New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-30
THE DRAMA.
MR.. WILLARD As JUDAH


emphatic admiration As ought to carry him tri-
umphantly through the rest Of this dramatic
judah Llewellyn is an excellent part Ia one OF the
best plays Of the ccnturya play that tells Interest
ing and significant story by expressive. cltritous and
pccssant action affects the feelings by situations that
are vital with dramatic power. inspires useful thought
upon theme of psychological importance: cheers the
mind with fresh breeze of satfcal hunOr. and de-
lights the instinct Of by its crisp and punGent
style. Alike by his choice of a comparatively original
subject and his def method in The treatment OF It Mr.
Jones has shown the finest dramatic instinct; and
equally in the evolution Of character and the expression
of experience and emotion he has wrought with deep
feeling and great vigor Most Of the plays that
written In given period. pass away with the period
to which tlley appertain. Judah is OF the
ceptons for It's brilliantly treated theme is one Of
perennial interest and there to believe
OF work so vital and beautifully made. that long
after the present generation has vanished II SIM Will
keep its place In the theatre and sometimes be acted
not As a quaint relic but a. a living lesson
That theme is the psychic force in human organism.
This author does not obtmdc it does not PLAY the
pcdant with il does lecture upon it and, above
all, does not bore YOU with it, He only uses it and
he has been true to his province as dramast, and
not an advocate. that he assumes 10 decide
upon any question of doctrine that NAV be involved
in the assertion of it. His heroine is young woman
who thinks herself to be possessed of certain
power is OF psychic origin and it operates through
the medium of personal influence This girl, Va>hti
Deh!ck, has cXertcd this power with degree OF
success Other persons, having felt It's G0od cnect'
have admitted its existence. The father Of NaSh an
enterprising scamp has thercupon compelled the girl
to trade upon her peculiar faculty little by little to as
sumo miraculous powers and finally to pretend that her
celestial talent is refreshed gthencd by abti
nencc from food and that her best cures wrought
after she has tasted for nEny DAYS. He has thus con
vcrted her into an impoSor: yet her heart i pure
and her moral principle naturally sound she Is Ill AT
with herself in this fake position. and her mental
distress has suddenly become aggravated almost Ia the
pitch Of desperation. by the arrival Of love She has
lost her heart 10 young clergyman. Judah Lcwclyn.
the purity of whose spirit and the beauty of whose e
bitter and burning rebuhc To her enforced deceit
fitness Of conduct. Here. then. woman in
nocently guilty. suddenly aroused by love- made Sen>i
tive and noble that passion commonly makes those
persons who really feel it,, and projected into con
dlnon Of aggreved excitement. In This posture Of
romantic and pathetic circumstances the crisis Of two
lives is suddenly prccpltatcd in action.
Judah Lewelyn also j.. In a remarkable degree. pos
>essed Of spiritual >cnSbilliy and psychic force. In
boyhoud shepherd. he has dwell, the mountains
Of hi, native Wales and his Imagination has heard the
voices that in rocks and trees. I'm The Silence Of
lonely places i'm the dc>olaton Of the bleak hills, and
in the cold light Of distant stars. He is now min
>ter Of the Gospel. infatuated with hi, mission. In
>prcd in his elOqucUCc. uNlNCiDc IN N~ tremendous
sincerity lie VaShti and he loves her. II ia the
first thrill Of mortal pa sion that ever hi, mingled with
hi devotion to his Masters work. The attraction be
tween these j.. ~ course, human, and vet II
more Of heaven than Of earth. II Tie If spiritual
kindred that binds them. They are beings If a different
order from the common Order-ard, always happens
in such eases they will be tried by exceptional trouble,
and passed indeed through the fire Of mortal anguish
For what reason experience should take hi, direction
Of misery with fine natures I'm human life philosopher
has yet been able ascertain but that II docs take
this direction all competent observation concuSvey
proves. To Na,ti and Judah the time speedily cOut~
when their love is acknowledged. upon both ,ideS-thc
minister speaking plainly the girl. sclfcOn>ciouS OF
urpiudc. shrinking from spoken avowal which yet
her whole personality proclaims. Yielding to her
father, malignant WILL She ha, consented b make
mamie, aton Of her curative power, 10 60 through
once re-and for the last timc,-thc mOckery Of
pretended fast. The j. Lord Ascarby'S house;
the patient Lord Asearby', daughcr-an only child
cursed with constitutional debility the foredoomcd
victim of premature decline and early death. This
fra creature has heard Of Na-hi and believes I'm her
and desires and obtains her society. To Professor
Dethck thi, j. I'm every sense. a golden opportunity
and he insists that the starvation test shall be thor
ouglv made. Lord Asgarby. willing 10 DO any thing
for hi, dolzed dauchtcs a,,eu- IL the plan and hi
scientific friend. the cynical Professor Jopp.
with the assistance Of h, eudtc daughter. To super
wise the experiment Nashti will fat for several day,
and the heir Of Acirby will then be healed by her pur
fed and exalted influence.
The principal scene Of his plly.-tle second act Of
i-shOwS the exterior OF ancient, unused tower Of
hsgarby House. in which Vasu j, detained during the
fat. The girl j, supposed - Dee Starving. Her
-camp-h father viii etcayor to relieve her.
Mi, IOpp is viGlaut 10 prevent fraud. The
patient is confident. Judah W~hUl t. bee near 70 the
object of his alteration, las, climbed the outer wall
aud IS watching. beneath the window. un-c"n. IN III"
wardcr, seat. TIE time Is summer. the hour mid
night and the ircvocablc Of lovc has been spoken
~ this supreme instant and under condition, that
happen 50 naturally that the picture seems one of
actual HE and not play al u. the ,ln Of Na,hti
Is revealed. and the man who had di0rcd beg a- an
angel knows her for cheat win difference 81
circumstances this ~ituation-i in the fibre ~ i'll NOT
new. Many lover. male and female Aa- learned that
Ine idol ha, il naR. int the situation j. rcw. IN
It's dramatic structure. for Judah thc discovery (,
Il terrible one and the resultant agony f. conyu-ivc
and lamcntablc lie take. however, the only course
he could be expected 10 take: he must vindct, the
integrity OF the whom he love-. and hc unhc,
tatingly commit, the crime II perjury, iu order tD
shield her reputation from disgrace.
What VIII do for the woman whom he love-
The attributes Of individual character alway- & be
considered "a force, likely 10 modify passion and 10
affect conduct. But. in general. the answer to that
question may be given in three words anything and
cveIythingl The history OF nations Of individuals.
is never rightly read until it read in the hight ~
knowledge Of the influence that a, been cNcrtcd
them by woman Cleopatra, i'm ancient Egypt, changed
The history OF Rome by the ruin of Marc Antony. Mr.
Jshca inst in Pari,. has recently topped ireland
down the fire escape iutr- backyard. - poc- IN.
world In JUDAH however. the crime that is done for
love is pursued 10 IT, consequence Of ever accnnula'c
suffering until at length, when it hd- been cNWatcl los
and repentance. il j. rcctfcd by confession
and oblitcratcd by pardon 30 play ever taught
lis les. Of truth with cogcnt dramatic .or,c
and no play Rad brttcr moral. THE humD.Uu-
scenes are delightful
Mr.. Willard representation Of CyIu, Hlcnkarn. in
THE Mddieman,7 had already stamped him one
Of the be-, actor, Of the age. His representation 81
Judah Llcwcllyn deepen, that Impression and rein