The Portland daily press., 1878-09-27
MORNING, SEPTEMBER ~.

and not as the heroine of classic tragedy or of
a society play. She is a good, strong, healthy,
lovely truthful specimen OF simple Euglish
womanhhod-such as we have not for long
time seen on the stage,
The transition from the conflicting emotions
which end N the acknowledged mastery OF
love to the decisive action that cuts and leaves
bleeding the tendrils OF home affections and
relations, and that develops the witeiy devo-
ton OF strong nature, is great one, ana
affords some opportunities for the display OF
the sort of sensational power with which MISS
Davenport has already made us familiar. But
this-which was naturally the part OF the per-
formanca that called out the most applause
was neither the best nor the most difficult of
her achievements. What impressed us far
more than the crisis of this part of the play,
in which she finally strikes her betrayer, was
her slowness in experimenting the baseness,
hypocrisy and fppant viciousness OF her sup-
posed husband; her simple and unostentatious
displays of wifely confidence; her sincere and
hopeful efforts to win him to her own complete
devotion. Even the striking was not at all mel
odramatic or STACEY" And the true womanly
weakness is SO depicted as to reveal its NOR al
strength. 1t is not to be despised; it only
makes the false husband more despicable. We
can realize that even the rake who reveals his
own baseness and her supposed ruin, told the
truth when he said that her loyalty to her love
and simple faith almost made him releut from
his purpose of abandonment. The dawning
of her dreadful situation on nature so in
genuous and untaught in the ways of the
worlds wickedness was SO temporarily and
truthfully portrayed that a heart of stone
might have been melted with a new compass
sion.
The third phase of the character showed
higher development. The Inherent
strength of pure and simple womanhood
tried by the fires of passion, nerved by betrayal
into fortitude, sustained by the reviving faiths
and affections of home and chastened by hu-
initiation, was strongly and feelingly depicted.
The character IS the same; its interior consis-
tency is its greatest triumph. 1t grows before
our eyes, and we see that it ia the same nature.
This is high success in difficult attempt. 1t
offers little chance for sensationaism of display
or in the criticism thereof and that is its SUI
preme merit. 1t is a genuine, original, living
realization of more truthful Olivia than Mr..
Wills had conceived. 1t would have delighted
the soul Of poor Goldsmith, could he have seen
it in his day and generation. .sssarf ..s
We have not allowed ourselves to be diverted
from our main purpose of recognizing the gen.
eral traits of Miss DavenporLs Olivia by dwell
ing on the minor inequalities or imperfections
of a performance that, as whole, is SO truth
full, vigorous and wholesome. Time enough
for that even if she does not-as she probably
will-correct her own faults, tone down some
passages and inspire every detail with the gen.
ius that is SO finely displayed in the consste Mt
conception and general treatment of the char
acted. 1t is more important now, as well as
gracious aud just, to frankly acknowledge our
obligations to ner for adding to our too limited
stock of genuine and lovely characters, one that
is all pure, womanly, simple natural and good
for good people to study and love.