Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-12-10
ADJUSTMENTS.

The Opera House was crowded last nlgnt,
upon the occasion of the closing of the Ell
gagement of the Kurdish troupe. The
PLAY Of ''Led Astray' was presented in a
manner which elected the interest Of the
audience at the outset, and sustained it I'M
til the curtain dropped on the last act. The
plot of the play was as follows: A woman
has been betrayed into an illegal marriage,
and is at last deserted by her betrayer.
Subsequently a generous sea captain, ig-
nOrant of her past history, offers his hand
and name to the deceived woman, and
urged by misery she accepts the offer in
order that she may the better care for her
child, little girl, who was left in charge
of an honest peasant woman. 30 lar
as the heroine is concerned the only moral
stain upOn her character is due to the con-
ceaIment of her history from the man, who,
loving and trusting her, has raised her from
poverty to wealth and position. Monsieur
Alphonse, the villain 10 whom she owes
her misfOrtunes, is meantime received and
petted By society. The real dramatic in
terest eliminates in the second act, when
Can't. MontaglIn learns his wife's history,
and with rare noblenesS and generosity par
dons her deception and adopts her little one
rs his own. The third &C. is devoted TO dis
posing of the characters and visiting poetic
Justice upon the head of Monsieur Al
phonse, but unfortunately that individuals
moral sensibilities have become so blunted
that he accepts his punishment very philO-
sophicallv. secure in the knowledge that
society will think none the worse Of him.
The engagement of this company has
been a very successful one, and we but
echo the wish of Nashvile's theatre goers
when We express the hope that they may
soon visit us again.
Tonight Mrs. F.W. Lander makes her re-
appearance on the Nashville boards, after
an absence of a number Of years. She has
attained an enviable reputation as an
actress, and is deserSedly popular with the
American people. A Savannah paper thus
speaks of her impersonation of Queen
Bess, during a recent engagement in that
city:
"From the first appearance of Mrs. T. W.
Lander upon the stage last evening, NOV
ing as the Virgin Queen in the stately
pride of royal youth and high reaching am
biiion, uitil the curtain fell amidst thun-
ders of applause upon that graphically
and wOndrously portrayed death Of the
naughty sovereign who, with her last
strength, placed back with her own hand
the regal crown upon her head, aud with
her latest breath babe her cOuIters order
the people to shout, ''LOng live Elizabeth,
Queen of Englandr'-the crowded audi
ence of the elite of Savannah that filled the
theatre, hung with breathless interest and
rising admiration upon her superb i'm
persOnatiOn. Many there had followed
Janauschek and Mrs. Bowers through the
same role, and watched with pleasure and
keen enjoyment the fine delineations Of
these gifted ladies, but We doubt not that
we record the universal verdict when We
say, if these were great, Mrs Lander is
greater. In herself she combines the
strength and force of Janauschek and the
grace and faultless elocution Of Mrs. Bow
ers, with q rare facial and emotional
power of her own; and the facility and
naturalness of her transitions from the
fierceness Of anger, hate and jealousy, TO
the tenderness of love and kindly emo
tions, displaying the irrepressible struggle
of the woman's nature and gentlenesS
of the Queen with her vanity, am
bition and love Of power, were
at once consummate evidences of that SUI
preme art which conceals art. This was
especially noticeable in the double dicta-
ton of the letters of disapproyal to the Of
Tending Leicester, and of utmost grace in
behalf of the imperious and imprisoned
Shakespeare. In the recurring contests
with her love for Essex and her love Of
sovereignty; the depicted conflicts between
her hoping heart aud her unyielding pride
as she watched and waited for news from
the Tower and the sending of the signet
ring she had given the doomed and be-
loved nObleman that would claim the
pledge and save his life, moved the spell
bound audience with no ordinary power.
The fifth act presented the Queen tremb-
ling with age and weak IN declining
strength. vet strong and firm in those quail
lilies Of mind and character which have
marked her in history as far less woman
than a grasping sovereign-alone, even
amidst her royal power and splendid sur
ruundings, her dreams peopled with phan-
toms of past hopes and JOYS, and her
waking hours haunted by the shifting
sprectres of remOrse, while triumphs on
land and sea, the final conquest of Ireland
and the death of Spanish Philip, could
only serve to cheat her with their decisions
of greatness and glory for barely fitting
moment. The picture was strongly, truth
fully and superbly presented, Mrs. Ian
der's acting and dressing being equally
aItistic.D
As the engagement of this gifted actress
continues through the week, we hope the
',School for Scandal will be presented one
night during her stay, as Mrs. Lander has
an unexcelled reputation in the leading
role of that old, but ever new, comedy.