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Show Till'. i'itornurio ui -iin.srtur. Thuitageli supposed to be a rcllsx of thlugs ha punlng lu the actual or pit lumablelifeof mm, uud Incidentally a representation of Idenllim aud fancy. When a Itjiuiu tragedy Is belug presented, pre-sented, wo are altogether prepared for tho ui)iintitr It reseutment of the am Ihllhtatiraud limy cM'ii rittlvu with tolerallu grai" the ictai'lo of thu Kliiilatjraiiigigid lundeuth struggle "lomalienli man holUoj." this la m a p rt if history, aud when It cau I m made to add to the ellectlveuns cf a M I lay, or t i nul.c thu story of un tpoih H ru lu vivid, It has Itiusii In (hat wuy B If not lu others. Hut wo would M cot tolirato some uf tho tbidy B deeds, even In mlnikry, tliut K long 040 characterized the arena, he- m cause wudo not euro to Imagine, much B lets to behold, lliilu or n simulation of B them. Thu spectacle of it prlsouer M laitllug for hli life nud perchaucu that B of n wile uud child, ogalnul 11 hungry H Kiomtau lion, aud the gladiator t llh H no other meuue of olletuu or de.ense B than a small sword, lu order that hla fl Uhrlstlaulty might be txplatid an BflV i&flflm his pagan oaploraflud amusement at the same lime, we In lhl age nro will nigh unanimously 01 pose J to and will riot have. And yet what epoctacte thatnppealaunre strongly to cultivated cultivat-ed sympathy, that makti tho heart more healthfully uliate nd the soul to le more acutely tcllvo than that of n man lighting against hopeleei odds In defense of the loved onci first and himself next? We object loiuch representation Locauso of the sheer brutality which they place before our visual sense because we havoulabllsliodn limit beyond which wo do not caio to go. At between the gladiatorial strugglta cf ancient Home nud those of modern limes generally rilled prhc-llghtlng tbuulin great dial lo bo eald In favor of tho latter. One Is to nomoixiint, the other was lu all nrpects, brulnl, barbarous and lloody; onumcefiarlly Involved human life, Iho oilier only Incidentally Involves It; sometimes the former wai fir money, the latter alweja Is fir 11 the former was Willi the sword or cislup, Hie Inller with of Inle nioro or leu padded fists; the former nlnilt-ted nlnilt-ted of no modlcattou, only extinction or continuance, while thu Utter has bteti considerably toneJ down and some phases of II are compautlvily unoljccllonable'. There la nothing, however, In tho light of our 1 resent Christianity and advancement to be laid In favor of lighting for money; In IcoJ, It Is rarely that any reil ustlfleatlon inn be found for lighting at all, but no mailer us lo lust. Vet wo are In tllscllyjust now faoicd with a lay which la simply from Hut to list an atteuit to make nt 10 fighting heroic and rispeclalle. It endeavore to allow that a nation' honor may res', ui un the quality of Its bruisers and that It Is tho net ol n patriot lo pick up a ijuai-rel ijuai-rel with every elluslvo foreigner that tomea along. "If a man Is n gentle. man at heart ho will bo a gentleman at anything," cava the hero nmld loud upplauso from the upper Here. We bK tu differ; there nro scum excep Moor. A gentleman nt heart Is apt to slip from his moorings If ho permit! himself to Ira drawn Into lalseuoad, deception, vloiotii company, dettruc tlvobablta or I rite-ilguting, mid all the clevirmse of tho playwright ho evcrnlded by thu gallery gods, cannot inako 11 appear otherwise. |
