New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-17
THE DRAMA--MUSIC.
HEART OF HEARTS.

Jones for vet another solid and sterling domes
tic DRAMA Illustrative OF the actual character and tho
possible romance Of English homo life This new
play Is entitled Heart OF Hearts," IL was launched
last November at the Vaudeville Theatre, In London,
where IL met with favor, and last night IL was pre-
sented here at tho Madison Square Theatre, where
numerous and apprecfative audience welcomed IL with
obvious sympathy and satisfaction Although essen
italy English In its localities characters, manners,
humor and aduncs OF environment, the piece never
theless possesses attractive significance and WIN
ming charm for a much wider public than that OF Eng
land These merits consist in its romantic story, us
ideal quality OF moral herolsm Its lighter attributes OF
comic eccentricty and broad mirth and the bdelity
and felicity Of its portralture OF human nature IL
was entirely successful last night, and there s every
reason to presume that 1t will have prosperous ca
reer upon the American stage-pursulng the triumph
and paraklng the popularity Of Saints and Sinners,
its predecessor from the same benefcent pen.
In several OF the plays that have been provided by
Mr. Henry Arthur Jones there is somewhat strcnu-
Gus ddactic element which was wont TO manifest It.
self in verbose TRADES of ponderous rhetorical plati
tude Those wearIsome preachments were written
for Mr. Wilson Barrett and well adapted to the
mental cabre and vocal capacity OF that actor In
this play there IS faint OF the Pharsacal garrulity
OF copy book precept and goodyism The author has
written with direct simplicity and with the animation
OF bright mind ponsve to the Impulse of sincere
and yvacious dramatic and literary motive. He does
prose he does not nger upon trivial details he
does not allow Of his dramatic persons to
moraze; and, as one Of them Is convict just out Of
prison. this forbearance surprising less than
clfu- And the consequence OF this wisdom is do
nestle play without nspldty-common events that
do suggest string of onions and virtue that
be contemplated without yawn. The piece dFuses
a lovely influence OF kindness and rectude: yet this
Is winged with suggestiveness and not rammed homo
with pe-diver. IL was In this direction that Mr..
Jones's dramatic literature required growth, and It's
adv in this direction Is observed with pro-
found pleasure Morality being inherent in every
thing always safely be left to Itself In work Of
art.
Hamets phrase is heart of heartn-not hearts;
yet Mr. Joncss title seems to have been derived from
Hamlets phrase Heart of Hearts" Is found to have
a two-fold application. 1t a certain bcauti-
full and costly gen. which In the Of the play
is shown lost and found. stolen and restored and
is used pivot of action and It also means the pre-
clous heroine Of the story-a personGcaton and
summate type of woman's angelic fidelity TO an ideal
standard of duty; selfdevotion which, with all true
women, IS the religion Of the heart. The of
this heroine IS Lucy Robins" and the dramatic stu
alton in which she is placed eDforces her to choose
whether she will doom her own father, already
wretched to final ruin and misery, will herself
accept the alternative Of personal disgrace and the
loss of love and friends Her choice Of the latter is
made to display the magnanmlty Of her mind and tho
unselfsh tenderness Of her heart: that the drama
which enshrnes her may benefit the spectator by SLIM
ulating sympathy with heroic character and conduct
at the time that IL and sustalns lively
interest by tho ingenuity Of the dramatic dilemma
wherein she Is committed to her action OF selfsacrt
fee In ono word the possible nobility OF human
IS depicted by dramatic means, In ingenious
and touching story OF human life.
The play Is comprised In three acts The time is
tho present. The place Is an old country house In
England called the Prory Of AvOnthorpe. Nine char
acters implicated In the movement. The emphasis
Is usual in the works Of this author-has been
placed plot character and portrayal of human
ture, and not the dellneaton of manners. This
latter Ingredient to be sure finds its way the
position, but 1t arises Incident and Il not put
forth object. The author IS aware that strange
| complications have happened, and may happen again,
In the domestic life of English people. with its vast
Inheritance Of diversified character It's amenlty TO nsu
lar prejudice and Its general subservence to system
of caste. Those intricate aspects of common expert
with the strohg elemental passions of humanity
that throb and struggle beneath them, constitute the
field Of his observation and portrayed in his plays
There Is English butler In Heart of Hearts, but
he has not been skeched merely type of that for
mdable interchangeable Involves consequences, serious
no less than comic. Of a marriage which has
been Contracted between himself and certain vain
and volatile aristocratic lady Conventional British
crcism-invariably assuming that nothing indecorous
out OF routine could happen in English fam
lily of rank-asserts that this Incident IS IMPOSSIBLE
but experience Shows 1t 10 be not only pOSs ble, but
common. Mr.. Jones' at any rate, has been sufficiently
audac us to employ It as eXpedlent in his plot
and It leads to comic situations of much value and to
at least one serious situation Of striking merit.
Lucy Robins Is the niece and ward Of James Robins
tho butler 10 the service of Lady Cartssa Ftzralph
and she is visitor in her ladyshps family Avon
thorpe. Harold Fftzraph, of Lady Carissa,
Lucy and beloved by her. and he Is resolved to marry
her Notwithstanding his naughty mothers dIspleas-
ure Lady Wihemina, the sentimental cousin OF Lady
Carissa, secretly married to James Robins the but
Ter, having welded him whom he sisters groom,
and this ilIassorted coupe-the frivolous the !
other eccentric and hndy-furnish the humor Of the
play Marcus Latimer, elderly gentleman, poor,
polished aud crafty, beseges Lady Wilhelmna, hoping
to make wealthy marriage By espousng that dame
bred, IS endeavoring to allure Harold, and by her,
accordingly, Lucy Robins IS hated 1t made known
that HarodS father now dead, bore false witness
against Daniel Robins the father of Lucy, and caused
him to be sent to prison. But Daniel Robins is
called the Heart Of Hearts, which Is the property
Of Lady Clarissa Repentance leads him to restore
he gives 1t into her hands. siby, who is aware Of
this encounter, denounces Lucy thief, and there
discriminating her father, Lucy submits to disgrace
which apparently means run1or even her lover seems
rived from the authors adroit disposition of these
turesque variety and pathetic power, nor untinged
with the lovely humor which wavers between laugh
the heroine, the end she is saved by her
confession, while her enemies are discounted, and
the memory Of old wrong done to her father by
the dead and gone Ftzraph Is drowned in the silver
music of her marriage bells.
The cast was not good might nave been made.
Tho heroine requires stronger actress than Bur-
roughs, and tho returned convict requires much
powerful actor than Mr.. FlOckton. The chief scene
OF the pecethat OF the Interview between this daugh
ter and father in act second might be made to create
far more profound excitement than ensued upon 1t
last night by OF greater sincerity on the part
OF the girl and greater passion and intensity the
part OF the man. In general, the representation was
notable for this unusual peculiartythat It strong
In the slender characters, and III the butler be OK.
cepted weak IN the principal Mr. stoddart
easily excelled his notwithstanding extravagant
situation plausible and expressing genuine tenderness
beneath a crusty exterior The OF tho buffers
defiance OF Lady Clarissa7 attained to the climax
comic atty, and Mr.. SDddart recalled, after his
exit, amid hearty laughter and applause. His acting
Is full OF delicate humOr Mr. T. NJ. Holland DR..
Chetflep paVe a nerformance really exquisite the