Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1893-09-15

LIBERTY HALL"-AN UNDERSTANDING"
- FINALLY REACHED. T..
sarily and even tediously ''forecasty," this
comedy is model of technical skill. There
Ia only very small and unobtrusive idea
in Liberty Hail." 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 Ly-
ons" trimmings, turned wrong side out.
and lots OF simple, spontaneous humor.
The sentiment of Liberty Halr' is as
pure and unadulterated as thoroughly fl
tered water, although the author is care
full to avoid preaching. His material is
nearly all very old and laid in well worn
grooves, but it is so beautifully worded and
SO neatly laid out that its hackneyed con-
ventionalities 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, is as proud as Lucifer, 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 juno.
ture Mr.. Owen, who is really the heir,
arrives with a letter purporting to have
been sent by the eccentric traveller, whom
he 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 OPPORTUNITY found
with poor but gentle hearted and simple
minded uncle-in-law, William Todman,
who lives in 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 Mr.. Owen has also engaged board
and lodging, and here the second, third and
fourth acts are located. It affords the OPP
portunity to present 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 marries her cousin, Mr.. 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 Liberty Hall'' is it's
thorough wholesomeness and sincerity.
True, it lacks virility, and those persons
who like extra strong light and shade in a
play might consider it rather namby
PANTY, but this is really not the case. Its
characters are of course all exaggerated
somewhat, but if unaccentuated and ordi-
nary types only were shown on the stage the
theaters would soon close for lack of pat
ronage. The ''unusualness'' of character
very properly serves to lend additional
charm to it.
Of the cast it would be impossible to say
too much in praise There was really not a
single very weak spot in it. Henry Miller
rs Mr.. Owen was manly, convincing, nat
ural and conscientious. He had to enact
the role of young man who is so distress
ingly good and unsel6sh that it would have
been simple matter to have brought it
into ridicule, but instead Mr.. Miller made
of it a flesh and blood creation, simply a
little better than most of us.
Miss Viola Aliens conception of Blanche
Chilworth was prettily and carefully car
ried out, and the progress of the heart
promptings in overriding years of proud
teaching was magnifcently depicted. Like
Mr.. Miller, Miss Allen is somewhat handi-
capped by a part which does not permit the
exposition Of strong dramatic ability.
May Robson's contribution of Crater, q
cockney general-housework termagant, is, !
think, the best ''slavey'' she has ever done,
and Master Arthur Boylan as a lovesick
shopboy gave performance which augurs
we'll for his dramatic future.