New-York tribune., 1886-03-31
THE DRAMA-MUSIC.
MADISON SQUARE THEATRE-BROKEN
HEARTS AND OLD LOVE LETTERS.

An important change of bill was accomplished last
night in tasteful and able manner, at the Madison
Sonare Theatre, where Mr. Palmer revived Mr.. w. =.
GHbert's comedy of Broken Hearts and Mr.. Brou-
son Howards comedy OF "Old Love Letters" This
combination of plays is appropriate and fecltons Mr.
Gilbert's comedy is ideal and poetic; Mr. Howard's
comedy is actual and literal; but both these pieces
rove within the realm of the affections, both
sutuscd with the gentle light of romance, both
toucbed with tender melancholy; and eaeh has the
effect of stimulating certain elevation OF thought as
a sequence upou chastcned feeling. Broken Hearts"
is written in blank verse; sod Love Letters " IN
prose Neither is to this stage and yet to many
persons such works always como as revelations.
Coventry Patmore has written significant truth 10
these simple words:
Love wakes mPn a Lifetime each;
They lift their heavy heads and look.
And TO- what one sweet hour can teach
They read with ioy-he shut the book
Mr. Gilbert calls his picoc FairyPlay." He has
imagined a lonely, beautiful island. IN "meh few
maidens. unhappy in love- haze taken refuge having
for their servant an ugly and missbapen dwarf But
love is necessity to their hearts, and one of them
oives or love to sun dial willie another her sister
he-tows # upon fountain. To this island comes
Prince Florian" possessed of magic veil which,
when he wears it, renders lin invisible TO mortal eyes,
He is thus enabled TO speak TO these maldens unseen
by them from the sundal and from the fountain Eut
the dwarf who loves the most magnificent and most
earthly one of them. steals t1is tasman from him.
and within this purloined security the lady of
his love and wins her promist When he makes him
self known she eludes him. obtaining the vel and pun
sbinc his dupcity by making herself invisible 10 him
forever II Is the Pruce Floran whom she loves.
and who loves her; and in thc end they are united;
but this union involves the sacrifice aud death Of her
" N 'lro Al
broken-hearted, renounclng him for her nvais sake
The episode OF the dwarf in this piece is a.nos5
tragca in the expression winch it involves OF rejected
passion and consequent misery.
Indeed the whole piece is invested with tho
sombre color of such grief as seems to be Ia
.eDerablc from the highest iecng- possible TO
human nature under the mostly hard conditions Of
human life Ii may be taken As an aegory. and GER
tainly it is harmonious with experience. 10 some
men, as to Prince Floran," all things are given;
others like MOI sta" the dwarf, are born tie VIC
tins of perpetual blight" Some women, ike Nayir."
deserve all and obtain nothing. Others, like ila"
win without effort Love gives it H. aud does not
20 by merit or deserving The world l, iLll OF bfJkta
hearts and blighrd liSes-a sequcnt on the influence
of this passion which yet no one seeks and few eau
avoid M Gilbert ha, painted tender aud touching
tlcture of the TRUTH and somewhat contrary To A's
usual custom ne has iorDorue to d-ngnre II with even
a single touch II crlr satire or scorni1 bitterness.
BTuhcu Hears j., Vciutp- tHt most '.ret pD'tl-
cal OF ll- writings. How d'rpIy his lee ~ were n-
sol v,l Iu t u tr inf cr,c from the ahr p; cAPc-s-
i've liza, tuA, hc Vryt' a. the end oi his ninurgIpl
" Finish d. Monday n November. 1910. al I-i'
A. H. thank God Inns, we may ue sure. was sec
down IN a very different spirit from that 10 whicn
sb.r dam wrote on bi, final Ms of the >choO,
Scau al" Finished AZ last. thank God - and -
which llopkin, the Promptcr. aided MS euthgst,'ic
Amen (" " BroSen Heart, j.. probably. too @elchtr
a work for general public acceptance: but that TACT
does not myaiiate H. worth Litr"htuie w'u!d have
to be defined igiu. n ever J; were made Gep"Id
able Oh the caprice OF pub liking. >nch play -
the medication Of beauty. ana theatrical manager
,bolll NOT only br rewarded with pros -pcIty but
recognized with honor VIXEN h. displays th" g0pd
taste the courage and the iar-sighod wisdom ID place
II mon hi, stage Ac good tndt !, done Ia th> way
IN tae exercise of a reuAed aud enuop"l- iuu1"nre
upon u g mind, OF the young M The rebukc ~ ,ordlt
aims and low IDEAS and the possible awakening ~
I'd and hardened seA'!Dhtes-N hot ed'ly 20 Dc
Mr. Palmer at the Madison square Theatre has
GIVEN a lovely scenic inycsiturc To- IA play. dAd II
ac,cr, -" Inc Lady Ili.ia. Mande HaiI',on; lie
Lady Vayir" Ann q Russell Ike Lady Ncii'iAe.
F,tnr; Prince Florian, l.. F. Nl-oen: aud
" Mou>ta." W j. lie .Moyhe The actors opportunity
IN hIoaen Itart, ~ ac,'S- rl tt.t m iono
wa. nucly acted by Richard Man'lr'd. ihc pleainS
>precu Of" Mousta and his r"motsriu frenzy, al hS
discontinue" are conceived IN a tragic spirit. ald
20 these Mr.. lie Moyue gave remaraa"is rtect.
M,- Annie Russell invested \avr' with
rri,,,ai .ocetne,, and VITA Sd ta;utd p4th0s from
nrst to last JuririS sufferer. not AN actor. al tAe
tu Co. suggested Oy Ter representative Is ovrin-,S
% condition. Mis-, NaIue IL rllspu senate 4pdt
..fu cuttuiug delcACy ,ud dcci sincere feeling, AMI
M l. f. NI,scu graceful, eiruest and Gle, ti'c IS
pine, yIJ-ltr. Miss N,r.l-ou aui Miss Russell Hels
repeatedly recalled upon the scene and the cuT 1n Vas
rum. ND tcc.try ,ui %. ach t.c turec at, ID
tc.pcu e. o. hearty pAuds Ot d"l-Atcd audience.
rb, entire prrf1rntuce of strength aud beauty.
Mr. Bronson H,wari- comedy O' Old Lp'" letters y
wout n ,ye "A more plqutut HayorO ~ orls ntty Il NJ.
t--t', comedy ot >Wrrturt.t>" ba not ptrcedrd t
n. th- public knowledge r Is. never nrle,>. au i'm.
prr<-lve and lrhins piece, serious IN -lolsht tnt
nurpp>r. ,urchar-rd with sincere feeling auc written
alti Refinement simplicity AMI grace L., totr ot gave
-ruumrut and II gutiy sailcuod remiu.>ururr Nt-,
if this prr'ormtute, wei" sustained AMI conveyed hy
A.u., Booth an tf,rhc.t krl,ry The ,t!-ujtuce
lrl, standing t.e storm; aud = Kind Puulc
Wei ONE ma AZ bee 'Vtri 4, tuslry ~ su.C'>~,
f;ro,ru ifrit, " auI " old Love Letters " Will main
t their place upon stage Tor many nights. Iucy
ma. .ut however. been pas 40 tor long ctr~"T NJ
Palmer mas a coined, iom the French, IN reurtr>.
d with the production OF III, piece lie intends 10 ~'uI
up his ptrsrut season