Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-12-06

J Il 14N 4nxbAxOICl\NE MO.
Just at the depth to which they were Or
dered to 60, they came upon the tops Of
row Of great amphore-wine jars They
are about eighteen centuries old, five feet
in height and would hold several barrels.
They will be kept as curiosities.
THE DRAMA.
s. "A Child of the state' ii. Fulton Opsr.
The production of George Hoey's new
anna of "a Child of the State, a. Full
ton opera house, Saturday night, was
greeted by an audience Of goodly numbers.
The play is good one and the success
that rewarded it last season is not likely to
wane SO long as it continues in such excel
lent hands as those by which it was pre-
sented to our people. Its scene is
laid in The Hague, Holland, and deals with
statute of that ancient commonwealth
which provides for the protection Of
the honor Of all charity orphans who have
been specially adopted by the state and
taken under it broad 9gis, by requiring that
any man who shall assail or in any degree
compromise that honor shall be compelled
to marry the orphan, the alternative beng
death. The Count Maurice Delaney is a
gay young French gallant, who whilst
travelling in Holland engages in firta-
tion with one of these charity orphans,
ignorant of course of the peril he encoun-
ters by this indulgence of the national
penchant. Gertrande, child of the state,
dazzled by his wealth and title, encourages
his advances, conscious of her power to
cause him to marry her or pay her a
liberal price for her silence. The count,
who is easily entrapped by the orphans
machinatiops, really loves another, Marie,
adopted daughter Of the chief magistrate
of Tho Hague to her he plights his
faith, and at the very instant of
the signing Of the ante-nuptial con-
tract Gertrandc, the child of the state,
interferes by accusing Maurice Of having
promised to marry her, and presents to
him the alternative Of fulfilling his obi
cation or suffering the highest penalty of
the law. The Frenchman is not long in
making up his mind, preferring death to
a union with one whom he has grown to
despise and abhor. The main action of the
play henceforth relates to the extri-
cation of Maurice from his direful
dilemma, to which end is brought
to bear q wealth of incident that holds the
attention ofthe spectator steadfast, whilst
the complications of the plot are as num-
erous as they are ingeniously arranged and
clevcrly wrought out. The dramatic stu
ations are numerous and exciting, the eli
makes effective, the dialogue is crisp and
the entire movement rapid and satisfac-
tory. 1t is no carping spirit which prompts
the suggestion that the general effect of
the performance would be greatly en-
henced by the cutting of the final act,
which is of unreasonable length, and be.
comes almost wearisome in view of the
fact that the most powerful effects have
been produced in the preceding act, and
the only real necessity for the fifth is to
taper off the performance, it being wholly
without denOuement or effective passage.
Mr.. Hoey would do his play service by
running his pen through the greater portion
of the prosy scenes and useless con-
versation that make up Act 5 after the
thrilling finale OF the fourth act, all the
spectator wants to see is a concise and
orderly termination, in which the few re-
naming threads may be gathered up and
complete fabric which with this improve.
ment would be wholly creditable and salts
factory.
The company is one of admirably adjust
ed strength. The central male characters
of the Count Maurice Delaney and his
friend Gros Rene just fit the shoulders of
Jas. NJ. Hardie and George Hoey, who re-
spcctively perform the parts. The former
is tall, handsome, a model of the careless
French nobleman rs represented in the
earlier stages Of the play, afterwards
wrought up to a sense of the terrible situ-
alton to which his thoughtlessness and in
discretion had brought him. He is es-
pecially good in the emotional scenes, and
showed great power in the duel scene
where he fights and kills Christian. Mr..
Hoey, as tho light hearted and eccentric
Gros Rene, q staunch friend of Maurice in
all his difficulties, created \ very favorable
impression and is a good actor. Mr.. Will
A. Sands was thoroughly satisfactory
in his role of Christian Ayer, ad-
vocate and Murice's rival for the
hand of Narie rs were also Messrs. H.
Rees Davis and Carl Ahrendt in their re.
spectivc parts, the former as Frederick ron
Heinrich, chief magistrate of The Hague,
and the latter as Walbery, the scheming
uncle. Miss Ellen Cummins, in tho un-
gracious role of Gertrande, left no
doubt of her ability as an actress.
The part is not an agreeable one
that of a charity orphan, "child of
tho state" whose nature has been warped
and distorted by real and fancicd grew
ances-and the most positive compliment
to Miss CUMMINGS rendition of
the character was the decided dis
like for the charity orphan that the
audience early manifested, which, however,
subsequently melted to pity and compass
sion in the affecting passage wherein
Gertrande learns that she has mother and
that that mother had not deserted her as
she had all her life imagined.
Miss Minnie Monk, rs Louise Ton
Heinrich, gave good Interpretation
of the character, though her acting was
q trile uneven. Miss Eva Glen Barker
was attractive in the character of Marie,
and is a promising young actress, while
Miss Katie Baker, as Carline,a child of tho
state, whose sunny temper and frankness
were in such striking contrast with the
soured disposition of her sister in misfor-
tune, gained the goodwill of the audience
by hcr rendition Of the part.
YE OLDEN TIME.
Staging to Washington Through Lancaster.
In Josiah Quincy's "reminiscences, being
published in the New York Independent,
appears the following item from his diary
which has q certain local interest