The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-01
THE FRENCH FOOTLIGHTS.
New Plays and Operettas
Recently Produced.
Dramatic Censorship, Off
cial and Amateur.


PARIS, Feb. IL, 1874.
or one thing there win never be a dearth In
France. Let wheat crops or vintage TAIL, there will
always be new comedies farces and operettas, to
say nothing OF dramas and melodramas. or late
Partisan play wrights have been singulary prolific.
Their pens, IN nowise crippled by their counrry's
mlsfortunes, have been starting new plots In all
directions and In some cases have run riot to
such an extent that President MacManon has felt
bound TO re-establish the censorship The censor
ship had never ceased to exist In real fact, for
though the educated Minister, Jules Simon sup
pressed 1t in 1870 he took leave to interdct M. Sar
dou's ''Oncle Sam" in 1872. and some months ago
he Governor Of Paris prohibited piece
(La Liqueur d'Or'D for its immortality after 1t had
already been played dozen times. this nearly
running the manager, who had invested $40, 600 in
costumes and scenery. But these exercises Of
prerogative were not supposed to count, and
the victims OF them stood in the position
OF the Scotch debtor cited by Walter
Scott, who was sent to prison, not for being
in debtor imprisonment for debt was contrary
to the lawsuit because, In refusing to pay his
creditors in obedience to an order from the
Sherir's Court he showed his contempt for the
Kings Majesty, which was very different thing.
The censorship, then, has been re-established in
France, because 1t was felt impossible to get on
without 1t. The liberals have always con-
tended in theory that the public should
be the only cens0rs ana that If left to themselves
they would soon bring the stage in subsection to
decency and GOOD taste; but there would seem to
be some misunderstanding about the sense of these
terms in the French mind, for the decency and
good taste Of the Parlsians have led them sys-
tematically to patronize plays which are unstrans-
latable in any proper tongue. Whether the new
censors will ucceed in introducing q higher tone
OF morality, as they have rather confidently
promised, we shall see in good time. For to-day
we are concerned with plays which were written
before the censors began their work. A I'VE act
political comedy, in the style of 'Rabagas," ana
called "Le Candidat," has for some weeks
been in rehearsal at the Vaudeville, and will
shortly take the place Of "Once SAM" 1t is
by M. Gustave Flaubert, the realistic author Of
"Mme. Bovary" and of '1Saambo" who was under
the Secon Empire, thought to be the most objec-
tionable writer in France; but repubcanism may
have purified him. At the Odeon the actors are
learning 'La Jeunesse de Louis XIv.,n an his
tOrical drama, which was written by the late
Alexandra Dumas, but has been carefully revised,
amended and recast by the latter's son. and
promises to be q success. Coming now to new
plays and operettas recently brought out, we
have "Les Deux Orphelines," by NM. d'Ennery and
Cormon, at the Porte St. Martin; 'La Branche
Cassee," by MN. Jaime, Noriac and serpette, at
the Boures, and Onenbach's new version of
'Orphee aux Enters" at the Gate.
''LEs DEUx oRPHELMEs" ~ NM D'ENNERY AND
COMMON,
is a melodrama in the old style, which delighted
the boulevards thirty years ago. and the applause
which has greeted it may be accepted as token
OF melodramatic revival. Here IS the story oflt:-
Two young girls, Henriette and Louise, who are
supposed to be sisters, arrive In Paris from Nor
mandy, at some date in the last century, and
scarcely have they set foo In the dissOlute capital
than Hcnriette, the eldss sister, is kidnapped in
the streets by young de0auche, the Marquis de
Presles, who causes her to be carried of by his
servants 10 his pleasure house in the
suburbs. Louise, who Is blind, remains in
the streets, calling pteousy for her sister,
and she Is about to be run over by q coach when
two criminals OF the worst cass-the Frochards
mother and sOn-pass that way and take her to
their home. The old woman Frochard, struck by
LOuise's beauty cOnceives the idea Of leading her
about the streets in rags to beg and sing; and
from that day the poor girl begins hideous life OF
slavery being forced to trudge through the Streets
barefooted and shivering, in all weather, and
being beaten when she does not earn sufficient to
satisfy her mistress rapacity. Meanwhile, Hen
riette shut up in the Marquis de Presles' house. IS
taken by him one evening to dinner, where the
guests are all rakes and fallen women and where he
hopes to seduce her. trembling and indignant she
refuses to SIT down at the table, and, when the
Marquis ndeavOrs to compel her, she cries out in
despair and tears to the Marquis friends SIS there
not single man OF honor among your" eyes"
answered one Chevalier de Vaudrey, who had at
first thought Henriette was shamming, but is now
convinced OF her purity; Eyes, will protect yOur'
and, drawing hts sword. he fights with the Mar
outs, wounds him and carries Henriette from the
house. This Is the beginning OF deep love be-
tween the Chevalier and Henrietta, and also the
beginning Of fresh troubles for the latter. The
Chevalier is the nephew Of Count de Linieres, the
Lieutenant General Of Police, VINO, hearing that
picked up in the Streets resolves to prevent such
q scandal. Mme de Linieres, however, is informed
that Henriette, far from favoring the Chevalier's
suit, has refused, though passonately attached to
him, to become his wife ana SO occasion i'll feeling
between himself and his friends; so that, moved
TO admiration by such selfdenial she visits Hen.
riette, ana In the course Of her visit learns some
thing closely affecting her own peace of mind.
Before being married against her will to the Count
de Linieres the Countess had been secretly married
to young ofncer, who shortly afterwards died.
leaving her with little girl. This child
the Countess parents spirit away, so that nothing
may impede the marriage OF their daughter
with NJ. de Lnieres, and ever since the Countess
has been t0rmented with anxiety about her little
girl yearning to know whether she is alive or
dead. Sne now learns from Hcnriette that her
child is none other than the blind girl Louise, who
was found lying on doorstep by Henriette's
father and brought up by him. The little outcast
hQ q Ia ud knrc of ri ohrOi
cred with some initials round her neck,
and that is how Nine. de Mnieres Is en-
abled to identity her. But no sooner mas
Henriette made her revelation than police officers
despatched BY Count de Lineres rush into the
room, arrest HeDriette and lead her OF to the
Salpetriere, or prison for dissolute women, where
she is told that she will be transported to the
colonies BY the first prison ship that Sails All
now seems lost for Henriette, who is aware that
M. de Lineres will never be at rest till he has put
her beyond reach OF marrying his nephew; but,