The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-04-20
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA

the benefit of Miss Avonia Jones on Friday night,
and afterwards repeated with the same caste on Sat
urday night, was the "Bride of Lammermoor.
Few novels equal in tragic interest that from which
this play bOrrows its incidents and its name 1t be-
gins with funeral and ends wi h death. In the
first chapter the black pumes nod over the bier of
Lord RavenswOod, and in the last black feather
which the ripping tides watt to the feet of his faith
full adherent alone marks the spot where the Master
of Ravenswood sinks engulphed in the treacherous
quicksands But the mournful interest which at
taches to the novel of Sir Walter, arises not only
from the character of its events but from the whole
spirit OF the story 1t the spirit of the old Greek
tragedy. The same idea of an memorable, impend-
ing Fate which is always present on the stage of
Eschylus and Sophoces, pervades the modern nov
ell, and imparts terrible interest to the starred
love of Lucy Ashton and the Master of Rayepswood.
In the treatment of the story too Scott is highly
dramatic. To the simplicity and continuity of its
tragic plot, in which the unities of time place and
action are quite sufficiently preserved to make it
easy of adaptation to stage purposes he superadds
that variety of incident and character which is re-
qured to impart to it the essential element of dram
attic action. Besides the principal personages in the
story-the gentle Lucy and her imperious mother
the astute lawyer and politician, Sir William Ashton,
"'" WV A'PoisiFe haNenSWOOQ-tnere Is HAYS
ton OF Bucklaw, Captain Craigengelt, Colonel
Ashton ana the Presbyterian chaplain-all charac-
tiers drawn to the life; while the humors of Caleb
Balderstone- honest Caleb the TYNE and n.ttern Of
faithful servitor-suppy the comic liobts which
are wanted to give effect to the tragic shadows and
gives breadth and variety of colorino ~ Tho ,;o,,
Altogether,t the novel is every way suited 70 Tho
purposes of the dramatist, and might easily be mod
in form, what it is in effect-a powerful traoedv
We cannot say that this result has been accomni;h
ed by Mr.. "John William Cacraft," by whom ..tbe
drama in five acts" presented on Friday night was
made up out of the materials thus provided to his
hand. He has done nothing more than string TO-
gether a few detached scenes of the novel, and his
literary joiner's work is of the very clumsest de-
scrlption, and with this criticism pass from his
performances to that of Miss Avonia JONES' In the
part OF Lucy Ashton, this young lady exhibited the
same commendable desire to please, and the same
capaptles oil becoming in time with care and study
very clever actress. In the play as in the novel,
the interest OF the plot eliminates in the scene
where Hdoens'oood enters the room in Ravens
wood Castle, in which the family are assembled ;,s,
after Lucy has signed the marriage contract with
Bucklap. The usual dramatic license h.. -
taken with the plot, and accordingly. in tho rlav
this is the last. Lacy Ashton does mot n,
Backlao, but swoons away and dies in the arms Of
Rdrenswood, and the latter in turn is not drowned
in the Kelpie's Flow, but is conveniently dispatched
with small sword. In this scene Miss Jones gave
evidence of considerable tragic power. The mute
agony expressed in the appealing look and out
stretched arm with which she turns to her mother
before signing the marriage contract, was happily
conceived and well executed. Miss Jones has an
other merit that of dying well, which few actors or
actresses possess. The faults which were most ap-