Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-04-04

I'M Gf5tH Anything that an
nv IS actor of Mr. Cranes
ability is pleased to
do is worthy of at
tention, and the audience which came
to pass judgment on the play AMI play
ers was large, fashionable, and coldly
critical
At the end Of the first act the opinion
prevailed that the comedian had become
possessed of one of the best plays pre-
scented this season. This opinion was
strengthened during the progress Of the
second act, and when the curtain fell
on the third act there was an unanimity
of opinion that in the play that bright
young woman, Miss Martha Morton,
had written a work that was destined
to live not only through this generation.
but through many generations to come
There was no question as to it's
longevity or It's success. and in truth,
there were no reasons why there should
be. The morning after the production
the newspapers stamped it as one of the
hits of the year.
To those who have analysed the COM
edy its strong points have become very
apparent In the first place, the play
tells good, strong, wholesome story
that all can see to their amusement
and not a few to their advantage 1t
touches the heart, works upon the SEN
sibilities, and teaches a lesson that
knocks at many door.
The story outlined is extremely simple
and easily followed. The principal char
acter is Buchanan Billings, who is in
the grocery business in Harlem, and
wealthy.
He has an only child, Nell, and she is
the idol of his life. You can say that
she is the apple of my eye, that live
only for her that anything in the world
she wants she can have, and that
hope never to be separated from her as
long as we both live.
In these words he describes his af-
lection for her. On her part she is not
unmindful of his great love, and has
always been a dutiful daughter. She
devotes her life to her father, until she
falls in love with Frank Hamilton, the
confidential man his employ.
Billings. who has never denied his
daughter anything, consents to the
marriage, and in order to prove his af-
lection for Nell and his confidence in
Frank, gives him full partnership in
the business and becomes a silent MEM
That done, he decides to devote the re-
mainder of his life to his little girls
happiness. and then falls into a delu-
sion, common enough among parents,
that their children must always belong
to them, and can have no future of
which they do not form a part
From this point Billings becomes a
lovingly, meddlesome father, whose
kindly meant interferences with the
personal affairs of his daughter, and
her husband make him a nuisance He
IS not ike the traditional mother-in-law
in acerbity or fault-finding, however
he is far too good-natured to scold
anybody, or to purposely raise row
about anything-but he is decidedly
meddlesome, nevertheless.
One of the first things that he does
is to insist upon accompanying the
young people on their honeymoon, and
they are compelled to plan an escape,
which proves amusing.
Upon their return he decides upon
their living in his house. and as he has
nothing to do, begins to NEEDLE in the
young peoples domestic affairs. His
whole idea is to make Nell happy, for
getting the fact that her happiness has
passed out of his hands and into those
of her husband.
They never have a moment alone and
they resent this. They rent house and
keep the intelligence from the old man
until the last minute. Before he realizes
that they have gone the rooms are
stripped of their furniture, and as he
sits down on an old box, the only thing
left. and looks around at the bare
walls, he presents picture that is truly
pathetic,
Once in their new home the young
husband congratulates himself on get
ting rid of his meddlesome father-in-
law, but his ghost comes in the person
of his old servant, Matt
The servant officiously waits upon
Nell. but ignores Frank. thing that
angers the young man. and he orders
him to leave the house. Shortly after
Billings. himself, appears, and Nell is
of course, glad to see him. The old gem
tleman eats Franks breakfast by mis-
take, and the young man in fit OF tenn