The San Francisco call., 1896-06-26

the fashion to serve up to the audience by
way OF an appetizer before the solid fare
Of the evening begins, and the other was
a sparkling little comedy which described
the attempts at matrimony committed by
the three Miss Biddles.
William Greer Harrison wrote the half
hour of concentrated agony especially for
the Columb bia School. 1t described one of
those episodes which in plays and novels
occur in mems lives and make their hair
go gray prematurely and the SHADOW of
mysterious melancholy settle down on
them forever. The play was named "Ex-
piation." 1t was French, very French
in fact, it was so French that parents and
guardians sitting in the theater some
times clutched the elbows of their arm
chairs tightly and held their breath in
terrified suspense for fear what was COM
ing was-weIl, was just little too French
for the young people OF the school.
Their alarm vas without foundation
however. William Greer Harrison had
skated over thin ice occasionally, but be
had done it so skillfully that there was no
cause for trembling or even for passing
oualm. "Expiation" tells how Marie,
French orphan, was beloved by Henri Du
Foise the son ofa French land owner. In
stead of rejoicing at the presence OF cupid
in his family, the land owner what Dick
ems in one of his novels describes as
''fops" to his son, to abiure him 10 re-
frain.
Henri refuses to refrain, whereupon a
village priest who possesses the patefnal
name Of Father Pere reveals the grewsome
story. Years before Mare's father had
loved Mares mother madly, passionately,
sel6shly. Matters came to such a pass
that 1t was necessary for Henri's father to
I. ill a. hlaA cod
him to be defeated as a conscript, which
shows that he was very young, but he re-
turned from the war alone at night and
does the deed.
This awful story moves Henri to de-
spair He hears drum and ffe band
without, and bidding hasty and last fare
well to Marie and his father, he rushes of.
in evening dress, like the heroes OF Water
loo, to die for his country, while Marie
falls on her knees and promises to be
daughter to her fathers SLAYER.
The play was cleverly acted by James
Keane, who, as the avenger, erred only Dy
too faithful reproduction OF henry trV-
ing's mannerisms. by Thomas Hickey as
Henri, E. Lestrado, who was dlgn1ied and
convincing as the Father Pere, and by Miss
Minna Terry as Marie
so much promise that it is safe 10 augur
very bright future as playwright 1or that
clever Young 0atlNe uduSuIeIi 1h4So hiASO
Yates Grant. An eccentric uncle has died,
leaving untold silver to any or each OF
the three Miss Biddles who shall marry
a man whose name begins with " X. The
amusing complications arising from this
Situation and the appearance of Reginald
Ronald Ralston on the scene are most
amnsinplv portrayed. The young play
WRIGHT has worked up her point splen-
didiv: she makes enough OF her comedy
situations. but never works them to death.
All the performers in this cast were good;
thew were: r. w. Travers, Miss Helen
Highly, MISS Florence K. Minot and MISS
Sunset" by Jerome K. Jerome, was
nleasingly acted by r. w. Travers, George
Godfrey. o. Humphries, Miss May Cap
wen, Miss Oracle Gray and Miss Cecella
Harmon. George Godfrey and Miss cray
especially distinguished themselves
though all the acting was excellent.
The dancing was the weakest feature OF
The performance, not that the young
people did not show grace, but the char
acter of the dances had not been pre-,
served. Every one who has read the good
old novels OF the last century remembers
that the Pamelas and the Clarissas of the
neriod were always invited by their beaux
- awalk" a minuet. The idea of pranc-
inc with uplifted feet through Its stately
measures would have shocked their sensl-
tive souls. ;,
On the part of the pupils yesterday
light, springy step was adopted, which