The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-11-01

LOVING A GROWiNG CHILD
The motif of the play is the discovery
by the sans cUlotteS of young woman
who is evidently child of aristocratic
birth. That was her offense. 1t was
enough in those days. If had lived in
those times l would have returned tt
my early methods and eaten my pie
with my knife. That way only safety
seemed to lie. To be an aristocrat OIL
the child of an aristocrat at that time
was most unhealthy thing to do.
This young lady is Fabienne Lecoul.
teux. The part is played by Miss De
Wolfe, who certainly earns her salary,
being pulled around over the stage by
the wrist most all of the time, either by
her lover or the sans eulOtte, cdndilLe
and razzle-dGzzle of the highly sensitive
and explosive French nation. She seems
! to be in an almost constant scuffie with
some one while asking all hands to be
kind enough to avaunt.
No one in the audience weeps. The
! heart is not touched. You watch the
spectator during the entire play and you
see no tear-only the wild, frightened,
apprehensive eye Of one who has just
lighted 10-inch cannon frecracker and
is waiting for it to bust.
Martial Hugon is the lover of this girl,
and although she is very fond of him,
she is almost sure that it is not right
for she has associated herself with the
Ursr inc Sisters, thinking him dead. So
cl, al IN or nd ,1or,
at the end of the play she was led away
to be beheaded | could see that she was
really glad Of it.
In Sardou's work, the whole play and
all its characters cluster about the gull
lotine in the last act. In mine they
gather about a watermelon.
How different the motivei How dia-
metrically and totally different the
method and the motif!
Labussiere is an old friend and school
mate of Martial, and he gives his atten-
ton entirely to saving the life of the I'M
fortunate Fabienne, but fails after all,
so that in .e last act we have the pleas
ure of seeing her go to the guillotine
and her lover shot down like big red
steer in the Chicago dbGttojrS. For this
reason we say as we go away: at is me-
chemically perfect No critic will ever
attack the construction of this play, but
l never shall want to see it again"
In the first act Labussiere rescues Fa-
bienne from as tough a crowd Of Nor
man washerwomeu as ever sozzled their
soiled linen in the Seine. He being a
clerk pronounced clark in the depart
ment of public safety, aids III saving her
from the mob and directing her and her
lover to the house of Nine. Berillon,
where another Graco-Roman scufie &C.
ours between Martial and Fabienne, he
trying to get her to fly with him on a
buffet car TO some unknown land where
they can reyel in each others love and
cracked wheat far beyond the power of
la guillotine, "where royal foot hath
never trod nor bigot forged chain; oh,
would that | were safely back in that
bright land again.
Fabienne concludes at last that her
love for Martial is wicked, as it gives
her delight and takes her attention away
from her deyotions She finally, there
fore, decides 10 go 10 the beheading
works so that she may love him in
heaven alone. He does not like this,
preferring to love her in both places,
both here and hereafter.
A great many people are that way. It
may be wrong in some respects, but
favor that method myself.
Lsbussiere's occupation, of course, hor-
rifles both Fabienne and Martial when
they know OF il, for all the "dockets,"
or. as we would say, indictments, pass
his hands. but when they learn /
that he loses 4 good many OF them ever /
and anon they are more reconciled. La /
bussiere is a first rate character we'll |
played So Is that of Martial This /
is taken by Mr.. Robertson, an 1
who passed = very pleasant 4
SvcR.og Ek0gt :,rEE aGc ~ ny side at /
the Lambs dinner in New YORK. He is 4
AZ Erglishmsn who has enthusiasm even .
for American institutions. Every one
IN TIE audience liked him very much.
Fabienne was not 50 successful. She +
was PLAYING one of the strongest emo
nonai paris ever created no doubt. but /
she did not seem 70 quite save her pedro
during the play, If | may be permitted +
70 make use of such word 70 aid me in
dealing with dramatic subject.
She certainly took sufficient exercise
during the play, but she did not enlist
the sympathy Of capital during the 100.
IL is true she has most difficult part
To portray the violent and conflicting
emotions OF love for devoted and brave
fellow like Martial; 70 show the dread
and horror of a death so disgrsceful as
that of public execution. together with