The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-14
Bah AS A PLAY READER.
SHE FIzzLEs OUT LIKE AN EGG
PHOSPHATE.

Plays Composed of Froczs and Men
Attired in Corsets-The Sins of Stage
Heroines-Angels OF Goodne ss-Dress
Coated Villsins-Delightf1l Old Chest
nuts Combinations Of Music and
Emotion, of Indignation and Virtue.
Noble Dogs-Melodrama on Tap-The
stages Stirring Fire Patrol - The
Charitable Hospital Woman and Her
Ways-Practical Florence Niahtin-
gales Wanted Among the Distressed.
The Sick and Wounded Have No
Use For Harps-Patients Frequently
Regard Doctors as Their Enemies.
Pawn shop Souls and Souls Filled to
OVERLOOKING.
COPYRIGHT
NEW YORK. Sept 12.-If said that the
city was fully reeking with plays, it would
sound like an exaggeration; and yet it is
absolutely and undeniably true. You meet
somebody on the street, and they have
either been to see a new play, know a man
who has just written one. or are anxious
that you should waste some of your valuable
time in seeing whether you think play
would go. AS play reader, l don't count
myself g success, for those that have read
and pronounced Of great interest have
usually. when represented on the real stage,
fzzled out like an egg phosphate. However,
in seeing plays, Iregard myself as what might
be called in the parlance of the colored
lady, u dabster. But, like that famous dog
of Jerome's Montmerency, my tastes ore a
little low. l have too long struggled with
the flesh and the devil to try to love PLAYS
that are largely composed of frccks, gem
tlemen attired in corsets, with plots that
hinged on the religious belief Of the hero or
the sin of the heroine, and where every body
talked through five acts, and at tie end
everybody said, "At last we know" And l
wondered why they didn't take the audience
into the secret. l have tried to like these
plays, Idon't.
THE EVER FASCINATING MELoDRAMA.
l think there must be a touch Of the
ancient Greek in me, for what | like, and
what most woman like, is a good, blood
curdling, exciting melodrama, one of the
kind where the heroine is an angel Of good
ness and the villain is as black as his dress
clothes-I mean his heart is as black. The
sweetheart is as nice as sugar candy, and
the friend who helps them through all their
y
wheels, but brisk young man who is in
with all the ire companies, who has an
amateur acquaintance at the police station,
and who has the knowledge of the art of
telegraphing, Of writing shorthand, and
the apotheoss Of the art of make
up, SO that he can send messages
or appear disguised and rescue virtue
from vice. Then, if a little bit of cellar
flap dancing is introduced, if somebody
sings comic song and few delightful old
chestnuts are served up as fresh, am
happy. And do you know, / think the rest
Of the audience are. Life itself is a good
bit of a melodrams. 1t is combination
of music and emotion, indignation and
virtue and vice. We women are fond of
looking into mirrors, SO it is the melo-
drama that suits US. like to see the Young
woman from Boston raise her eve
brows as l say this | like to see the
blase young man put on his monocle and
yawn at this expression of my ignorance of
the culture of the drama as expressed by
me- | can endure the shrug and the deadly
glance, l can. And l can think to myself
what pity 1t is people don't stay young
enough in heart to enjoy what is really
worth enjoying. The other night went to
see play called 1.-THE Fire Patrol" 1t had
a scene in it away out in Deadwood, where
the ore-cfushers were just coming down to
finish up one of the most virtuous men
you ever imagined. We hung, fright
.ened out of our wits, ON to our
orchestra chairs. We knew he was going
to be saved, but all the same we had the
dreadful feeling beforehand that the saviour
might be too late, and when be got there in
time we all gave a sigh of relief, and laid
back and felt as if we ought to Congratulate
the young woman who owned the heart of
the young man, aud for whom he was under
going such dangers. Then there was another
scene, when
THE FIRE PATROL CAME TEARING IN
to keep the model young man from being
murdered, aud it was all that the whole SEQ
ton of femininity could do to keep from
cheering the tiremen. There is the sort of q
play like. l like play with go in it, 1
ike to look up in the gallery and see the
rows Of boys, with their eyes as Dig as
saucers, staring down and admiring Mile.
MouSseline, enthusiastic over the pluck Of
the man who loved her, and nearly kicking
the remainder of their boots to pieces as
they cheer virtue. Virtue doesn't get
special amount of cheering outside the play
mouse, and that is one reason
why | think it is a healthy thing
70 have in it. Yes, give me the melodrama.
lshould like melodrama on tap. Ii could
MT always have an ore-crusher, | wish
Train, running at full speed, with the hero
Inc tied on the front of the engine. If l
couldn't always have tire patrol, want a
large and noble dog, who Will rescue q
family of children, and, by his exertion-as
an adjunct to circus-will support them
In luxury, until Lord Somebody discovers
that they are his own. and takes them 10
live In castles aid wear coronets, and puts
band Of diamonds around the
dogs neck, and has him fed out
OF silver plates by footmen dressed
In red and gold livery, and all adopts in the
use OF the dog language. In the meantime,
however, If your tastes are at all hike mine,
go and see The Fire Patrol" 1t will sat-
isry all the desire you may have up TO date
Tor the emotional in the drama, and you
will come away with nice, sweet taste in
your mouth, just as you do when you have
had cream or a peppermint candy, in
stead OF one of those indigestible French
ones, compounded of bitter almonds and
made tasty, SO TO say, with the liquor.
BE FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE ANGEL.
The other day woman talking about
another woman, finished up by saying,
'Shes very charitable The other WON
an, being bit curious, asked, show is she
charitable % And the first one vaguely
said, well, she goes to the hospitals, and