The Anaconda standard., 1895-12-22

ends as well as all goodly constructed
plays should. The absent one, after
all. was not killed. but only a prisoner
without means of communication with
his command. until the usual dramatic
incident enables him to escape from
the enemy to his own regiment, and on
account of the sufferings already en-
dured. he procures a furlough, re-
turns to England and to his family
This happy reunion, back from the
jaws of DEATH" ends the play. You
will admit the conceit of the plot is a
pretty little romantically domestic
sketch. and had the great Clement
Scott been the author he would have
commanded by right the critical COM
plimentary comments bestowed upon
1t. Now. 1 want to say right here that
The Cape Mail Is the most brazen
literary steal of this generation. 1t is
40 years ago. nearly, /, then a boy, In
company with friends, visited the
Theater Royal. in the city of Cork,
Ireland. The performance was, first.
The Merry Widow followed by Lady
Audleys Secret Frank Matthews
(not Charles), a great character actor
played Luke Marks. How well do i
remember 1t now as the best rendi-
ton of the part l ever saw. Lady
Audley' was as much a fad then as
'Trilby' is at this time. The first piece.
The Merry Widow however. left its
own impress upon my young mind.
The war in the Crimea was then rag
ing. and of course ones sympathies
were readily enlisted in the play, as
there was then scarcely a family in
England or ireland that did not mourn
for some one of its members or rela-
tives. Now. I'll bet money to marbles
that all that has been changed from
The Merry Widow to The Cape Mail
is only such of the dialogue as bears
on localities-in other words as our en-
terprising hustlers say bringing IL up
to date by transferring the locale to
the South Africa of to-day from the
Crimea of 40 years ago. 1 am of the
opinion the original was never print
ed. as never found IL in French's cat
alogues. Pirate mss, however, always
existed. Yours. on plagarists and pi-
rates"
The American Baptist Publication
society of Philadelphia has just pub
lished what 1t terms a new and pow
erful book It is entitled The Tempta-
ton of Katherine Grey" When Miss
Grey. who is now playing a brief en-
gaeement on tour in The Great Dia-
mond Robbery" caught sight of the
title on the news stand, she gave q
gasp of ample proportions. She had
seen her name in print. but never quite
so SenSatlOnally Ilnkeo- cne Is won
dering whether or not IL was done on
purpose and what action she can take
to compel the publishers to change the
title.
At first the dramatic papers had Il
all to themselves in the field of thea
trical gossip. Then the daily papers
began to devote columns of space 20
theatrical subjects some years ago.
The weeklies followed suit. Munsey's
Magazine has been for some time pub
fishing an extensive resume CT dra-
matte doings and numerous beautiful
half tone portaits OF prominent play
ers. and Peterson's and Godey's are
doing likewise. Now the dignifed and
reserved Forum Is about TO establish a
dramatic department, dealing with
current productions
The Passing Show has been doing
an extraordinary business through the
territory adjacent TO the Northern Pa
cifc railway. The following are some
OF the actual receipts: Portland. three
nights. s1.s25: Tacoma. one night. ses4.