, 1881-04-17

| To the Editor Of The Chicago Tribune
! CHICAGO, April 1G.-Prof. Swing may be
| very good preacher; he Is certainly q mos
entertaining dramatic critic, and when HI
essays that T6le as lie sometimes does, HI
resembles very much the bull in the chin;
shop. The Professor has the reputation u
being profound thinker; he is I; grea
re:lsoner is the Professor; and 1t is therefore
only naturai that gentleman of such c
severely intellectual cast should feel q SOY.
ereign contempt for the hasty, iIl~cousideEed,
badly-'tIeasted criticisms In the daily papers,
!. and whenever l1c finds pretext his VIZ:
tuous Indignation bubbles over and ruslles
him il1to print with the philanthropic desire
Ut saving the public from being deluded
by the lashness Of newspaper-writers. In Il
letter published in THE TRlBcSE OF. Friday
it seems that tile Professor was "nllured By
the public prints " into expanding money for
seats for Grncyieve Wards performance in
rgpt-s1e-Not.' " For All hour,'' says the
Reverend David, "the hope was indulged III
that the play might reveal some moral lesson
at last; might show how unjust the fashiull-
able world is to an erring woman as COM
pared to I'LL immoral man; that Miss Ward
would show. how impossible it Is for in Il r.
claste wife Or woman to make return to
public esteem, however much she may seek
with tears to b: received by the friends of
her youth, but not even this lesson Is left as
tile reward Of all evening OF expectation, for
StclInl'tfc proves to be- ali assassin arl not an
errlng wolan.--the lesson direct being that 4
ulurderess will sooner or later be unpopular!
In making Stcpllu3tic 4 murderess the pluy is
ruined Just It's fully rs though SHE had been
tnt!;s,er.ued suddenly into Topsu or Irs.
Malaprop" S1w, the most charitable
fft slff ttF.ff
character Of stcphU'lte is that tie
reverend critic WIS either asleep during the
progress Of the play or else he was so busily
occupied III shaping his ''swett, sweet sac
ious Of what tra'lspired on the stage. For
SfcLl.lnic is not Il lll1rttere5s ar all. At an
early age she va; married 10 the Marquis 1c
Mp'srica,t, who kept Il gaunas-honse fire.
qnentet! BY the Young rakes OF Paris. .Sts-
I"m.s nc; acte as .1ecoydIek Among the
Cursican. He tel! i'll love with her, and was
ruined The Corsican then found that she
was lnatfled to the !Ifuruuis, and he entered
tue house one night, slew the husband. and
police interfcred. The CorsIcan was sent to
the ealleys: After a time he wus given his
freedoul. In the llaeantille Steplelnic seeks |
to abandon ''cr past life, aud, through the
knowledge OF a certain secret. saddles her !
getting Il social fouting. This family Is freed |
from her presence by the appearance Of the |
Corsican, whose thirst for her blood !
is quite as great as 1t was before
no went 10 the galleys. The reverend |
David is s,ortsightel If he cannot see |.
Noral in all this.-that 4 woman whose eNrly |
life has been stained rs Stepl.unics has been !
,;ln never regain 4 place OF responsibility |
II the social economy of things. uer i'll
uuity will ind her out /
The reverend writer winds up his letter BY
laying that he has never ''happencl upon
worse play than furget-Me-Nut.' Accord
nS to the best dramatic authorities OF Lon
Ion amt this country Prof. David SWINGS
ssimate of this play us Il work OF art is quite
5 value!ess rs hts comprehension Of the
ilnple meaning OF the druma is erroneous,
PLAYGDEE. |