New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-10
MI1SIC AND THE DRAMA
CLARA MORRIS AS MERCY MERRI'K.

loo The piece that she has presented Is a" "..,'
+,or of the ono by WilHe Collins 40. ""''" ..''
do,pioapt Intellectual power, the strhu-5' "'-
.nirt. and the dehcare cietn-cut arusu' 'N
Nrss Ada Cavendisn -pabei that daSn'hs u'''''
20 WIN a brilliant and well r'mempeiou N''
Miss Morris-if we may trust our reM,'n'I"i.
tbs other plav-has made changes lH 'h' lex .''
not in the plan. There was no h'eA ~,
- ~ i.bor-the Workmanship of Wile
Collins whether literary or dramatic oe'ng 'N.''-
lont and far above the mental capacity OF MISS NOT
=, ny ,f INV other member of the dramatic pic.e--
-. and H. coes without saying that there rs "o
I,+-,rv man Of the age who would presume |" Eel-
de with any work of art once petle'JeI oi tH'
Great writer. No doubt, however. IN the maNAg ''
tbis adaptation there more tAoogA' OF the I'7-
Of prooertv than Of amendment To The drama MIS-
Morn, la. retained all Of the dramah po!HtS Oh I"e
original play The first act IS an epitome Vi me ~
citing ni,toriaL strongly -colored ana Wou''il''N
effective prologue to the novel IN which ora hose
berry and Mercy Nerriek first meet on battle-heId
and craze Bose cry Is struck down oy
a strav shot. and Mercy Nertck takes the
rlace of what she suppose, to be dead
,,or,a, The second act is q condensed expos ton
of srbs.ouenf events II the English conventional
homo of Lain Janet R,y it includes the betrothal Of
,be fictitious Grace RosebeTy to Horace Hoimcrot
her meeting with Julian GRAY and hrr dlscomI ure
81 the appar!tion of the woman whose name ana
Mace she has wrongfully assumed. The third ACT
Contains the scene of the encounter between me TWO
,romeu in which the scorn and cruelty of vndiclve
virtue cmbtter and harden the repentant son OF
vie and misfortune; and II ends with the rea
Nsrry NerricEs heroic act OF selt-cohques'' Inc
Ias, scone il, tabeau Of restitution with such ac-
non a. is designed 20 teach that there may he per
t.ot redeurton. social as well as moral.
"
roeor,rs and has the courage to DO
- The clearlv-drawn and well-contrasted char
ooto-s tbe steadily accelerated movement. the ac-
,,,, at,ve interest the splendid situations. and
she treuchant purpose Of the original story are thus
distinctly presented. The piece, indeed does not
and no dramatic treatment coud-reproduce maj
On. ANALYSIS Of motives and complex tissue Of senti-
rneDt feeling reasoning. manners. epGram anu dry
humor for which the novel Is remarkable. Never
theess considered as to its dramatic attributes II
is an excellent play.
In "The Woman in White and " Armaiae.'
which we take 10 b. ms greatest books, the mind o.
Wnkie Collins seems to have been swayed almost
exclusively by his wonderful Imagination. In more
vacant worls-in "No Name" Man aud Wife,
1.-THE New Magdalen and The Black Robe
ba has very clearly shown his desire TO connect
his writings with practical questions OF the age
and ~ enforce moral lessons Of immediate and np-
plicable significance. There IS, for example, no
where ex'ant more subtitle, cogent and hhaI
treatment Of the muscular development humbug
of the present day than may be found IN MS novel
of Man and Wife 1t simply exhau7ts the sub
iect In this effort and in kindred efforts his pur-
nose IL a moral one and he does not mean thai W"
shall escape it, The New Magdalcn" is plea,
with society. for women who come out OF life of
vice and wish aud try to lead a life Of virtue IL
As impossible accordingly. 10 restrict the discussion
OF the NORTHWESTERN play OF novel-to its dramatic
values alone IL is sermon as well as a
drama. and its moral values have also
10 be considered. To our thought, they are not
entirely clear. The charity, the tender COM
passion the humanitarian spirit. and the hopeful
and cheering drift Of the piece are, OF course OBJ
vious and unmistakable Literature presents no
instance of n better friend to woman than WIlKie
Collins. In depicting hdgdaIen TGHstoHs, RosGnHG
Spearman He,ter Dethridqe bsrcg Merrick, and even
Mss GtciH he has shown not only the prDtoundeSt
knowledge Of female human nature but the uOblest
and loveiest sympathy with the feminine heart and
temperament, and a very broad, manly, lenlcnt, and
exactly intelligent judgment as to the circumstances
under which plays her part in this world
His spirit IN this respect is finer than that OF
Steele while his wisdom isfully commensurate with
that of Thackeray But, in the logic ot morality
which appes 10 Mercy McYTirk his teaching seems 10
INDEFINITE. ANA IOI tulo Alupit dl' comprehensive
reason-that she is entirely, exceptional woman,
and therefore not representative Of the class of
" jmen 10 be redeemed. 1t IL unquestionably right
that SIR Patrick Lundy should marry AHHe Sylrcyter
notwithstanding he is aware that she has been be-
tTayed under promise of marriage. Peculiar CIR
cumstanccs Justify unusual conduct. Ii Is both right
and noble that Julian Gray should marry Mercy NeT-
rick who has cast her sins away. and eXpated her
wTong-dOinr by an act Of moral heroism such rs
proves hci to be innatey good and supremey true.
But here again the circumstances are peculiar II
every repentant sinner man or woman were an he
roic being it might be possible 20 formulate upon
suoh case as that Of Merry N071rk the principles
that ought 20 govern society in it, treatment Of per
sons reclaimed from vicious life. But. as Things
really are the question, il seems 70 Is one that
cannot be resolved. and must be left
70 Individual Judgment. Furthermore, in one
aspect Of the subject neither the individual nor The
world can avail 20 renstate the soul that has
drltted into sin. Every wound leaves its scar.
MTcy ueyri.k is not the only human or allure who
cries ou' IN the bitterness of despair, can't get
back " No remOrse repentance. no atonement
viii again % white aud pure the spirit thar sin
has polu. WjIe Collins has himself enforced
this trutL Ia wha be makes R0saaHG SPearmGa say.
70 old Bet,cr1ige III The Mooustouo ~" The stain
Is taken of-but the place shows
Mis-, Morris, as local play goers are aware. long
ago Indicated her proclivty for such dramatic types
asinvo.ye the tumultuous passions the shpwrecSs
of the heart and the serious and painful
mora problems that are suggested IN plays
Of tn, order Of The New Mag lalen.'
Her uuper,ouation Of Nery Nerrjck is full
Of her own passionate individuality. hvstcrcal
sen,ibiAty aud ferrous force and, IN fact is far
revelation of personal attributes than AN as
sumption of character. IL the roug scene of the
third ,r makes % sudden and startling dramatic
transition E.; n the hui itV gTlrt 10 the lev COM