The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-25
DUO D'ORlEANS.
Pjth of n Comedy of Unknown Length at
Present.

Pjth of "A Comedy of Unknown Length at
4 Present
Our playwrights have been sermonized
Eand Knocked for stealing their plots from
the French stage, until some Of them have
.been gOaded into becoming original. But
the piifercrs have been in the right of IL;
they have realized that on the stage and off
IL the French are naturally theatrical
people, and expect the comedy or tragedy
of real life 10 be played according To the
rules of art. And even the Republicans
are candidly admitting that the young hero
Of the Clairvaux Prison has spoken his
words and gone through his business with
grace and skill which augllr well for his
career on the stage Of French politics. His
first appearance was neatly timed. The
scene opened on familiar but eyer-amus-
ing spectacle-the squabblings and the
-cramblings of rival democratic factions
over the still undivided spoils of Monarchy
and Church.
The chiefs Of faction were ready to fly at
one anOther's thr0ats. Suddenly and with
out moments warning enters the rigbtful
heir. He does not come. be saws, To claim
his estates. Ills only wish is 10 serve his
people, and he sues for grace-nay, he
claims his right-to serve as q cOnscript in
the ranks of the army. The law is against
him, he is told; but what of that? 1t is an
unjust law which parts Frenchman from
The land of his birth. His enemies bow
their heads before the nobility of his senti-
ments. They arrest him with prOfuse apollo
gies; they try him with due solemnity, and
mis- gaOler conducts him TO prison with as
much courtesy as if he were leading a lady
to her seat at a dinner-taRle.
The noble maiden to whom he is be-
trOthcd pays him the visit Of coincidence:
we may guess the story of that interview
how she eNhortcd him not to imperil the life
which she loved more than her own. and
how he replied that even hs devotion TO her
must come second TO his duty as French
man. Other maidens send him bouquets OF
choice flowers, and they vote him an ad-
dress which touches the romantic senti-
ment that lies in every French heart.
His friends make superhuman Efforts 10
obtain his pardon and release, but the
gallant young prisoner begs them TO
desist. Writing from his gaOl, after
a few days spent in confinement, he tells
them that "prs0n is less hard To bear than
exile; for the prison Is on the soil OF France.
The curtain falls upon the first act, and we
leave our hero langushing in ga0l only
comforted by our knowledge that bis suffer-
ings are mitigated by the fearful sympathy
hood. and by the champagne and oysters
which are the proper diet Of "a prisoner for
conscience's sake. We know, because we
feel. that he will bear his hard lot with the
fOrtitude of a martyr. with the courage Of
a Frenchman. with the dignity Of Right
ful Heir.
The curtain has fallen. Four long
months, save few days, are supposed to
have elapsed, and it rises again. But
many things have happened in the interval,
and amOngt them has been the s0ltening OF
his Oppressors' hearts. The prison-door is
opened; and the gaoer enters bearing an
Official document; il j. the pardon. But he
would be an unsOphisticated critic who be-
leyed that this was the end of the play.
First, of c0nrse, we must have an inter
change Of stately compliments. The gaoler
congratulates the prisoner upon his release,
but cOmmiserates himself upon losing an
agreeable companion.
The prisoner replies. with elusive graft
tude for the past fayOrs received, "car Je
mai qua me lOuer dc yous.' But for the
Pardon he will have none Of IL. lie wishes
that he could appeal against IL. What Is IT
but renewed sentence of eXileI lie had
had hoped 10 be INDUCED with twenty more
months Of sojourn upon his native soil-In
a prison. Il Is trne, but still breathing the
submit to this fresh persecution, and he is
determined 10 submit like a gentle
man. lie calls the prison ward
ers 10 him and regrets that he may not
make them a present. He embraces them
and something passes. Not the dr0ss
Of mere gratuty, but, what is far more
precious. the magnetism Of a patriotic SYM
y lthy. lie takes his departure, but even
the commonplace hustle and scurry oi
railway Journey do not make him forget the
part he is PLAYING. the noble. yet sorrowlul,
role Of the EXilcd Prince. The statiOn-mas-
ter is called, and receives from the royal
scarf the pin which has been worn IN cap
tiyity. II is a small thing in Itself, but 1t
will serve a. a souvenir Of the sad day
when son Of France was driven into exile,
which is not liberty. The borders are
crossed. and the Travellers first thought is
10 write 20 "the cOnscrpts Of his contin-
GENT" lie begs them to keep a place for
him in their ranks-he will come to claim It,.
That is the end Of the second act. and
when will the third begin Z And is 1t to be
a comedy i'm three acts, or Will the play
wrights lengthen it into five? Certain 1t Is
tlat we have not yet reached the end. In
spite OF the unexpected yigOr OF the Radi-
Gals. i'm spite of the thOrOughgOing efficiency
of NJ. COnstans, new-fOund Saviour OF
society, in spite OF the collapse Oh pre-
tender. who seemed likely at one time to
nust the rightful heir. il remains eyl-
dent that the Republic is unsta-
BILE. II has triumphed over one OF
II, enemies; it has killed the brave general
with ridicule and disgrace; but it would
not have killed him had his heart been
bolder and his record cleaner. lie had
fine sense of theatrical effect. but in this IN
valuable quality he is at least equalled by
the Young Duke of Orleans, who is now re-
tiring upon laurels which are not the less
useful because they have been easily
earned. The game of the Pretenders is not
vet up in France. The name Of the succes 3
fIl claimant will not be B0ulanger, but II
may be Philippe OF Orleans-if it is not
Constans, or anOther.-St. James Gazette.