The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-08-05
lMTSEM ENTS.


creates.
And this is above everything else the test of
good play.
Mr.. Mark Twain appears to have had some
doubt about the sincerity and scriousncss OF
the work. for he hurled n good deal OF pre-
liminary irony ut the play in speech on tho
first night, but in spite OF this humorous at
tempt To iorcstall certain criticism and to cover
weakness with laughter. 1t il only M serious
endcavor to write mclodrama that one can re-
gard his labor at all.
1t wears all the harness 81 n drama. II IL
stuffed to bursting with every kind Of dramatic
material. If il does not move ike an organized
creature 1t is because the breath of life was not
brcnthcd into IT, and not because II IL not I'm
measure and weight up to the regulation
standard.
cannot for the life Of me imagine whore the
notion originated that Mark Twain IL. or by
any possibility can become n drdmatist. He
has never that can discover written anything
that is dramatic. His best work is the work Of
a clever reporter. who cxaggcratcs without re-
card to hctruth and very often without regard
tn good taste. He never invcnts never CON
stru It's. Let HIM see n chara ter or witness q
scene and he will caricature one and narrate
the other with IL awlcss extravaganza that de-
lights Americans. But he has nowhere shown
the least spark Of creative Imagination or
evinced the possession Of the smallest amount
OF that artistic contrvance which can build a
perfect work. His Colonel Sellers" Is. with
out except on the most absurd. the most IRA
tional, and the most nartistir drama that ever
succeeded 10y means Of sheer absurdity ami
| clever actor in Keeping the boards. | don't
think ever saw an amusing pny that WIS 50
| utterly destitute ol the dramatic element us that
| same play Of" Colonel sellers" All the serious
incidents are overlooked or forgotten hy the
| spc tator. who do'snt care FIX whether Laura
| HdwkmS s hanged or not. So long as Colonel
sellers keeps W b = fun in the court room.
II Mark Twain can portray character. he cor
tanly would hHv" made the attempt in that
play. but the truth is there il not u chara t'r in
il. Sellers himself pass"s for one by virtue 81
two or three ccc,ntricitios. and Sellers IL uu-
dcrstood to bee AN exaggerated portrait Of some
| body Mr.. Twain met in the West or Southw ,st.
Mr.. Bret Hartc. on the other hand. is known
AS literary artist. His play of Two Men Of
Sandy Bar may be- said T. have owed It's failure
TO his artistic integrity. lie wrote play in
stead of character part. As Mr.. Robson. FOR
whom It WAS wr ten. could not mako of colonel
Sidrboule what Raymond made OF Colonel Sell
leTS. would not do. And IL II very evident that
Bret Harte did not intcn that il should DO on
any such terms. His play had "a romantic and
interest NJ story; il pictured certain kind Of
life truthfully and graphically. and It's person
ages were not alone humorous. tut heroic and
pathetic. and they talkrd ia u language that be-
| trayrd their several characters OF these per-
soni.s,s Al >u. was " the least account IN tho
story. mere incident. the aundrymnn came
in and made a hit hy his attempt to use the
rough ansuna," of the Americans hr usso lated
with. II" told somobodyto Go belly" Wherein
cons sis the maddcnns humor of this phrase
IT would b. hari to deurruline. but IL So seized
upon the public that Al >H became the most
conspicuous person IN the story. and a. is natu.
raj with "a tors who make hits. the player who
had the part Immediately wanted play
The drama that has this week been presented
ut Mr.. Days II the result.
At the very best this ia "pot-boinG" hus-
moss. II is not in the nature Of things that either
Mr. Hart" or Mr.. Twain can do good or artistic
work with Mr. Parsloc standing there with his
money bags and insisting that they shall do
cheap and popular work But II isqulto in the
nature OF things. unfortunately for Mr.. parsue.
that pot-hollinx work shall Toe bad work and
that is what any thoughtful person will pro-
nouncc All SIN To- be-lt. indeed. u thoughtful
person can bee induced to pay il sufficient at
tution TO arrive at a con fusion.
Bret Hartrs share OF the work. | think. -
small Probably he skct.'hcd the plot. say
prohahly-whnt | mean il undoubtedly, be
cause Win AL us fhutS MARK IVAN ffllh NJ
make it,. Brit Hnrtc erected the fence upon
which Mr. Twain was to post his humor. II Is
not "a remarkable structure. but it serves 'Ir
Twain and Mr.. PArso" twho grt up on it and
grim 10 exhibit two distinct and rather chcaI
orders OF popular fun.
The first and chief objection that | make
against Mark Twain's work Is that It is always
even when il attempts IA deal with SERIOUS sub
jccts. tr!nins and unreal His Sense Of the
mdlcrous dominates him in his effort 10 make q
melodrama. IA Il has dominated him In all the
fugitive sketches and reports that he has made
Here he gives ~ the deadly passion OF a miner
wrcaking itself in murder. bus We have a sus
picion while we look at the scene That it Is =
practical Joke. If his dying man does not mak,
a pun at the expense uf death. we are disap-
pointed. profound sense Of the ridiculous
ness of He ovrrcomcs us. II is true the man j.
not murierrd-but the interest and integrity o
tho story make II necessary that We shall think
hc is nurlrred-yhy. then, should he poke hi,
head ont Of Az Su,s cabin suddenly ia n surse
, gusut act and remark that he thought he hear,
h = wife'- Noicef why! because that viii If
ford IA SIN the opportunity 10 say IL hepushci
him haek. Mclean mans wife give Mclicai
H.nn hclly'
! All id"u 4 tlie mystery. suspense. and danger
van sh Al once. II Is the iun Of the thing tia
p, the ra}wr-.s, .s after.
s But hed1 not even manage his fun discreet
w. ilr do = NOT mt 'r-'and that humor niue
how in It's own channels. He insists that /
shall overflow IA all directions. and the consn
9 quruH' Us tnet the stream Of his talent get
u soird and nasty The weakest of the Amori
cun pnywrelts would not be- guilty of such
-, sorn" as that between NJ. lOrk and PhukcH
4 Thern Is IN Ia stupid ohlyiousn,ss of the limi
% tations of art and the proprofos II life am
r. literature that Is Amazing. Mr. York, r'pr
D." scented IN "a gentleman. is reduced 10 an Idle
= for the snk" OF mukiu- the scene funny.
- lie has pi 'ked up a photograph of Mss 1FW
y. pest. rms photograph is lying about III
d mines. anl Pc picked up hy everybody wh
Il comes upon the s'eurl lie kisses it with in
ii sane nrdor. and when old Piuk'n, who ha
:. told him II is "A photosraph 81 his daughter
ID rutil,s ON about the Ann tliza mine, his cour-
To- remarks about shafts. blasts. g., are supp s-c
ID 10y Mr.. York 10 have reference 70 this youn
.. lady.
e. In orier 20 mako tho mistake wear likcl
NJ face. Mr.. FORK has ior the time being to hecon
nm nin,.t MSS which un docs with a bad lrit. s.