New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-11-23
TEMPERANCE OF CLARA MORRIS.

REAPPEARANCE OF CLARA NORRIS.
A pleasurable incident in local theatrical
ifcthc rcappearance here Of the fayore actress Mss
Clara Morris-occuIred ast night, the Fifth Avenue
Theater and wac much enjoyed by numerous, refined
and demonstratiye company Miss Morris came forward
In a drama called "The New Leah" written
by Auglstn DAILY on the basis Of translation Of DR..
Mosenthaps (Germanl play Of Debora" and IL may be
said once, that she heartily welcomed and that
she made one OF the most positive and eredable sue
cesse. OF her professional career Miss Morris had not
been soc NewYork since last May, when she acted &C
Booths Thoater, and the play IN which she thus 49,
entoreIfrst made known the American stage twciTo
years agOhad moi been for several seasons that
the combination Of and piece at The Filth Avenue
had charms OF novelty well "a OF some inherent
power
The heroine OF "The New Leah Is Hebrew gill
She is loved by Christian youth, and sha loves him in
return For his sake she is willing TO desert her friends.
leave her people, and abandon her religion. He like
wise purposes orsae his home and kindred on account
OF his love. Their meetings arc held by stealth and
usually at night. Their plan ia 70 marry and de-
part into Il foreign country. The scene of their
loves and other experiences IL a Little VII
lage ana TIA rustic neighborhooi in Germany. The
time Is Summer in the early part Of the eighteenth cen
tiry-a period when in countries Of Europe the
Jews wore prescribed and prosecuted The fate OF those
lovers pathetic and comes being tragic. They
are parted by the rcacher0u5 and malignant machine
lions Of an apostate jew. Tho youth Is persuaded to
believe that the maiden Is false to him, and has
betrayed him for money He breaks faith with her.
and he weds another woman On their weddingday the
him In the chuTchyard and curses him for
his pcrfdy, after which ebuton Of love tuIned TO
hatred sho wandrs away namciess and destitute ont,
cast Years efterWard she returns to this Of hoe
trial and anguish, meets her former lOyer-nov
q husband and fathcr-forgivcs him, and, under
saddost circumstances, changes her curse into
n blessing. THIS story dramatically told. III
four acts exc.tes admiration for beautiful, passionate
nature, awakens sympathy with grief cruelty inflicted
and great part patiently suffered, thrills the heart
with image OF frenzy and sOftens and eoyates the
mind yith portrayal OF sllntle yet woman-iike mag
nlniny. AGrawmg OF the simple rural domestic life ots
quiet pastoral people, strcaed with gentle pety hOmey
humor, and the pucrility OF the commonplace, forms
background to this representative tale Of love and sorrow.
II will be correctly inferred that, essentially, tue New
Loah is like the Old one.
It's heroine-named in this instance Esler-was per-
,Cnated IN powerful, passionate, patriotic manner by
Miss Clara Morris Her Jewish maiden is not dazzling
ripe dusly beauty, fcryid and 0minous in Oriental.
Intense selfpoise but she Is mournfmly lovely
the eye and her picturesque oyeliness Is surcharged
with passionate tenderness She does not stir tho mag
nation but she appeals directly to the heart and in this
quality Of sympatfy-tis power 20 captiyate tina
feelings apart from tho satisfaction OF the
sense Of the idea-sho Is tho best repre~en-
tatiye Of the part that has yet been seen.
Miss Batcmau scNous, austero, intellectual and
though fierce was also cold. RstOn Old, artificial.
mcl0lramatc nsiuccre and out OF her element. SEQ
bach,-the last OF them,-was overspirted; Jauau-
scheck, fiery and superb IN action, clmhrous,
graceful, elderly. and oyerphysical Miss Morris,
though Goes not liz tie ideal 10 Seebacs hight.
yet fine and excellent In having the youth. grace.
softuess and fire OF the tender and
these attributes she YIELDS together into form at
picturesque ruonruful, and weird. She made good
q tf,f t, tftr tr,f.. htt~
seen this point better presented She greatly excited her
listeners in tho closing but have heard this
imprccati0n uttered with equal yehemence and
more OF awful majesty aud power-thc rcli'
gous element commmglng here with the human. In
thc lover, meeting tie OF tho rcpusc, and the trn
passages 1T the close however sho surpassed pre-
yous representations OF the part and entirely satisfied
an OF Us requirements THIS Is 90 say, IN brief, that her
conquest wss through the emotions II can he added
a spirit OF equal tribute that her method OF acting
controlled by taste and made more than usually symmet
rca by repose Her best moments those OF frenzy.
when love struggles in the heart With knowledge that
il wasted and in vain made unworthy aud pabe by
the unwoIthncss OF the idol Bu: in the widest Of
these moments she displayed the artists control OF her
SELF her resources and herein she seemed 10 denote
growth in the direction Of Intellectual character. she
was copously appauded and Was recalled twice ut tho
end OF each act OF the drama.
In nomenclature and specifically in text Tho Now
Leah dners from the Old Onc but II IS The same IN sub
stance and In construction Some OF the situations,
sumng to he probable out OF nature and there -
much tlmld talk H. tho language The drama well
SGT ami generally well dressed, last nght,-the first
church picture and front in act third being
notably good stage paintings. The miscellaneous acting
aside from that OF hr. Fisher, Mrs Gilbert, and Mr..
Dayidge was unspeakably queer and it max.
ing u middle OF the whole performance Mr.. Fisher
showed his ripe powers, fine method. and large cxpe-
rence in scene in act soe0udlustatSe oc fear, re-
morse. and wicked purpose The general effect sayorod
little Of goody isu-which might DO er.dicated, and
ought be- IN the interest OF true goodness Al tho
flavor Of yiruOus Ito not necessarily coubned 70 me