New-York daily tribune., 1858-10-05
THEATRICAL.
NIBLO'S GARDEN


Th., h0r.e was crowded las, night with a. a1iie-c,
most euhuss,,c n their msnif stations Of satisfaction
with the new drama Of Pauvpt,e" Th. plsv J.
aD adaptation from the French and has been tran.
lated remodeea. and put into presen, shspe by NJ.
Dion Bourc!csut ani was Las; evening scted for the
irst time in America. The play vsunteth ,.elf On
the score Of Literary merit, il pretcns;ons in tia;
! regard being Moderate to n degree. but a.
the author dill no, make a po.ot Of fine
writing. any shortccrninr. on tina; head can be
easily forgiven The turning point of the plot, the
changing in infancy of two children, Is ly no means
sirkingly Original, bat the complications arising
from tlat occurrence are 50 clevorly managed. and
The catastrophe so insenously worked ont, that bare
borrowed idea il 40 carefully lobei with exciting and
original incidents tina; il hsrily knows itself in is
new clothes. and is quite as fresh a. If had never
done sterling operstc aud dramatic service before.
The plot of " Pauvrette" runs something IKE this.
The story opens in Russia in 1872 the principe
actors in it being soldiers of the first Napoleon and
participatoys in the memorable retres, from Moscow
Michel and Bernard are the sole survivors Of the ,ttr
Imperial Chassenrs-hunger, cod. fatigue aud the
Cossack- haTng done such work on the fa,ed regi-
meDt that bur :wo survive. Bernard, and Marie his
wife, have in charge two chidren-Margle-it their
o~n, and Louise the daughter Of Col Lafere,
who has been killed. The Duchess de Ieauieu
had married this Colonel at the command of the
Emperor Napoleon, "a means of recovering her con
H. sted estates in France, had followed him ~ Mns
cow and there perceisng tina, the of Napoleon
was lost she had escaped To the protection of her
brother officer in the Russian service, leaving be-
hind her infant daughter. She suddenly confronis
Bernard and Marie and demand. her child. they refuse
TO tell her which Of the two j. hers and she takes the
wrong one while Michel escapes with the other, Marie
~ killed and Berr ard il taken prisoner.
On this exchange of children hangs the whole in-
terest Of the play. Michel, who does not know the
difference in the children bears he little Iouise 10
Bernands native village, st. Ddsr, on the Swiss
Alp and there leaves her in the charge oi the curate
She j. taken care of by ihe villagers, who, not know
ing her name call her " Pauyrctte, and, when she il
grown up they assign to her the task of keeping the
goats and sheep that get ost the mountains through
the Winter. They carry up to a large supply
of food for the animals and for PaEyrette and she
remains there alone for three months the Winters
snow covering the cave to great depth and render.
ing all access to her impossible till it mets away in
the Spring.
At the Opening of the second act, eighteen years
after the incidents of the first the Duchess lie Beauieu
arrives at tne village Of ~. Dider with Marguerite
whom she has educated as her own child. She has
eonpassed an engagement % marriage between her
supposed daughter and her nephew, the Count Maui
nee who really do not love eaJn other, although each
is led by the scheming mother to believe that the
other il intoxicated with love and earnestly desires
the wedding TO take place.
When al is ready for this ceremony Bernard arrives
in search of his wife and child he having been for
eighteen years in the mines OF SIBERIA ignorant Of
th,iS fate lie t that his we is dead, and hears
the story Pauvie,te md that she has that very day
been the village for her stock of inter PROV isons,
ana has returned 10 her care to spend In solitude the
long Is inter- months. lie resolves Mt one, to follow
her and sets ont with Count Maurice. who has taken
a whim TO ascend the uounialn TO see the sunrise -
the next day. In the of the journey Bernard
separated from the Count, who, alarmed at the com
ing storm takes refuge with Pauvrette the avalanche
descends and shuts them in aud Bernard returns dis
-oate to the village
The Count takes advantage of his three months se-
cluson sith Pauvrette 10 accomplish her RUN, and IN
the Spring he leaves her and returns 70 his aunt tho
Duchess. who again proceed, to force ON the marriage
with her supposed daughter. Ihe story now rhPuy
hastens {, a close PaUviete appears Bernard claims
her as IN, daughter and IL about to depart with her,
dsgraced she l.. when the mistake H. The identity
Of the two gs l. explained and Maurice, who has be-
fore that ayowed his determination To- marry fauN-
rette but Louise ana DIicneI mani I--:-9,
no longer louise but Marguerite and all are happy.
We have been particular to give this plot-firstly,
because il is interesting. and secondly, because it
isn't every day that have play with an avalanche
in it. Wild and improbable as the incidents may
seem. they are OF the romentcay thrilling sort, and
follow each other 10 such succession that there Is little
relaxation in the interest from first to last. The
descent .f the avalanche and startling effect.
and when the inevitable obstacles to the quick work
ing of new machinery overcome it viii be much
better ii sn on the first trial All the scenery IS good,
and the whole arrangement Of the tabeaux perfect.
The play j. well acted-Mr. Jordan appearing well
in the Count" Mr.. Davenport making hit in the
anon alou- character assigned to hia, and Mr. BOur.
cicault playing the Old soldier, with much effect
Mss Robertson has part differing essentially in style
from anything she has heretofore undertaken. and
which she plays charm..gly as 10 make people
wish there wa- more Of il.
MIR. Pope did tho best with an ungraciui PAT, ami
dd quite enough to shoS that she Is welcome acces-
sion to the company. Mss Ada Clifton. who has but
single scene wa. picturesquely dressed, and acted
her pant with much spirit
Tie public were pleased, AMI ',PsuyTette' will do,
but il sadly needs orowdng and compressing- lacks
oompactness the first three acts for Il IS five act
piece are -low and the long waits between the acts
are very depressing to the multitude. We suggest to
the machinsts steam, nOre steam; locomote iG.ter,
and hurry up things.