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

Neil Armtage simply dotted on Paul
kirkland, but in an emincntly lady-like
way. To prove her love. she told him
that wherever he was and whoever he
was, she would always think Of him.
Then she went to Simeon Brewster, and
Immediately promised to be his wife.
That's so like a girl. Is II not-that Is to
say, a stage girl? Never by any chance
can she marry q man she adores. until
the last act. She Invariably chains her
self up to somebody else during the
progress OF the play. and irags herself
about to glow music and tears.
Nell Armitagc was the heroine OF Da-
vid Bciasco's trivial four-act drama that
was essayed at the Empire Theatre last
night. Four large meaty acts were
reared upon improbability, and the weak
est Of motive. A sentence, or perhaps even
word dragged from this drama would
cause 1t to collapse like house Of cards.
one would think 1t had been written as
n pot-boiler; that Belasco had sat with
his head In his hand. crying: II must
write a 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 pldy itself
AS the action moves tedlously through
It's four acts, delayed and interrupted
by incessant, disconnected comedy epi-
sc des you see that It is a case Of much
ado about nothing. There are tears.
white faces. groans and agony-an about
nothing at all. Here is the 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 la Mrs. Kendall. she is
horribly distressed. and the death Of
every one of her relatives could scarcely
have agouizcd her more. The naughty
man buys Paul's picture. and, learning
that Paul loves Nell offers to send him
to Italy to study paintng-in reality,
to get him out of the way. Paul,
knowing nothing, rejoices. Nell Is
afraid to tell him the truth, for ne has
threatened to kill himself IL his ambi-
tions 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 well. A bad
brother an ill-used wife, dressed in
block. (of course). n couple Of children,
a doting mother, and the usual flippant
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 marion
cite.
or course. there are church bells, slow
music and blue moonlight in the third
act Belasco would sooner deprive his
heroine Of bread and butter than 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 happy new year" The misery Is
always rudely pushed aside by the ir-
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 SO out again. and nobody cares.
The wrunged 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 vronged wives?" They
seem to be 30 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 wear black? Who ia
dead?" AS she has already donned the
sinister garb, 1t looked very much as
though she had bought 1t on the specula-
tion of somebody dying. There are wo-
men who do that kind Of thing, I be-
| lieve.
The cast was headed by Henry Miller
and Viola Allen. Mr.. Miller was his
usual romantic Gelf, aimed at the natl.
nee girl. Miss Allen was admirable. as
she always Is. Mrs. Bowers, as the dot.
Ing mother-an unduly exaggerated role
was neither sympathetic nor comfort.
able. James Z. Wilson. who spoke with
a tough accent. played the wicked son
the husband of the wronged woman, q
part intrusted to and effectively played
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 artistically; sc
did William Faversham.
The theme OF 1.-The Younger Som
might be satisfactorily used for cur
tain raiser. ALAN DALE.
PRINCESS AND DUCHESS INVEST,