The New York herald., 1879-09-17
ADJUSTMENTS.
UNION SQUARE rHEATRE-sMY PARTNER. {"

UNION SQUARE THEATRE-s'MY PARTNER"
Ssa nee sranSsrs siaris Partners fns Henry Crisp
Wing Lee, Chinese servant a. hotel T. Parsioe
reelection the Legislature. Mr.. Frank Mordaunt
Mr. Matthew Branden. a man who had -
Josiah ,ss serasrs man who never forgot
San, Bowler, miner formerly Of the cir
Mr. wellington wiidgearay;,' an old English
jim johnson, shoriir Of tho county Mr John DALEY
Mary Brandon. "who had no mother to
Grace Branden her younger sister Minnie Palmer
Miss Posie Pentland. spinster, housekeeper at
MISS Aheo
Mr.. BARLEY Campbell has written several excel
mt plays. mono better. however. than that which
was produced last evening at tho Union Square
Theatre, under the above name. before large, FASH
ionable and critical audience In the creation of his
plot and the development of the story-keeping as
he does the tide of interest always at the food-in
happily commingling rough humor and homely
pathos. the author appears to have
ceeded in giving . purely American drama
based incidents that arc possible, and
represented by characters that not extravagant
The story itself is compact and well told and Illus
trated in its several episodes and tableaux. in
genuity from which We may expect better re-
suits. Nevertheless my Partner" while in every
sense strong enough to command generous ap-
plause such frequently ELECTED last
evening. is not without imperfections. and
will bear with advantage a touch Of tho
pruning knife The events that furnish the motive
and the incidents introduced to aid tho plot belong
entirely to what is known "border Hfe," but in
the presentation of these there is deicacy of treat
ment in the dialogue and color given to the lam
guage that elevates the play far above the level Of
the so-called "border drama" There revol-
yer discussions and lynchings. no eruption of red
shirts and slang phrases. but in tLeir place tho
home utterances of men and women who. with
or two exceptions, might have lived and had their
being anywhere else than in California.
The play opens in the mines of Northern Califor-
mia. with view of Mount Shasta in the moonlight
in which Marston has excelled himself. Indeed for
depth of perspective color as well as for
majestic grandeur OF proportion it almost above
criticism. In the immediate foreground stands the
Golden Gate Hotel. OF which an Englishman named
Brandon is the proprietor. He has two daughters
motherless girls-upon whom the whole wealth Of
his affection has centred. The eldest. Mary. has
loved mot wisely but too well.' handsome young
miner named Ned Singleton who loves her sincerely
in return; but being careless fellow, neglects to
redeem his promise Of making her his wife until
matters have reached this crisis the play begins,
the scene opening with dance at Brandons.
to which, among others, come Josiah Scraggs, who
formerly employed as clerk in Brandons
fathers house in London. where he Il rival for
grown out of this old love affair. and Brandon had
struck Scraggs with whip. This the latter never
both. The partner OF singleton is rough. good
hearted fellow, named Joe Saunders. He, too loves
Mary, without even suspectng either the perndy Of
within the house, he accidentally meets her out
side. in the moonlight and, through very pretty.
tender love scene, discloses his passion for her.
Touched by his tenderness she is about to confess
her guilt, when she is overcome with grief and,
casting herself down. breaks into tears Joe think.
ing she had tainted. goes off to get some water
from a spring, and. in his absence, Ned enters.
She upbraids him tor his neglect and Joe re-en-
fha In
Ned to fulfil his oft-repeated promises. The dis
covery of his partners perhdy and of Marys fault
is q severe blow to the man who loved them both
very dearly; but when Ned promised again to make
her his wife Joe advances menacingly and compels
Josiah scraggs comes upon the scene unobserved
and thus discovers that the daughter Of his
is at the mercy OF sngletons caprice.
In the following act, after very humorous politi
cal caucus, the partners meet in their cabin and
having divided their savings part Joe refusing the
hand of his friend when offered. Immediately
Joe's departure scraggs enters. and in
bring shame upon tho child Of his enemy, tries to
convince Ned that Mary was the mistress of his
partner and therefore not worthy of any good
mans name. quarrel follows between Ned and
life. takes that OF Ned and escapes Joe MEANWHILE
repentng OF his cruel words to his partner returns
and offers his hand to him. The dead man has
fallen in chair his head upon the table, and Joe.
believing he Is still alive. makes known in speech
full of homely pathos and beauty. his regret that
Then comes the discovery of the murder and the
despair of Joe. while the act closes with his arrest
for the killing or his friend. In the third
act. which takes place six months after. Joe is
trial for his lie. and Mary, who fed from home the
night OF the tragedy returns in the vague hope Of
helping him in some way. While the jury is delib-
Grating a verdict, Joe accompanied by the Sher-
i'll, goes to Brandons for supper, and is thus en-
abled to witness the meeting rather and daughte
The old man. with high sense Of honor, comm ands
Mary to tell him where she has been. why
sue wens away awny and and, refuses use to receive her
She tries to speak in vain. but finally
is about to do So when Joe interferes to save hcr
tItuk,A ~ de-
child. aud command her to speak" Indignantly
exclaims her father ''She is my wife and l forbid
her to utter q word" is Joes reply Here follow u
succession of dramatic SURPRISES eliminating in al
exceedingly strong situation.
tality of Britt, local politician, and Chinaman
the real murderer is discovered. and all things end
as all things in a play should end happily. This is
but the vaguest outline of remarkably story. full
OF virlity and containing great deal of originality
in treatment and effect.
From the foregoing sketch Of the plot 1t will be
my Partner affords not little scope for
admirable character acting, and this availed
by Messrs Aldrich. Crisp. Parsloe Frank Mordaunt
q carefully studied type of the California miner.
rude Of speech. but tender hearted and heroic. Mr..
Crisp. the partner. likewise very effective and
in the scene where he is discovered dead-s;abbed
to death by the treachcrous Scraggs-made one Of
Britt of Mr.. Mordaunt introduced this we'll known
artist in a new phase. but one which he utilized
in expressing the rough and ready humor Of
word of warm praise for the admirable manner in
which he personated the sly and smiling villain who
caused the chief trouble. The broadly comic elo-
ment supplied by Mr.. Parsloe. who, the
Chinaman. Wing Lee. not only kept the house in the
best of humor. but eventually served to solve the
mystery of the murder Of Ned Singleton.
Matthew Branden, 1.-THE man who had
better days." was well sustained by Mr.. Harry Ed
wards In personating Mary Branden Miss AIaude
Granger in OF her best performances.
She acted most unwelcono part, and yet did
with grace intensity aud purity OF eocution that
made her one of the central figures the play.
Miss Minnie Palmer. the sister Grace. had little
more do than to be sweotly sympathetic. but
acted so we'll that she could scarcely be replaced
without being missed.
at the end OF the performance tho author was
called before the curtain, and in few well chosen
words thanked the audience for the kind reception
they had given to "My Partner" and expressed tho
hope that the play would bo as warmly welcomed
for many night to come
NOVELTY THEATRE, BRooKLYN, L. d.
Tho third week of the second year OF expert
rnent In theatricals in Wiiliamsburg-to call tho