, 1873-09-05
pronouncoa l,or words in singing rs is common"
-Dr. " v 1oun,ans, tn Popular Science
Monthly for September.



-
uoo1xY's THEATRE.
:. =. ,.ao - a~a ~. .,'a.,a, . osn.,.
..t ~ a. uos aons nso .nas, 'ntousa n'o.a1s
."fo!cai piece, tnouaand8 OF Pefsohs meio h'"uo
tho autor ":e Of n' ns a. gs01 Ths pran but
shallow production has boon lauebea over
IN r,,,nra s.a 49, ,.oon, ,.,aen =. H.
- snArso, sa,, n.,u sno auo'Au pooo ~ .us
sasao eoS"on-" ulafnoaas '--"aa eagerly lookca
drama, wrltton expressly for noolcy'a Thontre,
entitled "I,tliap,s Last Love" by tho same au-
t1,or wa x,ro,,',ool ~ .o ~. ,;,n ~ IL ~.
.,r,t.a1 ~ - ~ s.ss...a'1e ..nss1. s.'
isias'ea 70 % ha superior 70 "safatoRa aa saEa-
vo1y fale audience, whose 10 's appreciation probation raa
warmly expressod. Tho plot, 90 far o. tho moro
ont1,no - .,,a u,..,s T. aa..s.w.a !. -a..
s,na..,a ~, y. w asots 'ohcoIheu, 40 oiy
hu"pio' "nu may oo e'Von IN low "ofos' ~ Is
but slightly npon his plot to hold tho ,ntDrest Of
tho audience. Lillian 1Yest5rook, tho daughtor
of a millionaire, loyoa md ia loved by O,oeu
Routtcdgc, q Huccossful young artist. They havo
very aarions "lovers' quarrel in tho first act.
mont. Lillian, prompted BY bad Impulses. bat
with tho thoughtlcHsncsa. Of q spirited
young girl, does yory unwiso thing. 6ho &c.
copts tho hand OF, and subsequently, marries,
Mr. Archibald 6trebelon, man who is much her
bgul0& III fGA1d Quk hA0EA AM0 kG6tVSko LUZ viz
many noble qualities OF IN honorable gontle-
man which ho really possesses. Several ycArs
Of Liliau'a married lifo I'd Bpant In PartH. Sho
has ono little gi1l on whom all tho affection Of
an ardont nature beoomoa conferred.
old lover, = short temptation Boono,
aud Buccossfnl resistance hor purity
is, In fact, preserved throughout tho play. Then
comes duel with emalf-sworda, In which Ro4t-
ledge defends hor honor against d Fronch noblo-
~ HrN
former lover ia woundod; ano bondB over his
for single momoat. On that moment hangs
hor fate. Archibald 6trebelon listens to the pas
sionate words Of Ills wifc- Leaving her forever,
tic swootost aud strongest affection OF hor life.
Hor mind and body sink beneath tho sudden
agony and tho long Buapenso which follows; tho
final restoration Of her itto ono oomeh TOO lnte.
Tho child is ".Lillan'a Last Lovo,"-she dios
rapid sketch of tho story NO giyo little or no
idea Of what tho author means hy tho play or what
ho has depended on to fix tho auditors interest:
He has chosen rnother'a lovo aa the pivotal
paaalon Of tho drama. and he has nBod tho Or
ondafy means Of developing his incidents. In
this lattor mart Of the play everything Is made
subordinate to this maternal loyo; 1t Ia treated
as vital. aotsvo passion Of wonosn's nature
as truly passion, as truly . force capable Of
other waubion known to humanity. Mr. Howard has
not eycn used auy mems to SHOW spooal REASONS
for 30 strong development Of tho material in
stinct In the particular caao OF Lilian He aa-
s,1mcs It ss natural impulse Of . true, warm
sumption he rosts tho entiro interest Of tho play.
Whethcr ho be correct in thus placing tl,is pas
sion side By eido with, or rathor above, tile
u prsud nassion ,"-sexual loyc,--fs IN interest,"
ing question fof the nocial philosopher. Per-
I - tn 20 ,a}a fhh
effect produced by tho play upon it's audiences.
Mon aud women DO not Bympathize en-
masao with what is nntruo to human
nature, and IT they weep with Lillian no stronger
oorroot in thin direction. This can prove,
not TINT tho intonso form Of Lilian's
maternal paasion exists commonly among
ordinary women, but that 1t Ia based
upon natural impulses; that 1t Is truthful
and mot He e. s'as s % ness ~ asnas S s
verdict? Nobody who sat through tho tlvo acts
Of this piece could deny that not only was the
sympathy Of tho audience with Lillian, tut
that her SORROWS woro evidently for tho tino
theirs in other words that the ruttos % t
theatre. Tho temptation Of tho heroine wns
watched with earliest foar; 1cr successful ro-
sBtanco Of It called out applause; lter abandon
mont md donth loft tho nudlouce Baddoned
and subdued. It may, perhaps, surprise tho
ing sketch of tho story, that in largo part the
play Of "Lilian'a Inst Love" has tho tono and
sprlghtlinoss Of comedy. hTany Of tho DRAM
ats persona aro essentially comedy charactors,
and tho Incidents in which they appear bo-
long to tho sunny side of dramatic lit
olaturo. Despite tho intonHo sadnoas Of
many OF the scenos. It might hayo %
good right to bo called comedy as several Of
tho dramas to which that characteristic tit1o has
been applied, as "Frou-Frou," or 'Ali1o,n for
instance. To classify it, howoyor, it can boat bo
described as eerio-coric society drama. In poiut
Of dramatic excellence it will boar comparison
with tlo boat Of nodorn Hocloty piocos. It Is in-
gonious in construction, intenao in situation,
with the lights and shades contrastod with
artistic effect. The dialogue is good through
out, and tho tono lofty and moral. It deserved
good acting at tho hands Of tho company, and.
but rose to tho occasion. The audience
was enraptured, and by the frequency
and eponfanoity Of it's applause told how
thoroughly 1t rolished tho piece. The int crest
centres around Liian, and that part was played
by Hiss O'Conner. We doubt If there Ia sn