large/1823/stage_land_0803_librivox_64kb_mp3/stageland_02_jerome_64kb_48
large/1823/stage_land_0803_librivox_64kb_mp3/stageland_02_jerome_64kb
English
1823
The stage villain's love for the heroine is sublime in its steadfastness. She is a woman of lugubrious and tearful disposition, added to which she is usually incumbered with a couple of priggish and highly objectionable children, and what possible attraction there is about her we ourselves can never understand; but the stage villain  well, there, he is fairly mashed on her. Nothing can alter his affection. THE STAGE VERN'S LOVE FOR THE HEROINE IS SUBLIME IN HIS STEADFASTNESS SHE IS A WOMAN OF LUGUBRIOUS AND TEARFUL DISPOSITION ADDED TO WHICH SHE IS USUALLY ENCUMBERED WITH A COUPLE OF PRIGGISH AND HIGHLY OBJECTIONABLE CHILDREN AND WHAT POSSIBLE ATTRACTION THERE IS ABOUT HER WE OURSELVES CAN NEVER UNDERSTAND BUT THE STAGE VILLAIN WELL THERE HE IS FAIRLY MASHED ON HER NOTHING CAN ALTER HIS AFFECTION
 and he has to get into a corner by himself to think of even that. The stage villain's career is always very easy and prosperous up to within a minute of the end of each act. Then he gets suddenly let in, generally by the comic man. It always happens so. Yet the villain is always intensely surprised each time. He never seems to learn anything from experience. A few years ago the villain used to be blessed with a hopeful and philosophical temperament, which enabled him to bear up under these constantly recurring disappointments and reverses. It was "no matter," he would say. Crushed for the moment though he might be, his buoyant heart never lost courage. He had a simple, child-like faith in Providence. "A time will come," he would remark, and this idea consoled him. Of late, however, this trusting hopefulness of his, as expressed in the beautiful lines we have quoted, appears to have forsaken him. We are sorry for this. We always regarded it as one of the finest traits in his character. RETORT THAT HE CAN EVER MAKE AND HE HAS TO GET INTO A CORNER ALL BY HIMSELF TO THINK OF THAT THE STAGE VILLAIN'S CAREER IS ALWAYS VERY EASY AND PROSPEROUS UP TO WITHIN A MINUTE OF THE END OF EACH ACT THEN HE GETS SUDDENLY LET IN GENERALLY BY THE COMING MAN IT ALWAYS HAPPENS SO YET THE VILLAIN IS ALWAYS INTENSELY SURPRISED EACH TIME HE NEVER SEEMS TO LEARN ANYTHING FROM EXPERIENCE A FEW YEARS AGO THE VILLAIN USED TO BE BLESSED WITH A HOPEFUL AND PHILOSOPHICAL TEMPERAMENT WHICH ENABLED HIM TO BEAR UP UNDER THESE CONSTANTLY RECURRING DISAPPOINTMENTS AND REVERSES IT WAS NO MATTER HE WOULD SAY CRUSHED FOR THE MOMENT THOUGH HE MIGHT BE HIS BUOYANT HEART NEVER LOST COURAGE HE HAD A SIMPLE CHILDLIKE FAITH IN PROVIDENCE A TIME WILL COME HE WOULD REMARK AND THIS IDEA CONSOLED HIM OF LATE HOWEVER THIS TRUSTING HOPEFULNESS OF HIS AS EXPRESSED IN THESE BEAUTIFUL LINES WE HAVE QUOTED APPEARS TO HAVE FORSAKEN HIM WE ARE SORRY FOR THIS WE ALWAYS REGARDED IT AS ONE OF HIS FINEST TRAITS IN HIS CHARACTER
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