New-York tribune., 1873-07-03


be permitted 10 Howt out Of an institution
which, like the stage, exerts direct, Deep eou-
tinuous, and abiding power upon the puDhe "li"''
Such influences may sometimes be annued py co"u'"i
nation, and sometimes by simple exposure Inc 'a'"'
in Mimi" flows out of its French origin, character anu
subject Much he has deyiatod from his original anu
far as he has wandered from It's purpose Mr. Bouelea'
has not succeeded in dvestng the piece of certain
uDsoundness of thought to social ethics, ana OF
loose septimentay which s even more obnoxious 'nau
manifest Most OF the persons whom ne INTRODUCE"
and who are swathcd kind OF halo OF atracuVeness'
and inferenaIly held up to admiration arc persons
whom in Paris has customary to eau Bohenla"s
| by which term 3 individuals who hve upon
syste of erratic industry and gentee swindng ana III
state OF antagonsm TO the ideas, usages' anu lnSu
tions OF conservative society. based on moral prhope'
law and order These individuals, IA amatter OF lact
pass their time In idleDess aud sensuallty, uegra"e
literature and art It in their power 70 40
So by claiming TO represent those great ana
| bonorahle avocations and by dabblng in some
Of their inferior branches The specimens brought lot
ward by Mr.. Bouccault-with whom MS nero conso'''
and whose Manners customs, leyity ana oosehess he
adopts and inensihesare not the worst spec'ehso vi
the class are men and in whom there are bril-
liant attributes Of mind and temperament and good
qualities of heart Bot not 10 refine upon the matter
their manners are Ibad their morals are worse ther
relations 10 one another and the suggestveness OF the
lives are not such be viewed with prOnt Dy Ie
Young they are not interesting TO the thoushuuI oo
server they stand elegance about Oh level WIN
the clerks and shoglrls who make fesa eApedluons
Elm Park or JoDes's Wood and, when they are intro
duoed into work of dramatic art they become invested
with a prominence and an Importance wholly
disDrop0rtiOuate to their social significance, lbef
picturesque attributes or any SORT Oh eoou
that can possibly be got out OF the oohteih-
platon OF their lives. There has long been lnani'
fest in several veins of literature dspositon to thro"
Il.
ought not tc-yiolating, with reckless auuasl'S
defiant at once of dyspepsia and the constable heA~s
of their being and the laws OF the land Ihe gaohR
house. the brothe tho luxurious estate the hNelleu
eourtcsan-types of nothing in the world but stupul
nastness andeshameless Rreed-eaoh mas oceu sel'ou
up in novel In play with its little mmps Oh ars'o
glamour Presented exactly as they are these thhgs ana
others like them would repel the most ignorant and silly
specator that ever gaped in thcater but the ialse
and seductive treatment Of them has been found 10 pay
and so the glamour has been laid on IL Sio TINS that
we make the chief objection II just here that We nhu
Mimi tainted aud unsound Its trivial theme ahd i's
mixed morality are indeed handled with most adroit
skill The renowned Hihernian's flea was not more
agile and elusive. The play does not 30 nearly
"a far I'm a wrong direction as Others that could
he named. But we think we shall do II no lnJus-
tee when say that II distinctly errs IN eeioDfans
eevatug aud making gracious # not exemplary, an III
conditioned mischeyous, and insignificant CLASS OF peo-
nj ae III
brancy and humanity of feeling more the essen
ta characteristics of the vicious than OF the vrhous
They are found all through the web Of lfe and are
matters Of aud temperament aud not OF ELMER
morals or condition. TO live in state OF prolgacy and
penury does not make people either brighter or kuef
and any attempt intimate that they DO Is AN attempt
10 obscure the truth perpeX the perceptions OF right
and wrong. Such attempt has involuntary erepb
into this drama and norever the piece adds dubious
norality TO false ethics OF its saintlke heroine we
are told in the fifth act, that she Is drying oil loVe
poverty, and puriJy-a complication St malades Hlel
dental to virtue" yet unless we entirely mistake tue
drift Of the text and incidents, She has Lived
through the third act OF the piece the happy and con
tented mistress OF It's hero In an atmosphere OF mi
liners medical Students and clgarstumps We are we
aWare of course that very nice questions, as to con
uDencc chastity, &c, may be raised, on ths aspect o
facts but they would scarcely he such AZ are nIio
public discussion and, on general grounds we VIII aud
that thare something radically wrong about
play that leads dilemma OF tins kind There Il
something 10 be said-but we have neither time nor
snoce 10 say 10 now-about the evil consequences OF
making the law OF love paramount 10 the law 0 duy
That the burden OF far too many dramas ola as wen
~ new. If ever and a people needed unS age
and this people now, that its art and al It's other
intellectual and genial shond assert the dignity
and the beauty of viruOus character and moral prnc
pe triumphant at whatever cost OF seliscrinee, over
passion and impulse.
The piece was set upon WaacFS stage In carefully
fashioned and appropriate DRESS and the incidental
business Of conducted with remarkahle skiU thns
evincng the control OF master spirit aware OF the
effects to produced aud fully possessed OF the means
needfu to produce them The incidental music, b3 Mr.
Baker excellent There eleven parts 10 the DRAMA
and with the dramatic material at ms command, Mr.
Roucicau mas certainly them with clearslghted
Judgment E-pecial fidelity and welldre0ed zeal were
aupareDt III the acting Of the minor characteristic
CIioyot Of MI EDWARD Lamb the Schneider of Mr..
Hogson the CoiHc OF Mr. B. n Ringgod, and the Ro-
so,c Of as Mary Wells attracting attention for gen
cro accuracy and for such occasional fecites Of hu-
NOR eccenricty and ndiyduasm as impaired the Iest
OF variety aud heightened the effect OF nature, m
the whole representation. The principal parts en-
bodied by Mr. Boucicaut Miss Katharine Rogers, Mrs.
Fanny Foster Miss Efe GermOD, Mr. w. II. Crisp, and
MI W d. Bradley. The great success was won by Miss
Rogers a, Minqi she was picture the eye. and she
was living elOquence 70 the heart Beauty, rich aud
dazzling but ethereazed by latent disease and stricken
a. , vls rose might be- with sudden. uDtmet blight,
was made in this performance, delicious yet piteous
reality Tne method Of the art beautifully simple.
The transitions natural as the wature or sum
uler clouds The feeling intensely real. In the
strong scene of encounter in act fourth there wac
blending Of the power OF passion and tue weakness Of
chud-like simplicity OF character such could
no, oe seen except through tears OF sympathy aud pity
Aud the exceptional charm OF pure eDuDciaton oi
Englishevery word having lis exact place and sense
ana quality of feelng-payed Ovor the whole embodi-
nent. To Mr. Boucioaulrs Maurice Durosei the remark
that a French actor IL said to have made on his Shaun,
The Post applies with singular felicity: He does not play
the part but he shows us bow 10 Onght to be played.
Nj Bouccault lacks the yOntn and tue dash that are
needfu reproduce his ideal in an actual fombut bis
ideal was clearly discernibe and u that OF very
delicate aud IoyaDle nature 1t seems hardly needful
10 say that natural. graceful, and subdned IN
I Iybf Of ufa lagf and
elegant refinement played along the line of his action
and gave ntful brilanoy 10 the whole work IL is not
pleasant thing 10 say, but it is true. that Miss
Eme Gerrnons Ri0oiete exceedingly