The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-01-18
"All the Comforts of Home. :,


in their effects upon human nature. man
who would quarrel with honest mirth is mega
tive quantity in life, apt to chill the happiness,
if not the growth, Of all around him. William
Gillette is believer in the virtue of good cheer,
and in The Private Secretary and GAIL the
Comforts of Home'' he has illustrated the faith
within him, to the great joy of all playgoers.
The laughing charms of ssThe Private Secretary
have been revealed to Washingtonians. This
week at Albaugh's the companion to the jolly
E'Secretary' is to be presented here for the first
time. The original production in New York
found instant favor. Of its reception in Boston
the Boston Herald says 'The audience smiled,
laughed, roared with merriment, and applauded
with vigor unusual in this city, The Phila-
delphia Evcning Telegraph says: cit is better
than The Private Secretary and much the best
thing in the line of modern farce we have had
Offered us in long time" "All the Comforts
of Home'' seems to be big light comedy sue
cess, and the selected company Mr.. Charles
Frohman has brought together to exploit it's
features has captivated the critics to marked
degree The humor of the piece is said to
be sngularly quaint and catching, and the
rushing incidents and humorous situations
grow more and more laughter compelling
as the play progresses. Among its most en-
joyable characters is gay and susceptible
old fellow, whose life is made alternately glad
and sad by the fitting presence of an aggressive
and roost-ruling wife. The central figure of the
story is dashing young American, who takes
advantage of his uncle's absence, and seeks to
raise needed money by advertising his relative's
rooms to let, with 'all the comforts of home"
This device of the impecunious young blade
brings together an odd assortment of home
hunting mortals, and starts a series of hates and
loves and amusing mishaps that keep everybody
in perpetual roar. Mr.. Henry Miller appears
as the scheming nephew. In the cast are also
Charles Dickson, Samuel Edwards, T. M.
Hunter, I. T. Valentine, Joseph Humphries,
Ax,l;y Il lii
Bijou Heron, Marie Greenwald, Alvina White,
Kate Denim Wilson, Winona Shannon, Kate
Stevens, and others of known capability and
reputation. The scenery used in the original
production will be brought on to make this en-
gagement identical with the big New York
success. The following is rhymed character
ization of ''All the Comforts of Home" by Mr..
I. M. Hunter. 1t is clever bit of yersitica-
tion
LINES TO ALL THE COMFORTS OF HOME"
A pretty conceit, both witty and neat
To the brim running over with fun;
The comedy sweet, the lovers complete,
So the characters every one.
The farce is all dash, hurrah, and a crash.
Yet the story is told, just the same;
Bewitchlngly rash-stili void of trash
And the plays never tepid nor tame.
good rival OF Milette. our pen-painter Gillette,
To serve such "a screaming repast,
But he has the billet, and knows how to mill it,
We hope il may not be his lest.
Aroyai bright yeoman our Manager Frohman,
10 spread the sweet VlandS abroad.
Like generous Roman, a wide awake Snowman
lie KNOWS what the people applaud.
Sergins Stepniak and NihiIism.
The distinguished Russian author, exile, and
lecturer will appear at Lincoln Hall Tuesday,
January "a. Says the Boston Post comment
ing on his recent lecture on Nihilism in that
city: ''He opened by dwelling on the fact that
while the Russian movement excited the most
Intense interest In Europe, it could hardly be
avn nfnH hat in
the situation in Russia was so very remote, and
whom it could not possibly affect, much SYM
pathy could be felt Yet said he in the writ
ings of George Kennan the Russian movement
had received an impulse from America which
would never be forgotten which had hurled a
fatal blow OF autocracy, and which was des-
tined to be epoch-making in the history of Rus
sia. The lecturer then said it was necessary to
remove popular impression that the Nihilist
movement was one of a small class. 1t was a
movement Of the whole people. In its ranks
were men and women who had everything to
lose and nothing to gain. The movement had
arisen out Of that humanitarian feeling which
had appeared in like force in America when
slavery was abolished The lecturer gave in
stances Of horrible cruelty by fogging, impris-
onment, exile to Siberia, and death. In con-
clusion, Mr. Stepniak said that what the Mill
lists wanted were political freedom, national
representation, universal suffrage, and local
autonomy" Tickets for Stepniak's lecture are
now on sale at Metzerott's.
"A Delightful Coming Concert.
One of the musical affairs of the immediate
future that promises to be particularly good is
the concert by the famous basso, Myron w.
Whitney, and the Appleton Quartette at Lincoln
Hall Friday, January 23. The concert will
have an additional claim on public interest
auspices of the Columbia Athletic Club. OF
Mr. Whitney little need be said. He is we'll