The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-28 00:00:00

ADELPHL

The taste for pantomime, though strong in its perio-
dical recurrence, and catered for with wonderful in
genuity, seldom lasts more than a few weeks ; and
the managers of theatres, therefore, are generally ex-
pected to provide, at the expiration of that period, new
entertainments to succeed the frolics peculiar to the
season of Christmas. Accordingly, the lessee of
the Adelphi Theatre presented last evening to
the judgment, and, as it proved in the result, to the
approbation, of a crowded audience, an entirely new
piece, the success of which was as complete as could
be desired either by author or manager. It is entitled
The Green Bushes ; or, a Hundred Years Ago,
and is the production of the well-known author—
for such he is at least by his works—of the Wreck
Ashore, Trictorine, The Dream at Sea, &c. The
plot is deeply, almost painfully, interesting, and we
shall proceed to give a brief outline of its prin-
cipal features. The rising of the curtain
introduces us to a scene in Ireland, on the
Galway coast, where the peasantry of the
district, consisting of both sexes, are assembled in
Irish garb and fashion, close to a primitive-looking
whisky tent kept by Paddy Kelly. The chief parties
in the group are Nelly O'Neil (Mrs. Fitzwilliam),
and Wild Murtogh, horse-jobber, piper, and general
dealer (Mr. 0. Smith), all the rest being only appen-
dages, which, like the shillelaghs of the males, have
little to do with the plot, however important in the
visible representation of the whole piece. To avoid
prolixity we shall state the plot itself, as gradually
developed. It appears that Connor O'Kennedy (Mr.
Selby), a landed proprietor in the neighbourhood, has
fallen under the displeasure of the Irish Government,
and orders have been issued for his arrest. He has
a younger brother named George (Mr. Hudson),
who covets his brother's possessions, and, in order
to prepare for the execution of his plans, he
enters into a league with Wild Murtogh to bring
about his speedy departure—a step which he promotes
with great earnestness, both with Geraldine, his bro-
ther's wife (Mrs. Yates), and the brother himself,
under pretence of being solely anxious that he may
escape the impending arrest. Everything is arranged
for the departure—the ship ready to sail—and Connor
O'Kennedy in the act of taking leave of the
people of the neighbourhood, when, through the
treachery of Murtogh, in order to obtain the reward
of one thousand guineas offered for the discovery of
his brother, a party of soldiers, placed in ambush,
nearly succeed in effecting the capture of the fugi-
tive, who, however, escapes on board ship amid
the hubbub thus occasioned. The next act
transports us into an entirely new region. The
scene is now in America, or, to speak more
precisely, in the valley of the Mississippi. A
hut is the first object presented, and the explosion
of a gun is a prelude to the entrance of the heroine of
the play, Miami, the Huntress of the Mississippi
(Madame Celeste), whom we discover to be the
daughter of a Monsieur Aubert, a Frenchman of emi-
nent station, and his Indian wife : both have been
buried near the banks of the river. This daughter,
however, is not entirely solitary : from her soliloquy
we find that she is married, and in a short time we
see Connor O'Kennedy enter the hut in the garb of a
hunter, and are somewhat astonished to find that he
has become the husband of the beautiful huntress.
The match, as the cognoscenti in such matters would
naturally anticipate, is nut entirely a fortunate one.
The bigamist has troubled thoughts of Geraldine
and his child, which all the devotion of Miami
cannot entirely disperse. At one time he is seen
by the au'lience in the act of reading a letter,
in which Geraldine, amongst other things, tells
him that George has possessed himself of the
greater part of the property, and that if she do
not receive news of him soon, she shall come out in
quest of him. An affecting conversation takes
place between himself and Miami in reference
to his fits of sadness; but she now appears to suspect
the real cause. The plot, however, quickly begins to
develop itself, when Geraldine appears, tracking her
way to the hut, which she reaches, faint and exhausted,
at a moment when O'Kennedy is alone. Whilst the
latter is in the act of supporting and soothing Geral-
dine, the Huntress suddenly makes her appearance,
and observes them from a wooden bridge ; and inde-
scribably exciting is the scene which follows. She
raises her gun several times for the purpose of firing,
but at length lowers it and retires, apparently with
the intention of seeking a new home. It should be
mentioned, in passing, that she had overheard a con-
versation which disclosed the real position of the par-
ties. O'Kennedy conducts his wife to a forest in the
neighbourhood, and here he is destined to pay the
penalty of his offence in uniting himself to Miami.
Whilst he and his wife are seated on the ground,
Miami wanders through the forest, and, on observ-
ing the pair at a distance, is seized with a desire of