The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-09-12

manner in which the play was mounted.
The first act, with the vicarage garden on
the morning of the celebration of the sill
yer wedding of Dr. Primrose, with the
assembled villagers singing in his honor,
with the apple tree in the foreground laden
with its luscious fruit, OF which every
body freely partook, was very nice, very
Miss MitforG'S 'Our Village"
The Ycarage parlor was another tri-
umpb Of realism, even to the cuckoo clock,
TO the lighting of the laid fire by the
Old-fashiOned flint, steel and finder
box, and the PLAYING by Sophia On
the spinet of Happy Morn" with
Mr.. Burchell (Mr. F. Cooper singing the
burthen of the piece, and Moses assisting
with the flute. Everything had a quiet,
comfortable English air, broken only by
the grief of the family, first by the COM
munication of the envious Farmer Flam-
borough that poor old Primrose had been
ruined by a levanting business man to
whom be had entrusted his little earnings,
and in the next place by the flight of Olivia
with Squire Thornhill. These are the
two incidents that make up the dramati-
cally pathetic features Of the play, which
Is wrought out with admirable skill to
happy consummatiOn.
AS DR.. Primrose, the happy, weak, SIM
ple-hearted minister, but withal aft icted
with mild sort of vanity on account of
the hOnors he gained at college. Mr.. Irving
gave us a new view Of his acting ability
The conception of the character of the
simple country clergyman was perfect as
chrysolite. There WAS not flaw in it
anywhere, till driven to desperation by
the supposed disgrace of his beloved child
he clutched couple Of pistols that might
have been in service with Marlborough's
men in Flanders, from above the
mantel, and in a temporary fit of
fury vowed to follow the betrayer
of his child the world over and slay MIN
on sight. The father asserts himself for
the moment above sthe restraints of long
years of self-subjection. Otherwise he
was forbearing. self-deprecatiDg. and a
perfect embodiment of that character
spoken of by the apostle who, influenced
by charity, suffers long and is kind, hOpeth
all things and doeth no evil.
Miss Ellen Terry presented Olivia Prim-
rose, the daughter of the vicar, and the
supposed victim of young Thornhill. Her
best scene was in the Dragon Inu, after
her elopement, where her evil genius
whom she loves devntedly, and of whom
she has every reason to believe she is the
lawfully welded wife, deceives her. as he
thinks, while he is himself deceived. He
tells her they are not married. The look
on her face as she repeats this after him
was q study, the agony of ii, the wild
eyed expression of utter anguish, was
something never to be forgotten. The
recollection of years of innocence and
peace the teachings of her father. the ex-
am pie of her mother, seemed to flow over
and take possession of her, and the pitiful
hopelessness of her words, What can
do? What is to become of me?" as she
totters from the room, sent thrill Of pain
to every heart in the audience. The ladies
who sat in the auditorium displayed much
emotion. and one or two were so
overcome that they had 20 leave their
seats. Miss Terry has never appeared TO
better acting advantage this engagement
than she did in the persoDation of Olivia,
whether in the happy home of her girl
hood. or when her guiIeless nature was in
revolt against the man who sought her
undong.
We we're surprised that there was such
comparatively slim attendance. In its
way "Olivia" is the best acting piece that
has been presented so far, and when it is
repeated deserves fuller auditorium.
This evening Mills Charles l" will be
presented.
In our opinion the exhibition at the
Baldwin last evening was injudiciously
named when it was called "a Trip to the
Moon" The general public associated il
with a comic opera, such as we have had
at the Tivoli for some time past. Instead
of such trivial business ii is philosOph-
icaI and scientific elaboration of all the
discoveries made up to date by means of
lenses that have beaten in discovering
power the famous Ross telescope, at one
time considered the greatest focus that
could be brought to bear on the stellar
armament and on the dead. cold, pale
lunar world that sails through the heavens
with light borrowed from the center of
the solar system. DR.. Serviss, who ex-
plains everything to the audience. is full
Of astronomical knowledge, and has a
Froctor-like ease and simplicity of man.
ner In conveying it to his hearers. We do