The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-14
THE IDYLLIC ERR


sss snccOeds IN rcmoululnH ""S"'"E'o"
,.,in,'a delicious blanc mango lhe Romance
r ,.n.ny Hollow" 1t is pretty certain an idylic
HI. at in. and II IL quito allowable ior us 10
.,,, the Clara Louise lion OF America TO llo
VO harmony with the lamb OF Rozeaud-
.b,eh is. indeed. the latest mlllehhia para
graph =, soor, o. 90, ovo,
,h tnis torrid haze. Of tho Immediate
w'O That yoracious monster OF the stage
''nh hoa eobbed up all there was Of passion
W., emotion in contcmporanoous life. is dis
So IN 20 backward. and polish anew the
.s.hod and tender bones OF literature along
he old path.
vsry GOOD. THE Vicar OF Wakefield" and
NO Legend Of Sleepy Hollow" have to our
,..,,J ears the pleasant and primitive gurgle
',mIk after all the poignant tearing OF flesh In
na,mo,onal slaughter house. and the carnv-
,n. animal man. who. when he cannot have
.'sJ,,torinl contests and bull fights. invents
r..,ulss and Miss Multons. and keeps his
en,,ha turned down during the performance.
.,y vet be weaned by two such mild -mannered
..r,mers AS Fanny Davenport and Gentleman
George.
,n moment when the actualtles are fretted
nth such mingled sayagery and stupidity
,o,,orian and municipal. us Montreal evolves
,,t nation Of forty millions makes carnage
,nd hloodshed perpetual rather than practice
N, ,ns,ec its civilization boasts and it's un-
,r,,r.l s,ynges expect. It is comfortable to turn
h ,be serene possibilities Of literature.
Let u.s. says Mr.. Rowe. in his inimitahlo
manner. no longer revol in tho fierce conflict
efthc present Mr.. Rowe was somewhat over
anne By the rays OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. He
undertook to dramutize II New York mob In his
tay Of Filth Avenue and he dressed him
.ei In eggings and war paint and scalped
Tsnimore Cooper in The Leatherstocking
Tie nerccncss " his intention did not in either
MAY compensate the inanity OF execution. Now
Lepurposes to bask in the twilight OF tradition
nis noteworthy that sweetness and light will
o., come into the theatre by any other than the
back door Dramatic amiability ike dramatic
passion is retrospective.
II is the property man or the scene painter
who is entitled to shout progress. The play
wright is a crab and goes backward. All his
wealth is treasure troye. Somebody planted II
before he dug.
But in all his rctrogradc exploits he never
looked 20 curiously out OF place a. he does now.
Inspecting the legendary covert whore Irving
planted his amiahle myths. for Of all the serene
and scholarly oll-school gentlemen who painted
The early genre sketches OF our country Irving
II the last 10 tempt playwright with anything
like situation or Rpassion.
II must he the fclicitous language or what
somebody calls the opalesccnt humor. or II
may be- aud dare say It Is the chaste and tenn
terate disposition Of local color. which ias-
cuates Mr.. Rowe. who is a man Of fine instincts
aud cultivated literary artist and connois-
sour. It cannot be the dramatic intensity Of tho
story and refuse to believe that It Is the dcsr,
10 emulate Boucieault, which moves him.
In iact am sure that Mr.. Rowe and Mia
Davenport both feel that a revulsion II takinl
place IN public taste and that. satiatcd witt
Isych0logit horrors and emotional paroNysms
The amusement-seekin public dosre some Q
The mild delights that charmed our grand
nothcrs-rcally long TO turn away from IN
game and champagne OF Paris to the butter
milk Of rustic England and America
Mr. Palmer Of the Union Square must par
il'ipatc IN the same ieeling-as he purposes I
participate in the production Of The Vicar {
Wakefield and has already given an earne'
o. his general intention by installing Miss Kat
rlaSton ia the Lyceum-a mild pledge Of futuT
tutiermilk.
Could anybody be found who would make 6
Innocent and unoblcctionable Katrina. l.
Mr. Rowe think about it. II tho Hudson riy,
made familiar on canvas. and Irving. Drak
Wills and Morris made tuneiul on paper.
% be transferred 10 the stage. here IL the clev
little woman who will embody the sweet u
iventfulncss Of the American Gretchen so as
bring tears 10 the eyes and bouquets 10 Il
hands Of tho moral youth Of the country.
1t H. however. very diflcult 10 conceive
Mss Davenport adapting her aggressive talon
y this revival Of mildness. She. ! confess. O
nays shone better M the girl Of the period
han as tho heroine Of the past. But there
nothng an American girl cannot shine in VIII
Ihs makes VI her mind-unless II be tho da
d. opera bouffe.
That she would shine In London II the chan
nnie to her | have no doubt. and there is
Hlyor Of the Western girl about her piqual
lnperious dlsdain. a disregard Of the inhe
| hons and time-honored trihes OF tradit
Itch would especially delight the formal En-
TN critics. who have Just got through tclli
D. how good Genevieve Ward is, and what
Ara to think of her when sue reappears here.
Dy tia way. Miss Ward has told us all Il
herself She says she is net bit like Charlo
cusnman. even in Charlotte Cushman's gre
rilss and. | care say. she is right about H.
Il both remarkable and creditabe that I
American actresses have so studiously
/ Utlhel from uOluk tlluks its NuuI4Olle y uS
nan dil them.
Perhaps also. 1t is fortunate for us thi
hat series Of Cushmans would not ha
bon cheerful. Such a rugged peak of gre
na-s ougAtto stand alone-and generally do
II Wien the foothills AFRO labelled with precAutic
Cry worls 10 prevent admirers from nistaki
l.m f4r tie main range. YOU may be sure
tlnirors are not familiar with mountains.
! understand that Miss Ward Is trai
| t"uus "a Ladv MacJeh. Now nothing can
nohler than tho ambition 10 act tragedy Ia {
oiY. Nlen see n woman resolutely Set In {
pain BAY 20 myself There is self-sacriici
heroine, ion she doesn't care for'public opin
d she did, you understand. she would
waste heruno with tragedy. There arc two pl
FRS alive and working here who do SINGER
hll prayey believe In tragedy. One Of IN
! John Mccullough. and the other Is NJ
largon. b tn Of them arc brimful Of enel
mi experience. To hear John McCullou
TAX Of the infatuRtion Of the public
Hamlet" and tho deep, passionate love Of
boys IA tho gallery for Richard" is 10 Re
a. The enthusiasm Of that youngster who S;
"Fycolsi0r"
NCullough is q noble youth--he has all
trior and faith Of tragic infant. It, 81
shame that he and Dsrgon are always at
Iositc sides Of tho same orbit