The Washington times., 1894-04-03
AS THE CROWDS CONE OUT.

As a polished old man ofthe world, worn
out and ruined with its gaieties, who finds
his young wife in love innocsntly with an
other man and drinks draught Of poison; as
. drunken old soldier, worn out and ruined
with sorrow and poverty, who finds his
daughter after twenty years separation and
goes away out OF her life without
disclosing his identity to her that she
may remain happy In her love, and
as a cockney Jew, dreadfully impossible
you know, dreadiully cockney, dreadfully
bred. but most Of all dreadfully funny, Mr..
Felix Morris exhibited his almost startling
versatility last night, but more than that,
much more, in each character he was alb
solutely that character, the perfection of it,
the whole of it. 1.-The versatility of the man
Is marvellous heard the people say rs the
crowds came out, but the perfection OF his
art was more so.
In the new play. ''The vagabond." Mr..
Morris has an unpleasing role to play, that Of
man who has sunk into the depths partially
through circumstance. but still, though he
doesn't know it, mostly through his own
weakness. 1t is an intensely strong and life
like portraiture. but don't see why Mr. Nor
ris should make US unhappy with it.. OF
course there is the remuneration OF what might
be hope and Joy in his life at the end forty
noble motive, but the coarseness OF his miser-
spoils the poetry for me.
Moses is the complete antithesis Of both
OF the other sketches. There is no attempt at
poetry, no idealism, only portraiture OF a
happy, loquacious. funny Jew, with a cock
ney accent beside that Of his own. But in
this also there is perfection He is the Jew,
the cockpey. and there is no vestige OF Felix
Morris, in face, voics, accent, manner, or
walk. think, except to show what he could
do, '.Moses" might have been better
lett out Of his repertoire by a
man who is so admirably nodded for the
delicate refinement OF art that Count De Ro-
han in ''The Rose" and the Chevalier in "The
Old Musician" show. There has been no one
In Washington this winter who could have
taken those three characters so well in one
evening. How fine the art Of them is.
Miss Florence Wood, who is of the stage,
Mrs. Felix Morris, was a clever and original
young woman in Moses"
A large and fashionable audience greeted
the new aspirant for his.rionic honors last
night. He has the advantages of youth,
handsome face, good voice, strong grit,
should say, and undoubted talent His sur
roundings last night on the stage were not
advantageous. His company was not en-
tirely satisfactory, and other matters in
truded themselves. The opinion that a great
many people formed was partially Influenced
by these unfortunate things, but there
were great many others who left
everything else out OF the question and
time. Florence Robinson, the beautiful hero
inc, for there is always beautiful heorine In
an irish comedy drama, was q charming bit
OF feminine architecture and accorded the
Johnnies inexpressible pleasure. Ella Atkin-
son also attracted considerable attention BY
her clever singing and dancing. and, to be
brief, the entire company made most OF their
opportunities to display all the talent they
possessed.