The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-20

theate-, dainty in its coloring. and with
every furnishing possible that could add
TO the comfort of the looEer-on, or the ac-
| tor The curtain had gone up on one Of
the most beautiful scenes ina ginable. II
| was France-France in the days when the
IIugucnots and the Catholics fought bit
| terly. 1t was France In the days when
men battled for their religion, their king
| and their sweethearts. 1t was France in
| the days when men were brave, women
| We're beautiful, and he was coward who
! would not give his life for his country or
! his love. 1t was a romance that was be-
| ing told or lived. which was it? just be-
! fore my eyes The story Of a noble gen
! tloman, who, fighting under the banner of
! Henry of Navarro, met distressed dam
\ sci and protected her from the various viii
| lains. who, naturally enough loved her,
ready TO make her suffer. But nothing
! seemed unnatural, nothing ever does seem
unnatural when the story told IS one of
! TRUE love, true courage and true faith.
| This hero never lost his belief in the lady
of his heart No matter how black 1t look
ed for her no matter how possible her per-
1dy might seem. He believed in her until
she told him of her own wickedness, and
then, he forgaVe her. Who was this young
knight2 Was IL Athos Porthos, or D'Arta-
gam I think 1t was the last. It was the
young cavalier, that one who was so ca
ger 10 believe and so constant when he
but call him what you Will make him APP
pear in any play that you will, he is al
ways that most lovable one of the three
Mousquetaires
The play? II was called IAN Enemy to
the King" and the gallant Huguenot cap
tain the protector of suffering woman
hood, the subtle plotter against the
throne, and the leader for Henry of Ma
varre. was he who is still known, as
young Sothern." I think he will always
be called that He Is one of the many act
ors who impress you with the fact that he
is entering into, in reality becoming, the
character that he Is portraying. and that
he is just as young and just as believing
and just as loving the man by whose
name he is called, whether it be De
Launy, Sheridan or Cholmondeley. You
and l, and every other man and woman,
who wants the world to be happier and
better, should rejoice at the applause
given to this play Such applause means
goodbye to the nasty problem play,
which hinged only upon one commandment.
1t means goodbye to the tiresome analyt-
zeal play, which was calculated to inter-
est only the author and the actors and
to weary the audience. 1t seems as If
there ought to be put out a large Ameri-
can flag, having marked upon it "Wel-
come to the Romantic Play!" For the en-
trance of the romantic play means the
hearing Of a good story, means the listen
ing to clean narrative, and the being in
terested in the plot as well as in the con-
versation.
They were a long way apart, these two
performances that / saw, and yet, while
one was at the top of the ladder and the
other at the foot, they were only part Of
the contrast in the story of a lifetime.
Here's to the good luck of Prof. Martin
ELI and his accomplished troupei Here's
good luck to the young Sothern and the
Romantic Drama! VIII you join me in
this wish for each? I am sure you will.
If the professor comes your way pay
your so cents for the best seat in the
house and go to see it. But make it
point to go out of your way to make the
acquaintance of an Enemy to the King
and to give your well-earned applause
TO young Sothern. May every year make
him younger az heart, and may never a
wrinkle come on his forehead, unless he
proves unfaithful to the Romantic Play!
Agree with me? or course you do. In
the west and south, and the north and
the east, you may differ about the COM
ing President, about the silver question
and about a good many other things, but
you will agree in this applause to the
good story and the good actor with
Rah