The evening world., 1890-06-27
THE MERCHANT"

metropolitan life, selecting of course those
that lend themselves most willingly to the
drama. IL points n moral convincingly and
brill antIy. The " good old times never
teemed so far away as at the Union Square
Theatre yesterday. when this bright and
essentially nineteenth century play was
brought for ward, with its money questions
and it's diamond issues, its stock dealings
and It's certified check complications.
A few OF us VINO look yearningly into the
realms of romance; rome two or three strag-
Rlers in tho busy. unavaiiing hurdle race
for wealth, who would linger little while
longer IN the mellow aud ivied decades may
leplore the lacE Of cobwebs in Miss Morton's
efforts. But IL tho object Of the drama is to
paint pictures Of the times and leave those
pictures a. legacies to future generations,
Miss Morton has fulfilled that object. "The
Merchant" is an admirable picture of to-
day. painted in glowing colors. still wet
with the very latest touch and overwhelm-
ingly interesting.
The playwright that lives in literature ia.
perhaps, after all but a photographer. II
we complain OF lack of romance in picture
OF our own times, the fault is with us. The
fact remains that We arc disgustipgly mate
butler Miss Morton has imagined, we prize
our bank books more than the most vaiu-
able volume upon our library shelves. These
defects must bo reproduced in the natures
OF the times. II you go, suffering from the
mumps, to a photographer. out you will
come in the pictures with n swollen face.
lou can't cajole the photographer into
emitting the swellings. The moral il evil
q 4.
mirrored. away with them. or away with
the mirror.
" The Merchant" Is extremely interest
ing. we'll written and dramatic. Miss Nor
ton has told the story OF the New York
merchant and his will-o'-t -wisp. She has
showed us the true. the far-seeinR and the
adoring wife, approached by the man who
can save impending ruin, and is willing to
do so, but at fearful price. She has pic
tured the blindly idiotic husband, 80 COM
pletely certain of his wife that he compara-
lively forgets us. And then the crash: the
husband, q prey to remorse when he hears
Of the persecution to which he has subjected
the woman he has failed to protect; the
wife, bitterly resolved to abandon her home
rather than her honor.
Miss Morton deserves infinite credit for
the ending Of her play. She has not led the
wickedly speculative husband into that cool
and waveless harbor OF happiness that Ia
already filled with the anchored fleets OF
other playwrights. She has just suggested
a rich aunt who will. II the worst comes to
the worst, financially prop him up. She has
left HIM. however. resolved to build up his
fortunes by the sweat OF his own brow. She
has made OF him an honest man before tine
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