The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-14

artistic excellence. Mr.. Falconer has written some
very fair pieces, but OF late he has turned out l"
tnat is OF value, and the works written by hi fol
Mrs Bowers-we are sorry for the sake of that Iady
to say-are about his worst Snare, Il not the W rst
With plot that ought to have some dramatic in-
terest II properly elabo ated, the play is so ca e
lesslY written, and the dialogue so thin and p0Oi,
that in spite Of the very credtable EFFORTS made b.
the actors, many OF the scenes that ought to have
been most thrilling excited more laughter than
The plot shows us how "Helen Thornley," a rich
widow, ont Of her overpowering affection for "Henry
Melville" former lover, now happily married to
another, determines to possess him at all hazards.
She therefore, with the aid OF rascauy brother,
whose pecuniary difficulties make him reckless OF
the means by which he obtains money, procures
"Meville's" arrest for debt, and has his wife and
child thrust out into the street. "Mrs. Melville
overcome by cold, hunger and distress is picked np
for dead and is carried to the MOrgue. by very
placed exactly resembles her, and when she reviyes
"Henry Vaughan" the brother of the widow pro-
cures her incarceration in mad house and has the
name. "Henry Melville is induced without much
difficulty, to marry the widow out OF gratitude for
but he still retains a firm affection for
the memery OF his first wife, which
yenges herself by iil.treating his little girl In due
time, however the first wife escapes from the asy-
lum, and to the utter discontinue OF her successor
and vaughan" she makes her appearance and
claims her husband and child. "Melvile" expresses
a preference for wife number one, and to complete
the difficulty Of wife number two she receives the
intelligence that her first husband is not dead after
all, and that he entertains strong suspicion that
she had endeavOred to put him out Of the way all OF
which is very satisfactory to "Melvile' and the
original 'Mrs. NJ" who clasp their child to their
hearts, and the curtain descends upon scene OF
domestic bliss that proves the truth of the adage
that "virtue is its own reward"
Mrs. Bowers played the part of "Clara Melville
the heroine, with dignity aud expression, but her
powers were cramped by the plattudes of the piece,
and she appeared unable to put forth her whole
strength. Miss Annie Graham, who appeared for
the first time this season, received cordial welcome
from the audience. The part she had was an ungra
ciOus one, for "Hecn Thornley," and her brother,
"Henry Vaughan" played by Mr.. WalcOt, are two
utterly uninteresting villains that evec
remember to have seen on the stage. Miss Graham
was more natural and expressive as the cruel STEP
mother than as the plotting widow and usurping
wife, and there was touch of genuine nature in
the spiteful tone with which she ordered her little
stepdaughter into corner that was quite refreshing
amid such dreary waste of insipidity Mr. Walcot
acted the part of "Henry Vaughan i'll an easy and
n0nChalant manner, and he probably made ont OF it
all that could be made. Mr.. McCollom was also a
fair representative OF "Henry Melville" and Mrs.
WacOt and Mr. Fawcett acted credtably the small
parts of "Mary Carey" ana "Bob Brettle."
Mr.. Faconer appears to have been troubled to
find new sensation when he cOncocted this piece,
and the introduction of the Morgue scene would nd-
cate that the field of sensationalism is beginning to
be tOlerably well exhausted. Such scene it is easy
to imagine, might he made disgustngly effective,
but the author appears to have cOntented himself
with suggesting the horrible situation, and the scene
If not the weakest in the play, is certainly not the
strongest The piece contains q fair proportion OF
high moral sentiments OF q Kind that an average
audience is tolerably sure to greet with applause,
but taking ii for what it is worth dramatic per-
formance, cannot refrain from saying that 1t is
very sorry stuh utterly unworthy of the abilities Of
so good an actress as Mrs. Bowers.