BACK TO THE STAGE

Southland Times, Issue 17025, 25 April 1912, Page 6

BACK TO THE STAGE

MISS ADA WARD’S DETERMINATION. TIRED, PENNILESS, AND LONELY". NEAV EVANGEL BEHIND THE FOOTLIGHTS. Tlie termination of Aliss Ada AA’ard’s evangelical mission in Scots Church at Sydney had something of the character of mild sensation. People whose memories tvill go back a few years will recall the world-wide interest created by the announcement that Aliss Ada AA’ard, then in the height of a lucrative theatrical career, had suddenly determined to renounce the stage and all its pomps and vanities for the life of an evangelist. Aliss AA"ard last night again related tho story of her life. Many previous lectures have made its details familiar, and Miss Ward, as usual, described with considerable power tho extraordinary allurements of a popular actress's life, and ingenuously described the attacks that were made upon her heart and hand. Her wedding finally with a painter and amateur actor, who followed her from Australia and played male leads with Iter in drama in those States, was referred to, and tlie ox-actress went on to relate the story of her husband's sudden death in Africa from fever, and her subsequent distress. The manner of Miss AVacd's conversion to active Christianity by the Salvation. Army at Portsmouth is also probably familiar, and many, no doubt, have heard from her own lips how it was that to fill an immediate engagement she was constrained to appear for her last twelve nights on the stage in what she describes as an exclusive, beautiful, and powerful drama, “Tlie Forger's AVifc.”

"After the engagement was over," Miss Ward continued, "I called the actresses together, and distributed amongst them my beautiful robes and dresses, and everything I had. I gave up my beautiful house in London, and dismissed my servants. I could no longer hold my position. I soon became short of money, and went into a country cottage, because I wanted to learn the Bible—wanted to learn something about the Scriptures and the new life I hart been born into. I was absolutely deserted by everyone I had * known. My friends wrote and told me 1 was mad. 1 was alone, quite alone. I occasionally began to got a little encouragement in the way of small fees as an evangelist, going to different places,” Having explained that her present visit to Australia was primarily made for health reasons, Miss Ward plainly surprised her audience by the announce, ment which she then made. “Now, I come," she continued, "to, perhaps, the most serious part of what I have to tell you to-night, and I believe I have had the greatest call that any man or woman has had in the world from God. And that is, to return to the profession again. I have given my heart’s blood for ten years on evangelist work, and believe me, dear men and women, I can stand the struggle no longer. I have helped everyone, 1 have worked for everyone, I have always been ready to do God’s work, and I can honestly and earnestly say that up to this very moment 1 have never made one penny for myself. 1 have led a lonely life, but I have not complained. But I can bear it no longer. I have been asked by someone rather sarcastically if I intend to preach to the profession. Well, (hey are here to-night, and 1 will answer them now. J am not going to preach to the profession as you mean it. But tills is what I am going to do, and with God’s help I will do it. I am goin;« to show the profession by my example, and the life 1 am going to live, that it is possible for an actress to be in the profession to do God's work, and to ho ! a true child of God at the same time. ! Another tiling—l am going to take up the work I love, the work of doing good. With funds at my command, I can help the helpless, those loss fortunate than myself, and with my professional training as a nurse can nurse their sick, and if necessary go to (lie bedsides of their dying dear ones, and help them to lind salvation. It was stated two years ago that 1 was returning to the stage again. ; When I arrived in London, managers came to me, and asked if it was true, 1 because they wanted me to first appear in London. 1 said then that I didn’t ; know —I hadn’t made up my mind, i Only after much prayer and struggling ! have I been able to live in the way 1 ! have been, but if 1 live to be one hun- ! drod years I shall never he able to i erase from my heart the unkind way in which 1 have been treated by Christian people. I have had to heg for my bread. I have had to beg them to give mo work, and wherever I have gone the first question that has been put to mo is, “How much is going to he made for the Church.” As I have told you. I have made absolutely nothing during a whole ton years of my life hut my hare existence. I hope in my future life I will never be ashamed to look one of you dear people in the face, for I mean to show that it is possible to live a pious, simple, peaceful life on the stage. With my indomitable will and undaunted courage, I will win rny way hack again, and take up the old position I left years ago." Miss Ward went on to say that before she lift London she had been offered a vaudeville engagement at which she was a little shocked. It was pointed out to her, however, that such great geniuses at Bernhardt and others were now accepting vaudeville contracts, and a big effort was being made to secure her services for the London halls. That she supposed she would accept, "unless I have such a position offered to. me as will induce mo to remain in Australia. It lias been hinted to me,” she added, "that a very big public appearance is to lie given me before I leave. If it is so it will probably he in one of my greatest characters. I can tell you no more than that now, but in a few days' time you will find, perhaps, in one of the daily papers a few fuller details.” Miss Ward, in conclusion, gave fervent to Dr Dill Macky, who, she

said, was the onH’ minister in Australia who had held out a helping hand to her, and to the press. DS Dllili MAC STY “SURPRISED AND SHOCKED. The intention of Miss Ada A'vard to return to the stage does not meet with the approval of Dr Dill Macky. "After Aliss AA’ard had made her declaration,’’ lie said, "I took tlie opportunity of stating to the meeting in her presence that I was surprised and shocked at tho announcement she had made. She had not taken me into her confidence in the matter, and 1 was utterly ignorant that sucli a declaration was about to be made by her. In private interviews with her, and from her public utterances on tho same platform during the last days of the mission, she lead me to believe that although her future was uncertain as to her movements, her work, whatever her future was to be, would be dedicated to the work of God, '.Of course, I cannot stand and oppose Miss Ward in her 'determination. Tlie matter must remain one which she must setfle between her conscience and her God. I do not say that any man or woman cannot be a Christian and be upon the stage, but I do say that in my opinion Miss AVard is taking a tremendous risk, and is putting herself in a perilous position, in which she may cast a slur not only on her own name and reputation, but on the cause of God, whom she professes to acknowledge as her Saviour. ”1 think it is right that this statement should be read by the public, in view of the account of the meeting published, where it would seem as if no protest of any kind had been offered to Aliss Ward’s statement.”