Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-09-05


 FINALLY REACHED.
 sarily and even tediously ''forecasty," this comedy is model of technical skill There is only very small and unobtrusive idea in "Liberty Hall,' and still the author has contrived to avoid dryness throughout the second, third and fourth acts. The play is sort of thoroughly toned down Hazel kirke, " with suggestions of Lady of Iy- ons' trimmings, turned wrong side out and lots of simple. spontaneous humor.
 The sentiment of "Liberty HalI' is as pure and unadulterated as thoroughly fil- tered water, although the author is care ful to avoid preaching. His material is nearly all very old and laid in well worn grooves, but it is so beautifully worrIed and so neatly laid out that it's hackneyed con- ventlonalities are forgotten in the pleasure at greeting old friends in new garb.
 The two Chilworth sisters are left practi- cally pennilesS by their father, the estate going" by entail to an eccentric cousin whom the girls have never seen, and who deVotes his time to travelling in faraway and almost unheard of places Blanche the elder sister, k as proud as I.ucifer, and when informed by the family lawyer of the facts of the case determines that they must leave the old home at once. At this tune ture MT Owen, who k really the heir arilVes with a letter purporting to have been sent by the eccentric traveller, whom be had met in the Himalayas.
 In this letter the sisters are urged to re main where they are, but Blanche will not permit this. Shelter is opportunely found with poor but gentle hearted and simple minded uncle-in-law, William Todman, who lives in a cheap quarter of London and ekes out an existence as the proprietor of a secondhand book store and circulating library that does not circulate
 Here Mir. Owen has also engaged board and lodging, and here the second third and fourth acts are located. It affords the op- portunity to present a pretty picture of lowly English life and it is taken advan- tage of to the full. Blanche is shown the folly of her pride of birth, and in the end of course marrles her cousin. Mir. Owen, who feared that if he had wooed her in the regu- lation manner she never would have con sented to become his wife.
 The great merit of "Libcrtv Hall'' is its thorough wholesomeness and sincerity. True, it lacks virility, and those persons who like extra strong light and shade in d play might consider it rather namhy pamby, but this is really not the case Its characters are of course all exaggerated somewhat. but if unaCCcutuatcd and ortli nary types only were shown on the stage the theatcrs would soon close for lack of pat ronaEc. ! he 'uuuSnalnCSS' of d character very properly serves to lend additional charm tu it.
 Of the cast it would be impossible to aav too much in praise. There was reallyn a single very weak spot in it. Henry Miller as NIT Owen was manly. convincing. nat uraI and conscientious He had tu enact th" role of a young man who is $" distress lnCly good and unselish that it would have hcen a simple matter to have brought il into rdlcule but instead Mir Miller made ot il hesh and blood creation simply l'ttle better than most of u-
 Miss Nl0la Aliens oonCertlrn of Pl4ncbC C hllworth was rrettilv and rarefullv ear --61 ut --l :Es 3roC.l.i oL the -ez-t = tvarr-G-ac 7s4cs of nrcuG teaching 'ras aspisce2rIy 5ao:,te4 like MT Miller. Miss Allen is somewhat handi- capped by part which does not permit the exposition of strong dramatic ability.
 May Robsons contribution of Crafer, cockney general al-housework termagant. is, think, the best ''slavey" she has ever done, and Master Arthur Boylan as lovesick shopboy gave a performance which au.urs well for his dramatic future.