New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-14

! true to his friend. who had married her: then
| there Is the GOODNESS with which she battles and
| silences her accuser, when she invents lie
| to her husband who finds them together; and
| finally when she has sung her husband to sleep
| there IS the heartless elopement OF the adven-
! turess with fresh lover. This series Of dra-
matte surprises leaves the spectators fairly
| breathless with excitement.
| French dramatst would have stopped at
| the end Of the fourth act and have left 1t
| problem play without ethical significance Mr.
| Carton. not having the single theme OF an ad-
| venturesss career but the additional motive OF
| contrasting It with the purer influences OF true
| womanhood in a lovely English home, adds
| fifth act and expo;es himself to the reproach
| Of antclimax After the storm and stress OF
the fourth act interest in the drama naturally
| flags, while Nigil confesses his fault and Is
magnanimously forgiven A highly dramatic
play has & prosaic ending when the hell OF
wanton passion has closed and the paradise Of
pure love has been regained. SO marked is
the decline OF interest after the disappearance
OF the bad woman from the stage that the
author is charged with combining two ncom-
patibe themes in the drama; but this Is super
fetal criticism. The play has unity as well as
ethical meaning 1t Is a contrasted study OF
good and evil. each Of which bears fruit after
It's kind. and knowledge Eliminates II with the
exhibition OF compassion and penitence on the
one hand and cynicism and heartlessness on the
other The most Objectionable and perhaps the
least artistic device is the frenzied attempt OF
Nigi TO kill the adventures who has cast him
| off But without this incident the dramatic
situation in the fourth act would be sacrificed:
and 1t Is this which thrills the spectators
Mr.. Alexander's strong company. with per-
| n &c
/ Of excellent parts in this play. The exception
Is Mr.. w. II. Vernon. an admirable actor who
lacks sufficient scope for his talents az the
old squire embarrassed with debts and COM
PEELED to welcome penniless daughter-in- law
Mr.. Fred Terry is the sQuires son. and we'll he
plays the part. with its alternating passages Of
| infatuation and misery. Mr.. II. p. Irving, as
| the cynical man OF the world. flirting with his
| eyes open and clipping with the young wife be-
| cause he regards virtue and vice as convertible
! terms acts with moro spirit and intelligence
| than he has ever shown before Mr. H. V
| Esmond and Mr.. George Shelton provided the
| humor Of the piece in two eccentric characters
exceently played. Mr.. George Alexander has
part created expressly for him and he irnparts
| consistency 10 it with subtle art. As Nign he
succeeds in the earlier scenes, quiet and self
| restrained as Is his method, In conveying an
somewhere in reserve. so that when he is goaded
on by taunts and sarcasms TO uncomfortable
anger and murderous fury the outbiIrst is
saved from the reproach OF being unnatural
HIS contrition, shame and forebodlngs Of evil
are sufficiently emphasized TO enable the SYM
patheuc spectator 10 dispense with casuistry
, and to believe that after being sobered by pun
ishment he has earned the love OF a true and
generous woman.
Miss Fay Davis has the requisite touch of
piquancy which helps to redeem the portrayal
OF womany virtue and goodness from the re-
proach of inspidity and duness Amelia ia al
ways at disadvantage when contrasted with
Becky Sharp. because. while she is good. she is
weak and vapid. Miss Monica is not only WON.
AMY but charming. and Miss Davis makes full
use Of all her resources for drolery and genuine
comedy power The great work Of the play falls
to Miss Nelson who nterprets to the life vet
without vulSarity, the heartless adventures. II
Is an artistic and finished performance which
betokens more brilliant future on the stage
than the heartiest admirers Of her beauty and
grace have ever ventured to forecast for her
Lack OF sincerity, a cynical hardness and in
difference TO the consequences OF her transient
affections and sudden caprices and a restless
ness INDUCED by her love OF excitement and ad-
miratiOn. are the leading characteristcs Of bar
representation Of a heartless AMI irredeemable
wanton. The art is subtle in its latent sug-
gesiveness. and while brilliant in its glitter and
| gayety OF spirits. it is cold and repellant and
makes no appeal to sympathy. The teaching Of
| The Tree OF Knowledge" is ethically true and
| as old and unerring as the Hebraic parable in
Genesis Of human life with It's knowledge Of
| good and evil. and both Mr.. Alexander and Miss
| Nelson have caught the spirit OF IT,
Of Mr.
| has suddenly senced the chorus OF criticisms
| with which the second series NJ tho "co,a,
| Treasury OF Songs and Lyrics" has been eree,.d
| The first series has been accepted for q genera
| ton AS incomparaby the best short collection
! OF English poetry ever made: and It has exer-
cised great educational influence I'm forming
| and directing public taste In verse. The second
| series was deferred until the ACCOMPLISHED
author and collector was perhaps too old IN bava
the requisite degree of fiexibility in comparing
and estimating the value Of recent EnpIisb
poetry. Some Of his selections excited much
| surprise among English men OF letters The
| list included few names which had already
been forgotten. IT omitted other selections from
minor poets which have generally been regarded
| as worthy Of being embalmed in "The Golden
| Treasury" Whatever heartburnings there NAV
| have been have now ceased, and full honor "a
accorded TO a poet and critic Of exceptional dis
| tinction in the commonwealth OF English letters
| Full allowance has never. perhaps been made
| for Lord Tennyson's share IN the compilation OF
| the first series. 1t was made under his advice
! and represented in no small degree his own
| taste and with so eminent a mentor the editor
| and collector naturally produced volume which
| was accepted at once as a standard work. When
| the second series was planned there was no
| adviser equally competent to enter sympatheti-
| cally upon the preparation Of a representative
| collection OF songs and lyrics. Mr.. Palgrave's
| taste was formed and he lacked adaptabillty
| Wordsworth. Tennyson and Matthew Arnold had
/ become his standard authors and his sympa-
thies were with the poetry Of scholarship. learn
Ing ana culture. l. n. +.