, 1881-08-28

doomed to be an unhappy one The conflict
faith with rntlonallsln had not bccu completed
but postponed. There had been a trice de-
ctared. but the articles OF peace had not bcer
| draWn Up.
Although Daniel has the worst Of it in argu-
! ment and scnsblity, Il fair defense Of him may
easily be framed. Sardou. indeed, has put in
| his mouth systematic Justification OF his con
duct. lie takes up successively the 1olio"ins
| positions:
! F'trst-"Eoth my private inclinauons and my
| public duty fursl ME to recogn.ze the forms or
| agents Of u superannuatcd religion.
steoni-" VIII do vioicnce to my private feel
| lnCs IT eau do SO without compromising MY
| public usefulness, Hence will consent 10 this
midnight marria:c IN church. II It is y Kept wholly
secret SO that nobody stall be told OF It except
the minister and ourselves.
| Third For the sake Of my wife, who. as her
! cousin has pointed Out. deems the ceremony es-
| scntfaf 10 tho completion OF the contract be-
| FORM"
OF him. but ne does reluctantly Ills stubborn
| ness would bc wholly incacusablc but fur his
! character Of statesulan and leader Of n party
that side wbich is a buiwark Of defense
for D1uid. 1t is not himself he cares
about but his party, his principles, his
cansc- lie has put his unce i'll place und entered
upon Il crusade against religion He had hoped
tu free the tntcllec; of his countrymen from
1.-The intoicratle nightmare which has so long
burden which the support OF useless nl1n!Mc-
rie@ has created and imposed upon them. How
can he be 1nnrried FROM the house Of his mprtal
focs That is his defense, u1ld IL stroug, though
NOT a sufficient, 0nc-
Lea lnpons her own cause still more
powerfully "The sacrifice ask uf you," sho
says. as i'll noWisc to .bc compared to the
sacrifice you ASK Of me. ! ask you to
consent to :: ceremony that you deem use
rite rite consider s!crctl." She has tho best Of
1t also ia tno midnight Interview Instantly she
reads Daniels motives in seeking her out ut
night, alone. Iie hau cntuc to compromise, her.
50 That she might mot hnvo the power to with
draw from the partial CONTRACT She r.:sents
that attempt upon her honor rs mean, cownrdly,
appear III :. despcable light through all this
sctnt. His plotting ngainst IL defenselcss girl
who. although she 1iay be his wife, does not con.
slider herself so is unchivalrons. I',,r she still
loves hila- Though she has tathoncd his mo-
1ives. she cannot hate him. She cntrea1s hin 10
80 with her 70 tho church Wien be
seilse Of personal injury. and still more
kce:nly tho CONSCIOUSNESS that her accepted
lovcr has an itSloblc nature. Ills character is
rerealcd,-its pride. o1stinacy, and hardness.
The gross auin,atism OF tho man had been seen
before: but Lca still cherished the belief TINT it
was redeemed by spiritual qualities ot high
order. She learns her error. He is Of the earth
earthly. With this discovery tho last vestiEc Of
her respect for him disappears forever. liz. has
Killed her love. She accepts tho separation bo-
cause she No loti:.t:r respects bs:Hict She sees
l1o prospect ut happiness Ill such a uninn. llcr
IL.
leaves him, 49, but her sorrow is not on
Ills account She srieycs Il. tho parting from
tho ideal lJantcl, which the true l'"cAat never
was Or could be- Her image Ut tisn.,.s she he
licved him to be when she promised to bo his
wife. hes in ruins about her.
Hut the drtmatst is NOT 1nerciJess. IIe has left
2 Eleari Of hopt for Lsn and her friends. How
long will she be lnsensblc to tho unselnsh de-
votion Of her cousin Charles! That is Il rcflec-~
ton which sentimental persons are permitted 10
pursue ut tholr leisure.
SARA JEWETT AND ssDASIEL
ROCu!AT-''
When "Daniel Eochat" was produced in
New York its termination was the subject of
general dissatisfaction. At the time 4 party
were discussing the consistency Of the play,
and one maintained that the ending was per-
fectly i'll accordance with the development
OF the two leading characters. III order to
crafty his own convictions and ascertain the
views Of one Of the Interpreters of the re-
play, lle wrote to Miss Sara Jewett
and elected the following interesting reply:
Of Daniel Rochat,' must 1esin oy paS;ng n @ my
the il:st and best draMatists Of our day, and / ]
lind myself bappy and ut ease in denons1rut- |
ing the eS1uisit consistency of his work. 10 !
EAe ne seems Il master III motive and dramatic |
construction. and if my sentiment and feeling |
did not agree with his, should differ with !
lgrce with the belief OF Ltxt Henderson in |
DInNt Eucfidt, but she agrees SD perfectly |
with herself as Il character thnt cannot con- |
:eive Of changing the result or the play. It is
most Painful. but inevitable. understand that |
It would be itlilnitty more comforting ru bring
Tue lovers together, but [ think it would he en-
tirely out Of harmony with the TWO characters.
They represent ODposit types, equally strong,
equally sincere. In both cases love meaut de-
nand, and q concession OH either side could
lot have been genuine,-only Il means to gain
IN end Lea was wise enough to see this,
md tho dignity and pathos OF her reunnca-
ion Is to me most eloquent. 1t is Il tragedy Of
CONVICTIONS. buH:cr. yielding WIS only a tenn |
,orary weakness; he was SECURE III his disbc-
icf US Lea in her belief. They had grown into |
litlercnt faiths, and the sympathy they desired.
Zach i'll the other, did not exist Lct. says: THE
ljsr1ntc between souls would only widen !
md widen, a1ll finally engrlf o,,r happiness"
'he interest Of tho play seems to inc to t!e in
he development of The two characters; the ar |
:uineHts OH both Sides Of tho religious question
GEMS to 1lc mere platitudes.-they have been
made over n1lt over again. The woln;tn's belief
IL sentiment OF her nature li,4.l into rouyc-
ion: the man S atheism I'll, experience verified |
y living. it answers his requirements and
grees with his study aud otncryatton. Why
hould her influence contralic: his determine
ion! His mind would surely assert itself
gtinst her, and knowing this she felt her TAIL |
re. No, lcAtn0t imagine influence strong
nough to change the character OF either. and |
he intinit dignity OF tho separation expresses |
trtectIy love that life made Impossible.
SARA JEwE1r.
=