Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-17
ADJUSTMENTS.
:. Nannelte o, wearilhorne.-

week, and during the engagement OF
Miss Maggie Mitchell, has recalled with
fresh interest the novel OF which it pur-
potts to be dTsmatizstion. Readers OF
the APPEAL will remember the book by
its full title, WedrithOrTae: or, In the
LiQM Of To-day, and many OF them,
who, during ana since the sad days OF
the C vii war, had the pleasure of meet
ing her, will readily receH the author,
Miss Marian Reeves, well known in this
citv, and especially so in Chicot, Arkan-
saS, where she resided for, some time.
THIS novel; the third in succession of
Miss Reeves's works, was first published
in 1872 by Lippincott, Of Philatelphis,
ana we believe hss passed through sew
eraI successive editions; at least it ought
to have, because it has much merit
GREATER far than IngeDliScO or Randolph
Honor, the authors first efforts, though
these were not without more than
ordinary interest. IVeGTithOTne is
north-couptry romance-the scene being |
laid in Moth YorkshiTe-and the cbarac-
ters are local, described with q free |
hand by an artist instinct with the |
spirit of the place and the people she |
has painted SO well. The dialect and |
Iocsl phraseology are as admirably sus-
tanned as the pictures OF in and outdoor |
life are true to nature in drawing and coll |
oriug and each chapter is complete in its |
setting andsurrOunding otdramatic incl |
ciCent, some of the incidents being in
tensified by suggestions more telling ard |
pointed than could otherwise bs made OIL
the stage or the canvass Of the painter.
The plot in bTiefis this: A young girl VINO
gives her name as IN annette o. kester
O. MalleTstang Hag," the ward OF bru-
- nh
Holmeu discovers from reading certain
p,pers which she takes from "Kester's"
q SIX, thst she is the heiress Of Weari-
thorne. These papers, delivered by her
| to her lover, "COlonel Miles Leth-
waite.n she afterwards steals from his
secretary, in the library at Wearithorne,
| Whereon, with a large bank bill, he had
placed them foE transportation to his
LAWYER IN London. This she doss
pending dispute between him and
her in reference to them, which is
brought to close by her conveniently
dropping the candle, the better, under
cover Of darkness, to effect her pur-
pose. Leaving the library, where this
occurs, she goes up stairs, by request OF
| "Miles,n to see his sick mother, but See
ing her "pale rs ghost" wan and
wasted by fever, "all dressed in white"
emerging from her bedroom ,~she con-
| ceals herself and follows her down stairs
into the library, where she watches her
| efforts ID unlock the secretary in order
| to possess herself OF the papers she
| suppOses to be there, and which
| she knows contain information that
would dispossess her son and lsave him
and her beggsIs. "Nannette" Watches
| until the secretary is opened, and then
| NrS E.othUaito ~ forcing
| from her the comics sion OF her purpose
after the papers. Some recrImination
| folloWs-a continuation of that which
had previously taken piece in
the bed chamber, when Nan
nette,1 had accused the lady Of being
an accomplish in the conspiracy by
which she had been so long defrauded Of
her birth-right. The footsteps OF "Milesn
in the hall break upon this scene,
and both pledging secresy, "Nannette"
| forces ''NIrs. Lethwaite" to go out, leave
her in the room in darkness, meet her
son before he had time to discover them
and explain to him that it Was "Mal-
levi (Ler servsnt) who had let fail and
| broken the lamp upon the library floor,
who had Occasi0ned her presence
there. This she does, and assuT-
ing him that "Naunette" had
gone home, begged his help % es-
cOrt to her chamOCr, in order that the
latter might escape. OF course he dis
covers the robbery OF the papers and the
bank-bilI "Malleyn is accused and con-
fesses having found the money on the
moor where ttNannetten had thrown it,
and where she had torn up and cast to
the winds the packet of letters that told
the story OF her birth and possessions.
Upon this theft tie force OF the plot
rests. Ii exiles "Mslley," who comes
home wears after from Manchester,
where che has been working in cotton
mill, to die; not, however, before she is
justified by fNannette," who refu3es to
marry "Nfilesi on account OF the crime
she refuses 10 reveal because Of her
promise 20 his mother. The last chap
ter of the novel is devoted 10 the death
scene, which, like all that the book con-
tairs, is depicted with q strength that is
~4ra. W thoui waste Of words and with
ont other seeming than the desire Of a
snfferirg and repentant woman to tell
In simDIe words the end OF
tale that from the asst has
more attractions than nine.tentns OF the
works of fiction that Jstie 1t on tie book
shelves. TIE close is perhaps unsalslsc-
tory, since it tsntaizingly leaves the
reader in doubt az TO the matF!aSe OF
INannette'ian and "Miles, "but We hope ths
drama will make up for TINS,
and give US in detail What the
author almost leaves Us to infer rms
in brief will answer for The plot or
srenment OF "Nannette o. WEAR.
thCrne.n the new play, for which the
pIey-goers of s.. Louis are waiting i'm
patiently. 1t is the meager skeleton,
the "baTe bones" which the ant lor has
clothed with skill ard which she has
surrounded with dramatic situations so
strong as to leave US In wonder that one
60 pr8cticised in stage business as Mrs.
Sykes (OliVe Logan could fail to seiz9
and turn them to good account. But she
did fail, and Miss Maggie MITCHELL turned
to the author, Miss Reeves, herself, who,
with some assistance from Mr.. Ed,
Spencer succeeded IN satisfying the
noted actress with 3 play every one OF
the five acts Of which has its special
! plot and spe cial points OF interest. These
; points, as they evidenced thems elves to
Us upon a careful reading Of the book, are
there to be found, as we before said, IN
, each chapter. For instance, the Inter
ior'' of the first chapter; the discovery
by "Nannetle,n Of the package OF let.
tiers which reveal to her her name and
, | lineage IN JlS SSCCAU CHelt6Ii lilO nlSHt
interview in the old tower between" N an
nette" and Miles" the warning and
the blowing up Of the mill by ''kester"
and his CO conspirators in the third: The
{ interview between an lesp and 'Nan-
nette, /" IN the course of wniGh the latter
, surrendels to her lover the packet Of let.
tiers, in the fourth; the bed chamber
, scene between "Mrs. Lethwsite" and
; "Nannette"-the interview between
"Miles" and "Nanrette,n when the lat
ter repcssesses herself OF the lettecs-and
the scene wherein "Nannette" confronts
Mrs. Leth waite in tha oct OF opeuins
the sc cretary or her son in her sear0h foi
: the letters she had aVowed the poss-
ession Of beside her sick bed
all in the fifth chapter: the deDOuement
! in the sixth, which discovers the rob-
! berry Of the letters ANA the money, and
: exiIes "MalleyD 10 Manchester, AMI the
tryst at Hsrdrsw force; the sceEe be.
tVeap "KeG.er Holmep and "Nans
! nette" ia the seventh, when she boards
the "NQu in his DEM and makes her
: escape from his threatened vengeance;
in the eighth chapter, "Kestersn
! | tr30ic daAfh tl9 plPajinp in