New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-31
MUS1O-7HE DRAMA.
REMITTANCE OF MODJEsKA

Last night at tho Fourteenth Street Theatre Mms
Modjeska made her re-entrance, presenting came.~
Tho attendance large and the greeting cordial.
Mr. Ebcn Plymptop played "Armand Duval.' and
played we'll Nine Modjeska Is welcome, but the play
OF Camille is not The actress pleases, but the pIece
roper. That IS to say, II rcpels Observers whose
vision IL not couded by sophstry and whose judgment
10 not submerged by scntmentality That II contains
at least two dramatic situations OF extraordinary
strengh-pctorial. pathetic and replete with move
ment-is not to DO denied. AS q play its merit Is
signal and potentsfor 1t aronses interest," holds tho
spectator in state Of mental suspense, and affords
much scope for the art OF acting. But It's subject IL
unclean Its feeling Is unhcalthfu and its moral drft
Is pcrnicous. Tho only method whereby 1t can be
commended to liberation If not to acceptance, the
part Of those who think we'll feel, Is the method
that Nine Modjcska has adopted In her treatment Of
It. "Camile' embodied by this refined and lovely
actress Is longer q courtesan. She becomes a
noble minded woman who, having erred through mis-
fortune rather than fault has epentcd and away
her sin, and Is now valnly endcavoring, under the
guidance Of pure love- TO re-adIust herself to tho
conditions Of vrtuous existence. She takes her
stand upon the vantage ground OF human pity for
human fraIlty, and sho mako her appeal 10 that
Infinite charity which ls taught by the Christian
religion
This method f. adrot and potent but II IS sophist
cal No matter what you do with this drama, you
get placed before tho tribunal Of thought.
upon exclusively dramatic grounds 1t insists
its moral You may cry over 1t as much as you like,
but whenever you wipe your weeping eyes and look
at what 1t means, you viii observe that IL means
mischief; that 1t literally voclferates moral sgnif-
canoe; that, by speclous presentation OF an ex-
ccptonal and fictitious Of feminine experience.
1t directly tends to pervert moral perception and TO
dfuse loose and pernclous views Of the chastity Of
When tho third curtain falls, in this piece,
everybody detests old Mr. Duval,r who Is entirely In
the right, and everybody is persuaded that Camille
ought to be recognized Armand's" wife; that she
IS quite good enough, In fact, to be the wife OF any
man. however worthy; and that In all similar crcum-
stances all such women Csmille' ought to prevail
That is the drift Of the play. No remembrance OF
the respect that is due to vlrtnous women No con-
sideration Of what Is duo to children yet unborn that
might be the result of such q union. No thought OF
the principles of domestic purity and personal honor,
upon which, and only upon which, fabric OF CIVILIZED
society can securely rest Sense expires In sympathy
and everything Is conceded to wild, unrcasonin8
emotion 1t is legitimate Inference that this result
was the result designed in the making OF the play
at least In Its English form. In French 1t resorts to
subterfuge And result could well be more harm
full. "Let us,' said DR.. Johnson, " free our minds
from cant'-the of vice equally with the cant Of
virtue No doubt the case Of Camille" Is hard case;
but tho laws which govern tho moral state Of the
continual operation and consequences totally irre-
spcctve of human theories and emotions, are in
exorabe.
in, this drama-that regulates the ro-
tribution sequent upon sin. 1t Is
mysterious force, far back Of all conventions.
Every wound leaves a This scar may not always
BIO visible, but II always exists. The spirit, like the
flesh, can be wounded and when wounded although
It may heal. IL must. like the flesh, bear the mark OF
the injury It has endured. The awful fact about
been done to the spirit all the repentance and all ms
atonement possible in this world can never make
things precisely as they before. "dme!H
no doubt is the proper object OF pity, but the In.
PRODUCTION OF courtesan upon the stage as proper
object Of sympathy IS both foolish and vicious Tho
questions implicated in the piece are questions for
private Judgment. The subject has right To in.
rude itself Into the theatre. II concerns the medical
profession and the clergy It does not concern the
arts Least OF all should IL be thrust upon tho con-
slderatlon Of young people who, for the most part
compose theatrical audiences. Nine. ModJeSkas
whose artistic feeling Is true and whose artistic
faculty Is of the highest order, very skflly CLOSES
over the Inherent faint Of this unclean drama and
she has many fine moments In her embodiment %
fits heroine love better expressed than 10
cast upon the object Of her passion The eyes speak
The cOuntcnance Is radiant. But all this exquisite
art IL wasted a repuslve theme
"Camllle' dies hard Consumption IS well known
TO be lingering and obstinate disease. But there
is good ground to hope that she will get her
release. The chestnut bells have been ringing fot
her for several seasons. When Nine MOdjeska rctices
from her bedside the Interesting invalid will probably
take to gaop. In the meantime the pious as
praton Of the old farmer whose wife had been hope
essy sick for several years Is not Inappropriate TO
her present condition :" / wish,D he said, that she
would get well-or something