The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-02


with the legitimate comic operas. One Of the
airs, 80 know he loves me sincerely" has beeA
sung by Miss Gaton before in the operotta OF
&c." Which ofthe two pieces 1t really belongs
to we are unable TO state.
In this instance, as 10 that of La Sonnam5uld
Miss Galtou has been obliged to bsar the weight
of the good or evil fortunes of the piece on her
own shoulders, as her compaay Is not stropg
enough to give her any material assistance. As
"Edvdge" she sang and acted with much grace
and feeling, and it is a matter for sincere regret
that che Is not able to appear before the public
under more favorable circumstances. Mr..
Whiffn, who IS really an excellent comedian,
was not fitted with part we'll suited 10 him in
Robinson Cr1soe," and bis performance, there
fore, was not as pleasing as usual. There we're
some dlsagreements between the orchestra and
the singers last evening and the necessity for
more careful rehearssls was apparent. Miss
Galton and her troupe appear to much more
advantage in the light comedettas which first
secured the favor of the public, and she Is not
likely to achieve any great success in more
elaborate pieces, unless she can secure com.
petent supporting force.
"The Emerald Ring" at the waInut.
Last evening John Broughams Irish drama of
me Enterdd R,ng was produced at the Walnut
There are few better play.wriers living than
John Brougham, although lie does not al ways
write good plays, but even about his worst
efforts there IS heartiness, fine humorous
ieeliug, aud an air of romance that make the Al
attractive in spite of their deficiencies. Even in
bis titles Mr.. Brougham has an eye for effect,
and The Emerald Ring, being an Irish drama,
of course suggests the Emerald Isle and intro
duces US to the subjectmatter at once. This
play, although not the best that Mr.. Brougham
has written, and indicating very clearly that the
main ideas OF the author were to fit Mr.. and Mrs.
Williams with characters suited to them aud to
interest the audience by highly spiced story
and startling incidents, is by no means the worst
OF It's class. The story is romantic, although
rather antiquated but on the whole it is well
told, and has enough fun in it to make the
audience laugh, and enough black and despe.
rate villalny to make them feel particularly
virtuous in comparison with the scouudrels
who come to grief, of course, before the fall of
the curtain. The plot of The Emerald Ring
may be stated as follows:-
shpwreck, caused by false lights upon the
headlands introduces us to some of the princi.
pal characters of the piece. All on board
perish except mother and herinfant daughter
who are rescued by mike Macarty," the son OF
the light house keeper. The mother dies
without revealing her name, and an emerald
ring is the only clue to the identity of the
daughter, who is adopted by tie light house
keeper, and grows up in his family, When about
nineteen years old, one of the wreckers who
had been instrumental in causing the ship.
wreck wishes to marry her, but being repulsed
he determines upon revenge, more especially as
he perceives that her affections are bestowed
hfa
coast guard. An advertisement Offering a
reward of f500 for information regarding the
fate of the missing maid attracts his attention,
and on making a visit of inquiry to the mansion
of 'Sir Oscar Neill, he sees the portrait of the
deceased lady, with an emerald ring on her
finger, which convlnces HIM that "Geraldine,"
the castaway girl, is the daughter OF "Sir
Oscar" He also becomes acquainted with
"sydney LOTUS" the nephew of the baronet, a
dissolute young man, who will inherit the
estate in the absence of any nearer heir.
Lotus" hears his story, and promises to pay
him one thousand pounds to secure the emerald
ring and destroy the girl. While this
plot is being carried on, however,
''Sr Oscar" becomes informed Of the fate of
his wife and daughter through "Mlke" and
maggie Macarty," and he Immediately sets
out for the scene of the shipwreck to claim his
child. The wrecker, meanwhile, actuated by
revenge and love of gam, prepares to entrap
sc eraldine," and succeeds in getting her and
her lover, the captain OF the coast guard, In
position where no succor can reach them, and
makes them captive. The emerald ring is
forced from Geraldine and she is then
tied to rock, and left there,
to be submerged by the rising
tide. Just as the girls situation is becoming
desperate, Maggie" Puts off in boat and
rescues her, and the lover. too, succeeds in
making his escape. The father and daughter
are reunited, aud her hand is bestowed upon
the handsome young coast guardsman. The
whole party then set Off for Dublin, and the
would-be murderers are confronted with their
victims alive and well. The Villains of course
| receive the Just punishment for their misdeeds,
| and the lovers live in felicity "until," as the
| tales of SheheraZade always conclude, "they
| were visited by the terminator Of delights and
| the separator of companions"
| "Mike" and "Maggie Macasty" are, of course
the most prominent figures in the piece, the
story and the other characters being merely to
set them Oft TO advantage. The Irlshmen of
Mr.. Williams are all alike, and totally unlike
| anything else under the sun, and mike
/ MacaIty" does not differ in any essential par
| ticHlar from the "Pats," "Barneys," "Ter-
rences," and "Larrys" that form the glorious
roll Of his predecessors He swings shillelah
dances jig, and goes through with all the
| motions and grimaces which constitute the stock
| in trade OF the genuine stage Hiberniau, but
/ which would cprtainlv cOnsiun N lunafio