ACTRESS-EVANGELIST

Otago Witness, Issue 3034, 8 May 1912, Page 29

ACTRESS-EVANGELIST

RETURN TO THE STAGE. SYDNEY, May 5. Miss Ada Ward, who gave a theatrical performance in the Town Hall last night to a big house,- made a long speech, in which she declared that she was not a ba'tk-slider. She had never been nearer the Throne of God, and had merely broken the bonds which bound her to a meet unhappy life. Wages often insufficient for bare living, snubs and slights and unkindness appear, from the story told to a Sydney Sun reporter by Miss Ada Ward, to have been her lot during 10 vear3 as an evangelist. Miss Ward stated at the opening of the interview that since her announcement that she would return to the stage, 11 ministers of the Church of England "had called upon her to proffer help. " Mark you," added Miss Ward, " not one man from the Nonconformist bodies, for whom I have .done so much. I have a letter from a bishop offering to help rne. Canon Bellamy has offered to bring mo forward' as an Anglican evangelist, and other Anglican ministers have made similar offers, but it i 6 too late. 1 return to the stage. "When I commenoed evangelistio work with the Salvation Army," continued Miss Ward, "I worked for the first year absolutely for nothing, and I maintained myself by writing and other work. Then I needed practical help from the Army. They gave mo 10s 6d a meeting, and I was making hundreds of pounds for them. I could work for them no longer, and 1 came out as evangelist for myself, and then began the struggle. I„felt after a year or two that I could not fight my battles alone. I went to the headquarters of the Salvation Army, and they offered ine 30s a week. I struggled on again, but I became very weary of the wandering life, and I approached a big evangelistic organisation in England. The head of the society was too great to grant me an interview, and I saw the secretary. "Ho said, 'You know, Miss Ward, we have so many applications from evangelists, and we do not care about getting anyone prominent to tour, but we want Biblereaders, and we can give you a position as Bible-reader with the occasional use of your services as an evangelist.' . " ' Yes,' I said. ' and what would the salary be?' "He- said: 'Well, we have so many ladies who give their services for nothing; but we can give you a permanent position at 15s a week.' " That is the sort of thing, Miss Ward continued, " which you will meet continually- » ,1 r. 1 t_. '•Now take the case of the Salvation A:my. It is dwindling; there is not the slightest doubt about it." ••Why?" . , "Because it is just a great commercial business, and God has deserted it. The best of its officers are leaving by dozens, and there is difficulty everywhere to fill the gaps. I believe that when the poor old General passes away they will leave by thousands. ' I cannot shut my eyes to the fact that neaily the whole of the religious profession to-day is a commercial affair. There are exceptions—l have met good Godly mien and women,—but the prevailing passion today is money, money, money! " When I was converted I thought that everyone connected with the religious organisations was better than I, an actress, but I soon found out- They did such things, and treated me with such unkindness. worse than the world had ever treated the actress. I was very soon undeceived as to their worth. " My experience in my own missions? I will give you one incident. I visited an English seaside town to give a four days' mission for the benefit of a Railway Men's Convalescent Home. I suppose that the meetings would bring in £l5O or £l6O. They asked me my terms, and I said that, as it was for the poor railway men, I would ask for nothing but a home and my return fare. After the meetings there was a garden party, and I naturally thought I would be invited. Woman-like, I took a pretty blouse with me. One of the ladies of the committee came to me after the meetings were over, and they wanted mo no more. "'There is your fare, Miss Ward," she said, handing me a third-class ticket for Tendon. 'You will pardon me, I know; but I cannot ask you to stay. Wo are giving a big garden party, and there are so many of our people who are prejudiced against actresses.' " I took the fare and went back to London, feeling broken-hearted. " In Australia, during my missions for tho Methodists four years ago, I had some extremely good homes with some of the wealthier people. The Rev. S J. Hoban -as a good friend to me, and made all mv

ai-rangementa as to terms. I had a very happy time. The last time I came out here, two years ago, I was under engagement to the Salvation Army. T paid my own fare from England, and they guaranteed me a. small salary. I began in Mfolbourn© with big mass meetings. There they sent me to Tasmania and New Zealand, and everywhere I had packed halls until I reached Auckland, where my health broke down. They had worked me solely on my lectures, charging Is, 2s, and 3s admission, and in. many places there were audiences of 2000 or 3000. At one place they even charged 6d and Is admission to my Gospel addresses. " I had 56 meetings in two months, and when my health broke down they said that the engagement had better be terminated. I accepted that notice, and I went to headquarters arid asked them if they would help me with my fare back to London. They refused. They gave me an order to tht agents as an evangelist, of the Salvatior Army and I got a concession on the fare, but I had to pay my own passage." Miss Ward was asked whether she wished to reply to Dr Diil-Macky, who had said that he was surprised a.nd shocked at her announcement, and that she was plaoing herself in a perilous position in whioh eho might cast a slur not only on her own name and reputation, but on the cause of God Whom she professed to acknowledge as her Saviour.' " My answer," said Miss Ward, " is contained in a letter which I received this morning from a leading clergyman of the Church of England, who is known and respected everywhere. This is what he has written to me: —'Some good folk look down with horror at your return to the stage. Let me express my delight in knowing that your God-given gifts, for they are of no ordinary order, will still bo used for the education and betterment of your fellows. I thank God for the tremendous chango for good that is going on in your profession. Your high Christian standard of right, your energy, your powerful mind, will, I feel sure, very much aid the dear fellow-creatures in the profession. If you play in Sydney I and my friends will certainly come to hear you. Keep strong, and be self-reliant, and with God's blessing all will be Veil with you No right-minded person will evor say an unkind word about you. I believe that your work right on from now to the very end will be blessed.of God.' " The Anglican ministers," added Miss Ward, "have not only offered me permanent work, but offered me practical help, which I have never had from other denominations I am not alienating myself from the church. Its right-minded men will Mill be my friends, and wherever I act I will find the friend ship of sensible Christians. " I feel a sense of freedom," said Miss Ward, in conclusion. " You cannot think how these people have crushed me. But I shall still help the churches with work and with money. Even if it is only to give something to aid the poor, halfstarved ministers whom I have met."