Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-10-17
THE PRIVATE SECRETARY.
Waat the s.Argomaut,' has to say
About the Play.

Itisa trite saying that il Cleopatra's nose
had been an inch longer the history Of the
world would have been changed. If tho
Rev. Mr.. Spaulding's trousers had been an
inch LONGER, much of the merriment OF
1.-THE Private S.cretlry" would disappear
beneath the extra inch The white, twink
ling effect of the reverend gentlemsn's
hose, as he executes most remarkable Sc
ries OF involuntary exits, is perhaps tho
chief picture that one carries away in ones
mind IF this most amusing little farce.
According to the writer's of comedies. the
three most amusing things in the world, or
at least the best material out OF which stage
amusement is to be created. are baby.
clergyman, and a good old married man
gone wrong. We have chuckled over the
good old married man in Pink Domfn0es,
roared over the baby in Confusion. and
We now scream over this unhappy, redund-
ant young clergyman in "The Private See
retary."
This unfortunate young gentleman Is not
familiar subject to the American eye. He
seems to belong to the. great army OF Gu
rates who swarm like locusts In England.
and who have been made to a. ound In lit
erature through the pens of George Eliot
and Anthony rrollope But he is exagger-
ated beyond these with the humorous Punch
curate, and there is, consequently, some.
thing half familiar in the sleek of his well
brushed hair and the sad shine of poverty
ia his well-w worn, oger.large rainsent:
"Private Secretaries" are dotting the road
pre- tty thiekly at the present reading. and
they are, doubtless all upon one model;
but the part appears to be so peculiarly MT
ted to Mr. Long that 1t seems hardly posi-
BILE there is another just like him. The
class of the humor of the play is distfnc-
lively German 1t is neither new nor original
and the wit Is as simple and natural as the
bubbling of spring, so that we are rather
pleased when the curtain falls unexpectedly
-everythipg's unexpected in THE Private
atar that heipp the the frick 0f ito
find that we have been laughing. like the
simple, easily pleased Germans, ut com
edy without the remOtest spice OF wicked
ness anywhere discoyerable in it. We fig
uratively shake hands with our own moral
ity as with an old friend whom we have not
met for long time, and are pleased to dis
cover some remnant of the angel still in
this Augustan age ofwickedness.
We are laughing at a clergyman, 1t Il
true, bat the laugh is not turned against his
peccadilloes. We laugh, perhaps. because
mis- religion, which seems to it him as his
coat Cught to, never fails him, and keeps
him mild and resigned through bewilder-
ing string of adventures, and because the
little fellow seems to be perfectly impreg-
nsble against surprises.
The following brief synopsis but poorly
gives the reader an idea of this funny play.
which must be seen to ba fully appreciated.
"The private Secretary" is a farce comedy
in three acts, abounding in complications.
which arise from the desire of Mr.. Cater.
mole to have his nephew. Douglas, SOW his
wild oats. This he at once pretends to do.
lie is inspired With the happy thought of
enl lering the house of Mr. Marssand, where
he impersonates the private secretary al
ready engaged. He makes 1t his business
to sceid entally fall in love with the
first pretty girl he finds in the estab ish-
ment. In sowing his wild oats, he
comes in contact with various female mem
bers of the family one of whom is spinsters
whose sensitive soul yearns or spiritual
manifestations. When the real private SEQ
retary arrives, he is forced to perform tho
part of medium, not. however, with any
clearness as to his function. The excite
ment and absurdities OF this particular
scene set the house in great turmoil. The
private secretary doubts his own sanity.
Everything is a. cross purposes, and all are
drawn into the whirlpool OF contradictions
and misunderstanding, which, OF course
are cleared up ut the close Of the play.