, 1876-03-21

ME. John T.. OHeHa reappen1 cd At this theatre
laot night. bringing With him now play" Our
Doys by that prolific and populur author. Ms.
Horny J. byron. Tho play bears such stFik~
Ing family resemblance to tho othoE uoraB OF
h1r. byron tt'at discerning andtor would havs
little difficulty iu recognizing 1t by its Christian
nauc, ii It carried 10 other. It las tho
samo graceful md artiatIc STRUCTURE, tho
sanc frngility OF substance, aud tho
same Rupcrlnity Of osna.nout ~ "a1ar-
ricd in Haste" In tho ono play a. In
the othor, the dialogue III ovcrbusdaned with
witticisma, and In both Cares equally tho action
is 60 skillfally managed that tic ,nteres: Of tho
audience uovor 1ags.
The burden Of the action rests upoo t!lroo
pairs,--a pair OF fathers, pair OF sons, mud
pair Of girls. Ono OF tho fattora IL Sir GeofFrry
champncys. Baronot Of old family. hnughty,
ncrss aud trafnotl to Suppress feel
other father is I'erkvn 1iddle1oick,
retired buttermaD, vulgar, honest, obstinate,
aud biG.heartad. Talbot Chan,pneps, tho lar
onot's son, is swell With good deal Of SUBJ
stance to hiu'4-lazy. cynical and iadopondsut
affecting to bo fool and not being one. Tue
buttormhn'a son, Charles AiddleIoick, Ia All elu-
Gated and sensible young man. too riso to bo
ashamed Of bis father, aud too Helf-respecEinR
to bo subaesyent to him. The two gira aro
cousins. Vo'ct La rich and arstoo1 ATTIC, digniied
In bearing, and decided In action. Mary IL poor
and witty. IlnvinE no state to maintain, sho
maintains mono, except that condition OF equality
which intellect allows ut odd moiueuts OF con-
troverBy. Tho autithotlcal uasure Of tho piny
will he soon from a comparison OF these Six prin-
clpal characters. Each Of tho palra Is made up
Of $Mn 0UnOR&GE.
The curtain rlaes on tho oountry-houHo of
Perk:yn Middlesctcl, tho ex-hutterman. Tho
Baronot and tue girls arc visilrg lin In OK
tlpent Of "Our Boys" Tho boys shortly
arrlyo, and IL appears from tie conycrsa-
tion that foilowa that thoy have
met the girls at Bonn, and, mot to put too flno
point on It, have 1listod with them outragoous!y.
The Ba1ouet naturally Wishes to hnvo his son
marry the hoiross, Vtofet, while tho butsorman,
who Is ofouded by tho apubbing hs recoivca
from her, wlsllo8 to have bis Bon marry Nury,
s 9e9n 4 s n 00 S 9 so saaesss ns
to boing plg-aeaded. loves the poor Girl because
lie Las boon commanded to lore tho other ono,
and Charles loves tho rich ono because he can't
hclp 1t.
Ii tho second &C. tho climax is reached, and
with It the moral OF tho play, Which. 1!so stono
In a wad Of jewelers. cotton, IL precious small
when It Is reache1 Each Of tho fathors, 1t
seems, has brought up lis son according TO An
bot with D rod Of iron tho butserman has given
lis boy charles everything ho ever cried for.
Now. at this critical porlod Of tho young mnu's
ilyos, whon thcy arc about to choose w'ves,
either case doosn't work Sir geq6Tey's rod Of
iron falls idly to the ground and hiH aon dis
oboys htm Perkvn liilAeloick's will not COR.
sout that hs son shall have nhat ne wants, nnd
works both ways What lie motal ls wo aro un-
atle 70, conceive, unless It bp that ch,ldren
should be trained up according to no systcm at
all, which anonnta to a systosn utter all,
6H M 1ssds ssev OF bo "'s 0b0doe. Ss oil sas
teudcd Ills to boz. F." Our Doys proceed 10 systo-
taaticalty thwart tho .isbrH OF thoir fathers.
The full oxsout Of thelr dsobodiencels IL rovoaLcd.
The explosion follows AZ q matter Of course
Tho buttor.nsn ploads With hts son, and bege him
not to marry woman WHO dfsptrcs his MD ia
thor. There ss not o bettct Bcene In tho whole
piay than this, nor docs Mr.. Owens do . bntter
pioco of acting than at th!s point. 1fc lays baro
ness OF infortority In education and breeding,
aud with pathetic easnoetnosa hcEa for TINT ro-
epect and 1oYe which ho foolH be cannot COM
mand. His intense exl,resstoli OF anguish at tho
hunia!ing position In wAiol, hs atal.is With re-
latiou to LiH own son furnishes tile background
for tho strongest situation III tue p!aY. Tho uon
loyoB hia fathar, but ho loyos Violet 4fc!ros5
moro, as botweon tbs two, ho chooses tho latter.
with hia Hou. Doth hro obatuato and we'll
brod. Neither will yieid. As consequence
OF tho exposures on both sidcs, and The manly
discrimination Of the boya to love whom they
will, how thoy will, when they will and whore
tllny Will, they 90 out together from tho Haro-
not's house 20 soek their fortunes III London.
Uelng gont!olnou, nn ono Of thu characters OBJ
Baryos. lhsy do mol know how to eAtu thctr own
ltyngs, and in tho third act they coulo to
griof. They nro found lodging, afsor q
lapse OF soven months, in thlrd-story
back room. They aro hungry and cold. Hck.
ness has yisitod tAou1,-alckuesa Of the heart ~
vol "a OF tho body. Publishers haya repulsnI
thom. Tradoamen haye dannsl tlaon.; but
thoy remain firm In ther resolutions. Nothing
Will induce tholn to Ask any assistance fton
their parents. In tho!r nbaence, thoy Laye
lesta ss = portion Of tIo truth by = cross. oas
examining tho seryaut-Gtrl. Another kuock IL
heard, and tlIo fasAoss a1e hurried into altio
! room. Tho now visitor IL Tasbot's good aunt.
leaving ler bonnet on tho table. aho rspalis to
tho Kitchen 10 cook cllckon aud got rendy q
lunch Tor tho boys, Then the girls outer. Tlioy
arc naturally suspicious OF the boys, aud
y tho bounat o. 5a, tle tsne lott by
as proof from Holy Writ. When tho boys 70.
turn they tsud the girls, but arc astoulsllc also,
to lind honselves-rop!nisod. Tho gif!d aislly
of bowtliermont. Tho fasi.osa Iutst from she
stde-Eoon,. aud accuse the'r aonB OF prol!,gacy
In addition 10 their otllor enormous crimes.
Tho sons aro now diaKussed as well
~ bowillered, Aud BAow their {ati,-
! ers tho door. The fathers repent
| and fail into melting mood tbs girls, having
!oaFnt from The aunt TINT it is all q n,Htahe
about tho bonnct return Just IN tho nick Ut
tlno |; tho aunt tcturns also; everybody forgotA
| everybody c!so, anu the audience, lot uH hope,
fnrElyes Mr. Bvson Tor somo execrstlo fyhiaeH
with which ho t4ga the play our.
Ms. oweus " l'srtyn ,Niddt.tofek Ia not all
our fancy had paintol. lilo Ia too coarse, too
greasy, loo full of hLccups aud us, aud too fond
VI WinkinK and grlMaciny. ln the last act ho
tuEe that ia utterly university AL actor OF h.s
reputation. Ills portsaisuEe, however,, docs not
lack force; It wants pruning only. not nav
"'si Ii With liz. ovens ''| snd plays MarA @
Atelross, has too high an opinion oi
herself 10 BE- hurt BY anything Tus TalBuNa
may say. &Ra NO do not. therefore, refrain from