The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-11-05

W tlC SNHo CutOttSS VI " .oua5 NOiildn
who is evidently child of aristocratic
birth. That was her offense. 1t was
enough in those days. Ii had lived in
those times I would have returned to
my early methods and eaten my pie
with my knife. That way only safety
seemed to lie. To be an aristocrat or
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 culotte, canailie
and razzle-ddzzle 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 ayaunt.
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 Tor 1t 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
Ursuline Sisters, thinking him dead. So
she is all torn up in her mind, and when
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
lotlae in the last act. In mine they
gather about watermelon.
How different the motive! 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 the last act we have the pleas
ure of seeing her go to the gnillotine
| and her lover shot down like big red
steer in the Chicago abattoirs. For this
reason we say rs we go away: ut Is me-
chemically perfect. No critic will ever
attack the construction of this play, but
I never shall want to see it again"
In the first act Labnssiere rescues Fa-
bienne from as tough crowd OF Nor
man washerwomen as ever sozzled their
soiled linen in the Seine. He being a
clerk pronounced clark in the depart,
ment of public safety, aids in saving her
! from the mob and directing her and hel
lover to the house of Nine. Berillon,
where another GrGco- Roman scuffie oc'
ours between Martial and kahienne. he
trying to get her to fly with him on d
buffet car to some unknown land where
they can revel in each others love and
cracked wheat far beyond the power Of
Ia gaiiletipe, "where royal foot hath
never trod nor Hgot forged chain; oh
would that | were safely back in tina,
bright land again.
/ Fabienne concludes at last that hel
love for Martial is wicked, as it gives
her delight and takes her attention away
from her devotions. She finally, there
fore, decides to go to the beheadins
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.
I A. great many people are that way. II
may be wrong in solno .eslce.e, but
favor that method myself. 7
i I.abHssiere's occupation, OF course, hor'
rifles both Fabienns and Martial when
they know Of it, for NIL the "dockets,
or, as we would say, indictments, pass
through his hands, but when they learn
that he loses good many of them ever
and anon they are more reconciled. La.
bussao.s IS a first rate character well
l played So ,s t4.ar. Of Martial. This
\ character is taken by Mr.. hobesiso.,. al
E.,slish1nan. who passed a very pleasant
evening A ebert time ago BY my side at
49,. 'ambs' dinase In hsv York. He is
LUG r -. who has enthusiasm even
| for American instltu.
in the audience liked him very Ill.,
Fabienne was not SO successful. She
was playing one of the strongest emo
tional parts ever created, no doubt, but
she did not seem to quite save her pedro
during the play, if may be permitted
| to make use of such word to 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 job
| 1t is true she has most difficult part
To portray the violent and conflicting
emotions of love for devoted and brave
fellow like Martial; to show the dread
and horror of a death so disgraceful a:
that of public execution, together with
| the workings Of the abnormal growth