The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1877-08-31
JOAQUIN MlLLER's NEW PLAY.
New York Sun, 23d.]

New York Sun, 23d. I'D. /
Under the management of Mr.. Jas. v
C. Duff, the Broadway Theater opened C
lust night to the public, much improved II
in its entrance, its fittings, its decor:s- II
tions and general Recommendations.
Everything was bright and new, and II
the night was an un- (.
usually oppressive one, u large number /
of intelligent and critical people assem- e
bled to witness Joaquin MIXERS new
play, ssThe Danites," which drama had q
been selected to open the season. AS /
it is a far more agreeable duty to dis
cover the merits than to detect the
faults of a new American drama, 1t
NAV be said at once that this play
apreeably surprised Mr.. Miller's many I
friends, who, with all their admiration
of his poetic talents, were excusaoiy
doubtful Of his ability as playwright
The story of the play is an interesting
one, and though far from being idylic
as the bills announce, is melodramatic-
ally strong and effective; moving al
! most entirely by action; picturesque
with vivid incidents antl bold charac-
terizations, and above all wearing the |
unmistakable local color which SO
,nany play wrights have failed to catch
| in their treatment OF Western scenes.
The legend is that of Il girl, Nancy
I Williams, whose brothers have been
murdered by a religious sect called the
i Danites. aud who is herself pursued by
a these avenging angels, until she Is
l,lriven to hide her name in the rOugh
n .tarb of q miner, but not before she has
T touched the heart of Il gold digger, one
Alexander. Mcliee, who is himself won
bv her beauty aud sentleness. Rudely
disguised, she returlis to the camp ana
2 associates with the men under the
t assumed name of Billy Piper-they
( thinking that she has been murdered.
Then there comes to the same camp a
g schoolmistress, HulCiah Brown, who in
q tnrn captivates and becomes the wife
3 OF MCGEE. No sooner is She married
e than she discovers by accident that
. Billy is a woman, but in hearing her
4 story pledges herself not to reveal her
y secret. AS is quite natural, these two
8 gentlewomen, entirely alone in a camp
e OF rough men, and possessing u secret
: in common, become very confidentlai,
J. and damaging stories are circulated
g about Mrs. MCGEE, whose husband
9 finally turns Billy out of the house.
gl With this simple story the drama
K deals, as we have said, III an effective
e and. for u first attempt, In II remarkably
a direct manner. OF course, in the last
e act all the mystery is cleared up ana
the trouble banislled by the discovery
e of Billy's sex. But not until there has
l. been a judicious amount of wild but
a honest sentiment, considerable pathos
~ of a genuine order, and some bolsterous
ot humor peculiar to the people and tn
u place. One of the quaintest and mos
of original incidents is that of the prepar
IN atiOns of these half savage men to re
IT. ceive the expected schoolmaster. Thei
es natures rebel at the very idea OF I
schoolmaster, and they group them
in selves about the door, armed i'll ever.
IS, conceivable manner, to lay him ou
ar when he enters. The surprise Is no
st, only a complete, but a pretty one, ,Whe
IN, the door opens and in walks, not
an schoolmaster, but u beautiful, modes
ut and timid girl. The sudden change i
all the determination OF the fellows VIII
raj are supposed to have been deprived {
lly a sight of this kind for many month
ial kent the audience in'a roar OF laughtt
m for several minutes. Mr.. Miller hi
eat treated his lovers and his sentimel
in. generally with more dignity than
mo- usual in American melOdrarnaS. III
ne self-devotiOn and manllness OF u
, is rough lover Of Huldah's, who is di
sen placed by MCGEE, and the quiet streng
My of MCGEE himself, arc much high
om attempts at the portrayal OF stirlil
character than anything we have y
It's had in frontier drama. The langua
the of the play is in the main simple al
ION such as is heard on the Pacific slol
IN Now and then it runs into what
the been called, in compliment to Coop
'lch and his imitators, the wild poetry
ave the forest, but it does so unprete
ube tiously. The skilled eye detect
has faults in the construction unquestie
} in ably, but the skilled eye always 40
ated It is sufficient at this time to say II
con- Mr.. Miller has endeavored to make
zen play wholly out of American matefi
lVer and he has invented pretty Pi
we're skilfully if not brilliantly woven IT II
us good dramatic shape, and presented
aVi- with a picture of rude life which
'ints only interests us with its truth q
'he beauty, but violates fewer OF
eaty aesthetic canons ana technical con
eVy- tions than have any of the slmI
mer works of his predecessors in the ia
oHai field.
the
oe A man in Burlington has brou
any peace into his family circle fore
ougn Last week he moved into new ht
neet containing bay window and twe'