The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-07-22
The Very Age,

A COMEDY IN FIVE AcTs-By EDWARD s. GOULD
New York-D. Appleton & Co., 200 Broadway
This is keen and cutting satire upon an o~trS
and much laughed at class of persons in our city.
which, for want of better designation, has been
sometimes called the Goldfish aristocracy.
The plot is not that upon which the author seems
to rely, it is inartifcal and, in fact rather de-
void of interest Mrs. Rodney is a wealthy and
fashionable lady, who gives large parties, and
forms one ofthe exclusive and fashionable class Of
the New York city hauf tom. She, with her son
Charles, has been living in this style for year.
having come originally from England. To give
greater ecLat to her circle she has passed off her
son as Bavarian count, conceang their relation
ship, and he has forged letters TO prove hrs being
real count. In the first scene of the first act she
relates her past history and present plans, to her
son Charles. Her history is soon told. In early
youth she resided at Kingston, jamaica and was
there seduced by Mr.. Erskine, by whom she had
a son, who is Charles the now pretended Bav Arian
count. She afterwards went 10 England, m irried
well, and having become wealthy widow, settles
in New York, and becomes the leader of the ten.
Meantime, Mr.. Erskine, having left Kingston, has
been for many years one of the wealthiest mer-
chants Of New York, and has been left widower,
duce Mr.. Erslsine TO marry her. She bluntly pro-
poses il TO him, and he as bluntly refuses Her
next plan then, Is to Crafty her revenge, and this
she proposes TO accomplish by marrying her son
Ut,
has led Charles to suppose that he was the son Of
her late husband The marrisge takes place, but
before its censummation, Charles by some means
unaccouned for, suspects that his wife is his sister,
and absents himself from his bride, passing the
night on the sofa in her fathers house. Thus the
iniernsl plan Of revenge is defeated, and the scene
ends by MIR. Erskine ordering the lady back 10
England, on pain OF exposure and disgrace. The
various characters who are introduced as episode
TO the story Of the love affair and marriage Of
Charles, the false count, and Clara Erskine, arc
representatives, Of the folly, pretension, and ab-
suTdity of that class SO much satirzed Of late.
called the mushroom afistocfacy. DIR. Subbs one
OF the visters, and hanger on of fashionable
parties, gives the following Of the class
"Doct S.-Mrs. Sprlggins, you as,onish me
None of the mushroom gentry Pray, what have
we but mushroom gentry, in our so-call,d high So
cieiy y Are not the very proudest and most as
suning people in New York the children Of ms
chsplcs wasn't old PoPhns a tailor1 and wasn't
old Cnckson a cooperi and old Bang up pedlar1
and old Rumple, the Lord knows WHAT Lady,
the mushroom gentry are the gentry; and what
they lack in brains and breeding, they make up
with gold aud exc out with brass.
"MIs. S.-But, doctor, you must except the
Smiths and the Browns.
"Docr. S-And the present company. True,
you may except them; YOU may except half a-oozen
families who can trace their pedigree back for fifty
years, without stumbling over cabbage, hoop poles,
and wooden nutmegs But these exceptions indi.
cate Just the people who don't assume offensive
and ridiculous airs. The man who has risen from
honest poverty to honest afIlucnce deserves high
prsise-proyided he is BOT ashamed OF his origin;
but those who are mean enough TO deny what they
came from, who, in the day Of prosperity, turn
their backs on their former associates, and treat
with die dnin The equally worthy but less Fortunate
members Of the class whence they themselves have
recently spruDg-these are but beYgirs on horse
back, for all their up town paaces"
This ~ well written, and, we believe u IL true.
One would almost be inclined To accuse DR.. Stubbs
Of having studied profoundly the columns Of the
Neto Yak Herald, and having borrowed bis ideas
from that source. Lively sairical sketches Of
similar character are given repeatedly by the va
rious speakers, and the play ends by the exposure
of Mrs. Rodney, and good laugh at VI the
char icters who is shorn IN bis sleep Of huge pair
Of pnoustaches, and wakes up a reformed dandy.
No doubt, this piece Of fun would tell well on the
boards.