The morning call., 1890-08-12
THE THEATERS.
Full Houses and New Plays
Everywhere.
+" The Prince and Pauper" at the Baldwin.
Myles Aroonn at the California.
Under Yoke"

There is after all, potency In Mark Twain's
name whether attached to a book or a play, that
no one In the literary dramatic business can
afford to despise. His books command thou.
sands of readers; his plays fill The auditorium OF
q theater from pit to DOME as was the case
at the Baldwin Tbeater last night, when
his Prince and Pauper" was produced.
Every seat was occupied and the audience
was fashionable and at the same time most intel
ligent-two qualities that DO not often conjoin
The play is. In truth. very much like fairy tale,
as n-Eastern critic said of 1t when first pro-
duced, and puzzled many who looked for sequen.
TALLY. but not finding IL. were satisfied TO take
many bright but at the same time, anachronistic
historic phases that occur In ii, and Herewith be
not only content but at times delighted by a GER
tain picturesqueness. For the information of eur
readers The best thing TO be done Is TO give as
fully as possible the
DECENTRALIZATION OF THE BOOK.
Tom Canly is the SOU OF very poor parents, IN
fact, they an beggars. His father is thief, but
a good priest has educated Tom so that he has
been regarded by the other boys In the neighbour
hood of Ohal Court where he lives, as as wise as
prince. Toms father had beaten him so much
that he babe his mother and sister an atfectionate
goOd-by, and ran away to escape his tyranny aud
Dealings. His WandeThgS led him TO Tile palace
of the King. There lie met The young Prince Ed
ward. The young prince and the young pauper
were OF the same age, aud were so much alike
that they could not have been told apart, except
for their clothes. The young prince asked
Tom TO come TO his room, aud there In spirit
OF fun, lie exchanged clothes with the pau
per just 10 see how II felt. As soon as the ex-
change was made, however, the guards OF the
palace aiteIwaTd mistOok The prince for the pau
per- and IN spite of his protests drove him out OF
the palace. Tom, The pauper dressed in the
beautiful clothes OF The prince, remained behind,
and no one would believe him when he said he
was not The prince. The people Of the court all
thought that lie was little out OF his mind be-
cause lie SAID he was Tom CAVITY The pauper, and
not the prince. The play takes up the adj
ventures of the prince and Of the pauper. The
princes father, Henry VIII, has, In The mean
IN died and one believes Edward when he
says he is now the real king. All the people
whom he meets treat him with contempt,
soTely beaten. The play Tells how he meets Tom
Cantys mother aud sister, also his father, all OF
whom think that he Is their own son, Tom CAVITY,
because he Is dressed like Tom. II also tells
low he is Defriended by Sir Miles Hendon,
poor Knight, who taxes him TO his lodgings.
Many other events take place In the young
princes life at this time. In The meantime Tom
CanJy, the pauper. is about TO be Installed as the
King OF England, because the people still regard
many adventures and sore trials, the real prince
manages to get back 10 the palace; lie proves his
identity, and Tom Canty, the pagper Is 0ny too
glad 10 quit the responsibility Of court life and
return 10 Ills own condition.
IN THE ACTING
or this hetereOgeneOusy collected mass the prln-
cipa feature was, OF course, the personality OF
little Elsie Leslie, at once The Prince and The
Pauper. which, judged from The standpoint OF
precOcity, Is certainly remarkable, as the child
Will only be l years of age on Thursday next
She IS very beautiful in appearance, and III nlii-
ner charmingiy naive and quaint, carrying into
her pauper disguise, by force OF education and
training, the air and behavior of the princely
character abandoned TO Tom CAVITY. One lesson
To be plucked out of the confusion of incidents
Is republican,, II not a sociallstc, one showing,
after ALL the only difference, in vulgar estlma
ton, between the occupant OF a throne
and a gutIer-snipe, the son OF thlef
is the clothes In which the Earl Is dressed. The
true acting of The piece is entrusted to Mr..
Arthur Elliott miles Hend0n) younger son,
sworn out of his Inheritance by Il designing
brother. When Edward, Prince of Wales, Is
masqueradIng, much TO his disadvantage, in the
rags OF Tim Canly. he discovers In the boy that
divinity which doth hedge king" and brings
him TO hts own again from The depths OF despair
aud out of iununerable dangers. Hendon
is sort If Don Caesar de BaZan, whose
mantle is ragged, but whose heart is intact
In nOblenesS, and Elliott played the part
in this vein much to his advantage
and TO the enjoyment OF Tie au-
dience. The piece is elegantly mounted. and the
sIage-lighls most judiciously used. lhe orchestra
played, among other enir'aete music, Fan
iasie" by Phllo }. Jacoby, gavotte, Roses,
Music and Love-" by Harry Fakenau, ana the
Pacific Railroad" galOp by Miss 5. MI u name
that stands fol nothing, all from the Hlnilcls
competitive series. The pieces showed skill IN
composition. II the name OF the composer OF
the galOp is Nil, there IS at least some merit In
the music she has written. The Prince and the
Pauper'' is billed for fortnight. There ought
10 be crowded naiinees on Wednesdays and Sat
nrdays. 1t Is a womans play, essentially.