaysbeensubjected。ThesamephenomenonmaybeseeninconnectionwithBuddhism。AssoonasBuddhisminChinaceasedtobeapowerthepriestsbecameadespisedclassandbeingdespisedtheyhaveoftengivenoccasiontootherstodespisethem。 IamawarethatquiteadifferentviewisheldofthestageinAmericaandEurope，andthatactorsandactressesareplacedonanequalfootingwithothermembersofsociety。 Thisdoesnot，ofcourse，meanthateitherAmericaorEuropelayslessstressonsinceritythanChina，butsimplythatwehavedevelopedindifferentways。Ihaveheardoftheold\"moralityplays\"，IknowthatEnglishdrama，liketheEgyptian，Greek，andIndian，haditsorigininreligion，butthisalonewillnotexplainthedifferentattitudeassumedtowardactorsintheWestfromthattakenupinChina。*IaminclinedtothinkthatthereasonwhyactorsarenotdespisedintheWestastheyareinChinaisbecausetheWestconsidersfirsttheutilityofpleasure，andtheEastthesupremacyofsincerity。Here，asissofrequentlythecase，apparentdifferencesarelargelydifferencesofemphasis。 TheWestwouldseemtoemphasizethebeautyofthedesiretopleasewhereChineseconsidertheeffectoncharacterorbusiness。 TheexpensivedinnerswhichnooneeatsandwhichIdiscussedinapreviouschapterareanillustration。NooneinChinawouldspendmoneyinthisfashionexceptingforsomedefinitepurpose—— *Inhisdiscussionofactors，WuTingfangdoesnotseemtobeawarethattheidealizationofactorsintheWestiscomparativelyrecent，andthathistorically，andevennowinsomepartsofsociety，actorsandtheactingprofessionhavebeenlookeddownuponintheWestformanyofthesamereasonshegivesforthesamephenomenoninChina—— A。R。L。，1996—— WeChineseliketoflatter，andtoopenlypraisetotheirfacesthosewhomweadmire。MostWesterners，would，Ithink，pleaseratherthanadmire；mostmenandwomeninAmericaandEuropeenjoyapplausemorethaninstruction。ThisrecognitionofthedelicatepleasureofbeingabletopleasesomeoneelsenaturallyattractsquiteadifferenttypetotheWesternstagefromthematerialusuallyfoundinChinesedramaticcompanies，andinasocietywhereeveryoneacknowledgesthebeautyofpleasinganother，thepositionoftheactornaturallybecomesbothenviedanddesirable。 WhenthereforeamanorwomansucceedsontheEuropeanorAmericanstageheorsheislookeduptoandwelcomedinfashionablesociety，e。g。，HenryIrvinghadtheentreetothehighestsociety，andhisportraitwasalwaysfoundamongthenotables。Newspaperspublishedlongnoticesofhisstageperformances，andwhenhediedhereceivedasgreathonorsasEnglandcouldgive。DuringhislifetimeheenjoyedtheroyalfavorofQueenVictoria，whoconferredaknighthooduponhim。 Afterhisdeathhisbiographywaspublishedandreadbythousands。 AllthisisquitecontrarytothespiritoftheChinesewho，nomatterhowcleveramanmaybeasanactor，canneverforgetthatheisapretenderandthattheclevererheisthegreatercareexistsforguardingone\'sselfagainsthistricks。 ActressesarenolessrespectedandhonoredintheWest，whereasinChinatherearepositivelynorespectablewomenonthestage。 YetintheWestitisacommonoccurrencetohearofmarriagesofactressestobankers，merchants，andmillionaires。Evenballet-girlshavebecomeduchessesbymarriage。Thestageisconsideredanobleprofession。Often，whenagirlhasagoodvoice，nothingwillsatisfyherbutastagecareer。 AsituationsuchasthisisverydifficultforaChinesetoanalyze。 TheaverageChinesewomanlackstheimagination，theself-abandon，thecouragewhichmustbenecessarybeforeagirlcanthinkofherselfasstandingaloneinabrightlightbeforealargeaudiencewaitingtoseeherdanceorhearhersing。Chineseactresseswerequiteunknownuntilveryrecently，andthefewthatmaybenowfoundontheChinesestagewerenearlyallofquestionablecharacterbeforetheyenteredthetheater。 InthenorthernpartofChinasomegoodChinesewomenmaybefoundincircuses，butthesebelongtotheworkingclassandtakeupthecircuslifewiththeirhusbandsandbrothersforalivelihood。 TheactressesoftheWestaredifferent。Theyaredrawntothestageforthesakeofart；anditmustbetheirsplendiddaringasmuchastheirbeautywhichinduceswealthymen，andevensomeofthenobility，tomarrythesewomen。Manlovescourageandrespectsallwhoarebraveenoughtofightfortheirown。Inaworldwhereself-love(notselfishness) ishighlyesteemed，manhood，orthepowerofself-assertion，whetherinmanorwoman，naturallybecomesafascinatingvirtue。 Noonelikestobecolleaguetoacoward。Themillionairesandotherswhohavemarriedactresses——andasactressesmakeplentyofmoneytheyarenotlikelytobewillingtomarrypoormen—— meetmanywomeninsocietyasbeautifulasthewomentheyseeonthestage，butsocietywomenlackthesupremecourageanddaringofthestagegirl。 Thus，veryoftenthepretty，thoughlesseducated，ballet-girl，winsthemanwhomhermorerefinedandlessself-assertivesister—— theordinarysocietygirl——issorrytolose。 Thesuffragettesaretoointentjustnowongetting\"VotesforWomen\" tolistentoproposalsofmarriage，butwhentheysucceedinobtaininguniversalsuffrageIshouldthinktheywouldhavelittledifficultyinobtainingbravehusbands，forthesuffragetteshavecourage。 Thesewomen，however，areserious，andIdonotthinkthatmenintheWest，judgingfromwhatIhaveseen，likeveryseriouswives。 Soperhapsafteralltheballet-girlandactresseswillhavemorechancesinthemarriage(Ihadalmostwrittenmoney)marketthanthesuffragettes。 Imaybemistakeninmytheories。Ihaveneverhadtheopportunityofdiscussingthematterwithamillionaireoranactress，norhaveItalkedaboutthestagewithanyoftheladieswhomakeittheirhome，butunlessitistheirsuperbindependenceandtheirabilitytothrowoffcareandtoacttheirpartwhichattractmenwhoarelookingforwives，Icannotaccountforsomanyactressesmarryingsowell。 What，however，wemayask，istheobjectofthetheater？Isitnotamusement？ Butwhenaseriousplayendingtragicallyisputontheboardsisthatamusement？Thefeelingsoftheaudienceafterwitnessingsuchaplaymustbefarfrompleasant，andsometimesevenmoody； yettragediesarepopular，andmanywillpayahighpricetoseeawell-knownactorcommitmostobjectionableimitation-crimesonthestage。AfewweeksbeforethischapterwaswrittenanumberofmenofdifferentnationalitieswerepunishedforbeingpresentatacockfightinShanghai。MexicanandSpanishbullfightswouldnotbepermittedintheUnitedStates，andyetitisaquestionwhetherthebirdsortheanimalswhotakepartinthesefightsreallysufferverymuch。Theyareinastateofferociousexaltation，andaremoreconcernedaboutkillingtheiropponentsthanabouttheirownhurts。Soldiershavebeenseriouslywoundedwithoutknowinganythingaboutituntiltheexcitementofthebattlehaddiedaway。Whythenforbidcockfightingorbull-baiting？ Theywouldbepopularamusementsifallowed。Itiscertainthatanimalsthataredrivenlongdistancesalongdirtyroads，cattle，sheep，andfowlthatarecoopedupformanywearyhoursinrailwaytrucks，simplythattheymayreachadistantmarketandbeslaughteredtogratifypervertedhumanappetites，reallysuffermorethanthecockorbullwhomaybekilledorwoundedinafightwithothersofhisownkind。 Whataboutthesufferingsofpugilistswhotakepartintheprize-fights，inwhichsomanythousandsintheUnitedStatesdelight？Itcannotbepity，therefore，forthebirdsorbeasts，whichmakestheauthoritiesforbidcockfightingandbull-baiting。Itmustbethatalthoughtheseareexhibitionsofcourageandskill，theexhibitionisdegradingtothespectatorsandtothosewhourgethecreaturestofight。 Butwhatisthedifference，sofarasthespectatorisconcerned，betweenwatchingacombatbetweenanimalsorbirdsandfollowingavividdramatizationofcrueltyonthestage？Inthelattercasethementalsufferingswhichareportrayedarefrequentlymoreharrowingthanthedetailsofanybull-orcockfight。Suchrepresentation，therefore，unlessaveryclearmorallessonorwarningisemblazonedthroughouttheplay，musthavetheeffectofmakingactors，actressesandspectatorslesssympatheticwithsuffering。Familiaritybreedsinsensibility。 WhatIhavesaidofmelodramaappliesalso，thoughinalesserdegree，tobooks，andshouldbeawarningtoparentstoexercisepropersupervisionoftheirchildren\'sreading。 Farbeitfrommetodisparagetheworkoftheplaywright； theplotisoftenwelllaidandtheactors，especiallytheprima-donna，executetheirpartsadmirably。Iamconsideringthematter，atthemoment，fromtheview-pointofaplay-goer。Whatbenefitdoeshereceivefromwitnessingatragedy？Inhishomeandhisofficehashenotenoughtoengagehisseriousattention，andtofrequentlyworryhismind？ Isitworthhiswhiletodressandspendaneveningwatchingaperformancewhich，howeverskilfullyplayed，willmakehimnohappierthanbefore？ Itisacharacteristicofthosewhoarefondofsensationalplaysthattheydonotmindwatchingthetragicalendingofaherooraheroine，andallforthesakeofamusement。Youngpeopleandchildrenarenotlikelytogetgoodimpressionsfromthissortofthing。 Ithasevenbeensaidthatmurdershavebeencommittedbyyoungsterswhohadbeentakenbytheirparentstoseearealisticmelodrama。 Itisdangeroustoallowyoungpeopleoftenderagetoseesuchplays。 Thejuvenilemindisnotripeenoughtoformcorrectjudgments。 SometimeagoIreadinoneoftheAmericanpapersthataboyhadkilledhisfatherwithaknife，onseeinghimill-treathismotherwheninastateofintoxication。Itappearedthattheladhadwitnessedadramatictragedyinatheater，andinkillinghisfatherconsideredhewasdoingaheroicact。Hecould，bythesamerule，havebeeninspiredtoanobleactofself-sacrifice。 Afterall，themainquestionis，doesasensationalplayexerciseabeneficialoraperniciousinfluenceovertheaudience？Ifthereaderwillconsiderthematterimpartiallyheshouldnothaveanydifficultyincomingtoarightconclusion。 Theatricalperformancesshouldaffordamusementandexcitemirth，aswellasgiveinstruction。Peoplewhovisittheatersdesiretobeentertainedandtopassthetimepleasantly。 Anythingwhichexcitesmirthandlaughterisalwayswelcomedbyanaudience。 Butaseriouspiecefromwhichhumorhasbeenexcluded，iscalculated，evenwhenplayedwithsympatheticfeelingandskill，tocreateasenseofgravityamongthespectators，which，tosaytheleast，canhardlyberestfultojadednerves。Yetwhencomposinghisplaystheplaywrightshouldneverlosesightofthemoral。 Ofcoursehehastopayattentiontothearrangementofthedifferentpartsoftheplotandthecharactersrepresented，butwhileitisimportantthateachactandeverysceneshouldbeharmoniouslyandproperlyset，andthatthecharactersshouldbeadaptedtothepieceasawhole，itisnonethelessimportantthatamoralshouldbeenforcedbyit。Thepracticallessontobelearnedfromtheplayshouldneverbelostsightof。 InChineseplaysthemoralisalwaysprominent。Thevillainispunished，virtueisrewarded，whilethemajorityoftheplaysarehistorical。 Allhealthy-mindedpeoplewilldesiretoseeaplayendwithvirtuerewarded，andvicevanquished。Thosewhowantitotherwiseareunnaturalandpossessshortviewsoflife。Eitherinthislifeorinsomeother，eachreceivesaccordingtohisdeserts，andthislessonshouldalwaysbetaughtbytheplay。YetfromallthecleverdramaswhichhavebeenwrittenandactedontheWesternstagefromtimetotimewhataverysmallpercentageofmorallessonscanbedrawn，whiletoomanyofthemhaveunfortunatelybeenofanobjectionablenature。 Nearlyeveryonereadsnovels，especiallytheyoungerfolk； tomanyoftheseavisittoatheaterislikereadinganovel，exceptingthattheperformancemakeseverythingmorerealistic。 Apiecewithagoodmoralcannotthereforefailtomakeanexcellentimpressionontheaudiencewhileatthesametimeaffordingthemamusement。 Iamsomewhatsurprisedthatthechurches，ethicalsocietiesandreformassociationsinAmericadonotmoreclearlyappreciatethevaluableaidtheymightreceivefromthestage。Ihavebeentoldthatsomechurchespaytheirsingersmorethantheirpreachers，whichshowsthattheyhavesomeideaofthevalueofgoodart。 Whynotgoastepfurtherandpreachthroughaplay？Thisdoesnotmeanthatthereshouldbenofunbutthatthemoralshouldbewellthrusthome。 Ihaveheardofpreacherswhomakejokeswhilepreaching，sothatitshouldnotbesoverydifficulttoactinterestingsermonswhichwouldelevate，eveniftheydidnotamuse。Peoplewhowenttochurchtoseeatheaterwouldnotexpectthesameentertainmentasthosewhogotothetheatersimplyforalaugh。 InChinawedonotexpendasmuchenergyasAmericansandEuropeansintryingtomakeotherpeoplegood。Wetrytobegoodourselvesandbelievethatourgoodexample，likeapurefragrance，willinfluenceotherstobelikewise。Wethinkpracticeisasgoodasprecept，and，ifImaysaysowithoutbeingsupposedtobecriticalofaracedifferentfrommyown，thethoughthassometimessuggesteditselftomethatAmericansaresointentondoinggoodtoothers，andonmakingothersgood，thattheyaccomplishlessthantheywouldiftheiractionsandintentionswerelessdirectandobvious。 IcannothereexplainallImean，butifmyreaderswillstudywhatLiYuandChuangTszhavetosayabout\"Spontaneity\"and\"NotInterfering\"，Ithinktheywillunderstandmythought。Thetheater，asIhavealreadysaid，wasinseveralcountriesreligiousinitsorigin；whynotuseittoelevatepeopleindirectly？Theultimateeffect，becausemorenatural，mightbebetterandtruerthanmoredirectpersuasion。Pulpitappeals，Iamgiventounderstand，aresometimesverypersonal。 SincewritingtheaboveIhaveseenanewspapernoticeofadramaticperformanceintheEthicalChurch，Queen\'sRoad，Bayswater，London。 TheEthicalChurchbelieves\"ineverythingthatmakeslifesweetandhuman\" andthemanagementstatethattheybelieve——\"thebesttrendofdramaticopinionto-daypointsnotonlytothetransformationoftheatersintocentersofsocialenlightenmentandmoralelevation，butalsotothetransformationofthechurchesintocentersfortheimaginativepresentation，bymeansofalltheartscombined，ofthedeepertruthsandmeaningsoflife。\"Personally，Idonotknowanythingaboutthissociety，butsurelythereisnothingoutofharmonywithChristianityintheseprofessions，andIamgladtofindhereanalliancebetweenthetwogreatestfactorsinthedevelopmentofWesternthoughtandculture——thechurchandthetheater。 ThenewspaperarticletowhichIhavereferredwasdescribingthe\"oldmoralityplay，Everyman\"whichhadbeenperformedinthechurch。 Thevisitorwhowassomewhatcritical，andapparentlyunusedtoseeingthetheaterinachurch，wroteoftheperformancethus: \"Boththemusicandthedressingoftheplaywereperfect，andfromthemomentthatDeathenteredcladinbluestuffwithimmensebluewingsuponhisshoulders，andthetrumpinhishand，andstoppedEveryman，agorgeousfigureincrimsonrobesandjewelledturban，withthequestion，`Whogoessogailyby？\'theplaywasperformedwithanimpressivenessthatneverfaltered。 \"Theheaviestburden，ofcourse，fallsonEveryman，andtheartistwhoplayedthispartseemedtome，thoughIamnodramaticcritic，tohavecaughttheatmosphereandthespiritoftheplay。 Hisperformance，indeed，wasverywonderfulfromthemomentwhenheoffersDeathathousandboonsifonlythedreadsummonsmaybedelayed，tothatfinaltensescene，when，strippedofhisouterrobe，hesayshisclosingprayers，hesitatesforamomenttoturnback，thoughthedreadangelistherebyhisside，andthenfollowsthebeckoninghandofGoodDeeds，afiguresplendidlyrobedinflowingdraperiesofcrimsonandwithawonderfullyexpressivemobileface。 \"AttheconclusionoftheplayDr。StantonColtaddressedafewwordstotheenthusiasticaudience，`Forsakethypride，foritwillprofittheenothing，\'hequoted，`IfwecouldbutrememberthismorecarefullyandalsothefactthatnothingsaveourgooddeedsshallevergowithusintothatotherWorld，surelyitwouldhelpustoaholierandbetterlife。 Earthlythingshavetheirplaceandshouldhaveadueregardpaidtothem，butwemustnotforgetthejewelofoursouls。\'\" Ihave，ofcourse，heardofthe\"PassionPlay\"atOberammergauinGermanywherethelifeofJesusChristisperiodicallyrepresentedonthestage，butIsaynothingaboutthis，for，sofarasIknow，itisnotperformedinAmerica，andIhavenotseenit；butImaynoteinpassingthatinChinatheatersaregenerallyassociatedwiththegodsinthetemples，andthatthemoraltheplayismeanttoteachisalwayswelldrivenhomeintothemindsoftheaudience。Wehavenot，however，venturedtointroduceanyofoursagestotheateraudiences。 ThetheaterinChinaisamuchsimpleraffairthaninAmerica。 Theresidentsinalocalityuniteanderectalargestageofbambooandmatting，thebamboopolesaretiedwithstripsofrattan，andallthematerialofthestage，exceptingtherattan，canbeusedoveragainwhenitistakendown。Mostoftheaudiencestandinfrontofthestageandintheopenair，thetheatergenerallybeinginfrontofthetemple；andtheplay，whichoftenoccupiesthreeorfourdays，isoftenperformedinhonorofthegod\'sbirthday。Thereisnocurtain，andtherearenostageaccessories。Theaudienceisthusenabledtoconcentrateitswholeattentionontheacting。Femalepartsareplayedbymen，andeverythingisbeautifullysimple。ThereisnoattempttoproducesuchelaborateeffectsasIhaveseenintheWest，andofcoursenothingatallresemblingthepantomime，whichfrequentlyrequiresmechanicalarts。Anewspaperparagraphcaughtmyeyewhilethinkingofthissubject。Ireproduceit。 \"TheCenturyTheaterinNewYorkCityhasspecialapparatusforproducingwindeffects，thunderandlightningsimultaneously。 Thewindmachineconsistsofadrumwithslatswhicharerotatedoveranapronofcordedsilk，whichproducesthewhistlingsoundofwind； thelightningisproducedbypowderedmagnesiumelectricallyignited； thunderissimulatedbyrollingathousandpoundsofstone，junkandchaindownachuteendinginanironplate，followedbyhalf-a-dozencannonballsandsupplementedbythedeafeningnotesofathunderdrum。\" Although，however，Chineseplay-goersdonotdemandtheexpensiveoutfitsandstagesceneriesoftheWest，ImustnoteherethatnotevenontheAmericanstagehaveIseensuchgorgeouscostumes，orrobesofsorichahueanddisplayingsuchglitteringgoldornamentsandgracefulfeathers，asIhaveseenonthesimpleChinesestageIhavejustdescribed。WesternfashionsarehavingatendencyinourportsandlargercitiestomodifysomethingsthatIhavestatedaboutChinesetheatricalperformances，butthepointIwishespeciallytoimpressonmyreadersisthattheatricalperformancesinChina，whileamusingandinteresting，areseldommelodramatic，andasIlookbackonmyexperiencesintheUnitedStates，Icannotbutthinkthatthegoodpeopletherearemakingamistakeinnotutilizingthehumannaturalloveforexcitementandthedramaasasubsidiarymoralinvestment。And，ofcourse，allIhavesaidoftheatersapplieswithequalforcetomoving-pictureshows。 Chapter15。OperaandMusicalEntertainmentsOperaisaformofentertainmentwhich，thoughverypopularinAmericaandEngland，doesnotappealtome。Iknowthatthosewhoarefondofmusiclovetoattendit，andthattheboxesinanoperahousearegenerallyengagedbythefashionablesetforthewholeseasonbeforehand。 Ihaveseenmembersofthe\"fourhundred\"intheirboxesinaNewYorkoperahouse；theyhavebeendistinguishedbytheirmagnificenttoilettesandbrilliantjewelry；butIhavebeenthinkingoftheChinesedrama，which，liketheoldGreekplay，isalsobasedonmusic，andChinesemusicwithitssoftandplaintiveairsisaverydifferentthingfromthemusicofgrandopera。ChinesemusiccouldnotberepresentedonWesterninstruments，theintervalsbetweenthenotesbeingdifferent。 Chinesesingingisgenerally\"recitative\"accompaniedbylongnotes，broken，orsuddenchordsfromtheorchestra。ItdifferswidelyfromWesternmusic，butitseffectsarewonderful。Oneofourwritershasthusdescribedmusicheonceheard:\"Softly，asthemurmurofwhisperedwords； nowloudandsofttogether，likethepatterofpearlsandpearletsdroppinguponamarbledish。Orliquid，likethewarblingofthemango-birdinthebush；tricklinglikethestreamletonitsdownwardcourse。 Andthenlikethetorrent，stilledbythegripoffrost，soforamomentwasthemusiclulled，inapassiontoodeepforwords。\" ThatthisfamousdescriptionoftheeffectsofmusicwhichIhaveborrowedfromMr。DyerBall\'s\"ThingsChinese\"isnotexaggerated，anyonewhoknowsChinamayconfirmbypersonalobservationofthekeenenjoymentanunlearned，commondaylaborerwillfindinplayingasingleluteallbyhimselfforhoursbeneaththemoononawarmsummerevening，withnoonelisteningbutthetreesandtheflittinginsects；butitrequiresapractisedeartoappreciatesingingandagoodvoice。OnoneoccasionIwenttoanoperahouseinLondontoheartheworld-renownedMadamePatti。 Theplacewassocrowded，andtheatmospheresoclose，thatIfeltveryuncomfortableandIamashamedtoacknowledgethatIhadtoleavebeforeshehadfinished。IfIhadbeeneducatedtoappreciatethatsortofmusicnodoubtIwouldhavecomprehendedhersingingbetter，and，howeveruncomfortable，Ishouldnodoubthaveremainedtotheendoftheentertainment。 WhilewritingthischapterithappenedthatthefollowingnewsfromNewYorkwaspublishedinthelocalpapersinShanghai。Itshouldbeinterestingtomyreaders，especiallytothosewhoareloversofmusic。 \"`Yellowmusic\'willbethenextnoveltytostartleandlurethisblasetown；amusementforecastersalreadyseeintheoffingaFallinvasionofthemysteriousChineseairswhicharenowhavingsuchavogueinLondonunderthegeneraltermof`yellowmusic\'。 \"ThetimewaswhenAmericansandoccidentalsingenerallaughedatChinesemusic，butthiswasduetotheirownignoranceofitsfullimportandtothefactthattheyheardonlythedirgesofaChinesefuneralprocessionorthebrassynoisesthatfeatureacelestialfestival。Theydidnothaveopportunitytobeenthralledbythethroaty，vibrantmelodies