The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-03-29
ADJUSTMENTS.
Academy ofMusic.

| At the Academy OIL MUSIC, by MISS LAURA heens
and her company. The plot is sensational bu
by NO means infected with Boucicaultan ex
travagance. Its incidents, though OF course ex
ceptional, are within the bounds Of reasonable
probability and do not task faith to the sacrifice
of judgment
John Leigh. an artist, has a charming wife
They live as happily as love and truth would make
US all live. Unhappily, Mary, the wife, was once
the married victim OF wretched debauchee and
gamester, whe had married her for her small for
tune and instantly deserted her. He had been
arrested for forgery, had escaped from the police,
and been drowned leapng from boat. Mary had,
to avoid the disgrace OF so infamous connection,
resumed her maiden name; in that maiden name
she had been married to John Leigh.
Ten years afterward, this wretch, who had not
been drowned, but had been saved by accom-
plices, and had subsequently been convict and
0alerien in the French ea0nes at Toulon, turns
up BY the agency OF busybody old aunt, half
Paul Pry, half Mrs. Candor, and the remainder
female absurdity, poor Mary's painful secret has
been brought home to her. She has never told
her husband, because he has expressly refused to
hear any painful histories Of the past, and has
kissed away all sorrow, and put up the tears OF
| memory in the great reservoir Of his love. But
| murder will out. The miserable reprobate tracks
| her, and finally hunts her down, and demands
money from her as the price Of his silence and or
| his permission to her to remain In the comfort
OF her children's love. The honor Of her position
| and the silent deception she is thus compelled to
practice on her generous husbands trust and
faith, so prey on her fine organism that she falls
into brain fever, from which she RECEIVERS but
slowly. and is unable to meet John without in
tense mental excitement, which he innocently at
tributes to her debilitated condition ana morbid
sensibillty. The old aunt, however, with the
keenness Of q detective and the pertinacity
Of q feret, will not let the secret rest.
certain Clara has been a model for John
Leigh in his artistic pursuits. This Clara
turns out to be the mistress Of the
resuscitated gambler. That estimable individual
having despised his poor wife at the outset as raw
girl, had fallen In love with the woman, mature
In matronly beauty, and perfected in the genial
atmosphere Of domestic happiness and serene af-
lection. he despises the money, but Graves after
the woman, and perse ecutes her with letters to
which she eventually is compelled to make one
reply, which bears somewhat ambiguous con-
structlon, intimating her intention to leave her
home and abandon all, rather than submit to his
base annoyance. This letter falls into the hands
OF Clara, and the meddlesome aunt coming In at
the moment, an exposure is inevitable, and the
gambler having gone down to see Mary, the other
two women start In pursuit CT him and to de.
nounce her iaiqulty. They take With them the
particular letter, and packet OF old letters from
Mary, which they had found In his desk. Armed
with these impregnable proofs they confront the
husband, but he will listen to no allegations
Faith and love are superior to all outer evidence
He, however, consents to speak to his wife, in or
der not to convince himself OF that which Is his
very life, but to shield her and end suspicion. He
talks to her, puts the case alphabetically, makes
1t his own, reversing their position, and her
declaration Of mighty and boundless trust
in him, his love and his honor, are 30
responsive to his own sentiments that he dis
cards t!r monstroas proposition engendered BY
envy OF maevolence. She, however, wills not
that it should be SO. Having poured out her soul
before him, she Is on the point OF telling her
secret when her eye falls on the figure OF her first
husband in the garden, and in an instant she
swoons away Ia John Leigh's arms. John runs
for doctor, the gambler rustes In, throws hIm-
self at her feet protests his love and Is caught on
his knees by the Mrs. Marplot, who taunts Mary
with her inlquity and drives her into o determi-.
nation to abandon the scene OF her married felicl
ty forever.
She writes q letter, encloses her wedding ring,
bids adieu to her children, and Is in the act OF
quitting the premises. when the gambler appears
and declares she leaves only to become his wife,
for that he loves her. Hsrrlhed at this new ac-
cess Of misery, she shreks for aid to John Leigh,
who rushes In and protects her, and 1t app,a
at last that Clara had been all the time the gam
ber's lawful wife, aad that the second mar
riage MAS, therefore, Illegal and peace is restor
ed to the troubled home.
The acting throughout is perfect. Miss Laura
Keene expresses every phase Of emotion, of deep
feeling, high toned honor, maternal affection,
and wifely love and devotion, with refinement,
delicacy and simplicity that absolutely preclude
ordinary commentator. Praise simply cannot
do the performance Justice. 1t is SO eXqusitelJ
simple-so exactly natural-that 1t is nature we
see, not art. Her bursts Of indignant feeling are
electric, and carry the house by storm. But the
judicious observer is won by the careful and
minute attention to human feeling and human ex-
preston within the limits Of modern reserve and
self.oontrol. Her fainting fits and slow recovery
are among the very finest pantomlmic bits we
have ever witnessed.
Mr.. Mordaunt was scarcely less admirable than
Miss keene, in his easy self-possession, in his per-
feet simplicity, never rising beyond the ordinary
speech and gesticulatien Of an English gentle.
man. The immense weight OF his confidence in
his wife is only shown by deeper, more COM
pressed depth Of tone, and in his wrath he Is as
one who'will dare all things, but says little.
We would fain, in the interest OF good acting,
have analysed the performance in ertenso, but are
reluctantly obliged to condense our remarks.
"Tne American Cousin" one Of Miss Keene's
famous pieces comes on tonight, and after that
she will play Naomi Tghe, in School, which we
are not little curious to see, as 1t is difficult to
realize how the mature woman, mistress Of pa
thos and deep-seated sentiment, will adapt her.
self to the joyous, buoyant exuberant schoolgirl.
The rest Of the company must excuse our brief
encomium. We can only say that the setting Is
worthy Of the gems.
Opera-The Caroline Rfchings Troupe.
1t is Of the essence Of human happiness not to
be content with the present We must ever reach
out after the future. Now that we are In fall en-
joyment OF the dramatic banquet spread before
us by Laura Keene one OF the most finished ar
of tba