The evening world., 1893-10-25
THE YOUNGER SON."

Nell Armitage simply dotted on Paul
kirkland, but In an %eminently lady-like
way. To prove her love. she told him
that wherever he wal and whoever he
was, che would always think OF him.
Then she went to Simeon Brewster, and
I'm Immediately promised TO be his wife.
That's so like a girl. Is 1t not-that is to
say, a stage girl? Never by any chance
can she marry a man she adores. until
the last act. She invariably chains her
self up to somebody else during the
progress Of the play, and drags herself
about to slow music and tears.
Nell Armitage was the heroine OF Da-
vid Belasco's trivial four-act drama that
was essayed at the Empire Theatre last
night. Four large mcaty acts were
reared upon improbabiilty, and the weak
est OF motive. A sentence. or perhaps even
a word dragged from this drama would
cause 1t to collapse like a house Of cards.
one would think It had been written as
a p~ot-boiler; hat Bclasco had sat with
his head in his hand. crying: 81 must
write n play. but what about?' You see
strings, wires, red ink. typewriter
notes. You understand the motive for
the evolution OF the play. but you can
not grasp that of the play Itself.
As the action moves tediously through
It's four acts. delayed and Interrupted
by in~cessant, disconnected comedy cpl
scdes, you see that 1t IL a case of much
ado about nothing. There are tears,
white faces, groans and agopy-all about
nothing at all. Here Is he feeble
story: Paul Is an artist. He loves
Nell. A very naughty man has seen
Nell and has told her that he, also. loved
her--but dishonorably. Instead Of box
ing his ears a In Mrs. Kendall. she is
horribly distressed, and the death Of
every one of her relatives could scarcely
have agonized her more. The naughty
man buys Paul's picture, and, learning
that Paul loves Nell. offers to send him
to Italy to study painting-in reality.
to get him out OF the way. Paul.
knowing nothing. rejoices. Nell is
afraid to tell him the truth. for he has
threatened to kill himself II his ambi-
lions are thwarted. SO she promises to
marry Brewster. IN order that the liber-
tine shall have no reason to send Paul
away! Then there is fine whipped-up
agony, and all ends we'll. A bad
brother, an ill-used wife, dressed in
bio ok, (of %course). a couple of children,
a doting mother. and the usual 1ippant
comedy couple are all introduced. To
stand them all, there must be some ex-
cuse, and there is none in The Younger
Son." The silly heroine annoys the
audience. and the struggle for situations
Is as apparent as the wires of a marion
cite.
or course, there are church bells, slow
music and a blue moonlight in the third
act. Belasco would sooner deprive his
heroine Of bread and butter han blue
moonlight. She's got to have 1t. She
never speaks to her lover unless there
are chants in the air. Once 1t is wedding
music in a church across the street.
Says she, Listen. A man and woman
are being welded" Next time 1t is New
Years bells. Says she. Listen. I wish
You a happy new year" The misery is
always rudely pushed aside by the IT.
relevant comedy couple, whose presence
In this play is not even explained. What
right they have to invade Mrs. kirk
lands fiat nobody knows. They come
on. however. and do their little turn
and 90 out again. and nobody cares.
The wronged wife in this play looks like
Nellie Denver in 1.-The Silver King
and wears the good old black gown, now
so popular. Why doesn't some big dry
goods house advertise "a line of black
dresses for 'vrongcd wives?" They
seem to be so much in demand just now.
In the last act. after the death Of one
OF the children. she appears again in the
black dress, and somebody says to her
why do You e black? Who IL
dead"' AS she has already donned the
sinister garb, 1t looked very much a.
though she had bought it on the specula
ton OF somebody dying. There are wo
men who do hat kind of thing, l be
lieve.
The cast was headed by Henry Mile
and Viola Allen. Mr.. Miller was hi
usual romantic Gelf, aimed at the matt
nee girl. Miss Allen was admirable, a
she always is. Mrs. Bowers, as the dot
Ing mother-an unduly exaggerated roll
was neither sympathetic nor comfort
able. James L. Wilson, vino spoke witt
a tough accent, played the wicked son
the husband of the wronged woman,
part intrusted to and effectively playe,
by Miss Odette Tyler. The comedy cou
pie were Cyril Scott and Edna Wallace
Hopper, who did remarkably well. W
II. Thompson, with a wonderful make
up. played a small part artistica!ly; 8
did william Faversham.
The theme of 1.-THE Younger Son
might be satisfactorily used for a cur
tain-raiser. ALAN DALE.