The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-03-25
MARIE Won HAMMER,

Spiritisime Is the name of the latest
job from the Sardou workshop, for
which n great deal has been promised
in the line of novelty. Reading the
story, however, one fails to find much
departure from the general lines fol
lowed in Fedora, La Tosca, Gismonda,
and the others. The inevitable Sar.
dou woman, her soul scared with pas.
sion, and her heart torn by contending
emotions, is the central figure of all
of them. Sometimes she Is Russian,
sometimes of other nationality. In
Spiritisme she is French, rich, beauti-
full, and with uslimited capacity for
wild passion. Her name Is "SimOne."
She is the wife of an old man whose
life is devoted to occult philosophy and
investigation Of the unknown. The
first act contains n good deal Of com.
monplace spiritualistic lore. 1t is OBJ
served, however, that "Smone" Is in.
triguing with lover, Manuel by
name, whose intentions are to com.
promise 'Simone" so that she may be
divorced and compelled to marry him,
in which case he will assume com.
mand over her fortune. The oppor.
tunity presents itself. "Simone" is
about to spend few days with a
countess of her acquaintance. Man
uel' accompanies the pair to the sta.
tion, covers "SimOne's" face with a
his own apartments, while the COun.
tess awaits her "Simone" holds back,
but the pressing Of pure-minded
friend SO irritates her that she decides
to go.
The next act shows the apartments
Of manuel" Manuel bids Isl.
none" fly with him, and SO the dia-
lOgue goes on until suddenly the news
Of an accident at the station Is brought
in. Footsteps are on the stairs, and
"Simone" escapes just in time to avoid
meeting her husband. He is SCARED
and burned with long searchlngs IL
the debris of the wrecked train, il
which "Simone" is supposed to have
departed.
After little discussion the husband
departs, only to learn that the body OF
his wife has been identified by means
Of her jewels, but is otherwise unre
cognlzable. The situation Is ingen
ious. "Simone" comes out from he
hiding place at the bidding Of the pure
minded friend. and discovers that shi
is, to all intents suu purposes, dead
Now she Is free to fly with her lover
hut curiously enough "Manuers" pas
sion has cooled now that she is II,
longer the wealthy "Simone." She
however, has by this time recognized
the baseness of the man who would
betray her. She can not bring hersel
to go back to her home, nor can sh
fly with the unwilling "Manuel" &C
cordingly she solved the difficulty b,
going away by herself.
In the last act the powers of spirit
1alism are once more called into pla.
In order to bring the husband and wifi
together. BY the kind offices OF the In
cOrrigible ami des femmes q plan |
arranged by which she may explain
her absence from the fire and get hi
forgiveness. The spiritualistlc hus
band Is induced to believe that his wifi
Is to be manifested to him at his spe
ciai request; the shades Of the de
parted are invoked and "Simone" NJ
pears. She confesses everything to til
poor man. who, thinking that he Is /
The presence Of the departed, can nc
withhold his pardon; nor when Ii
spirit becomes flesh in his arms has h
.he hardihood to east her away, so tina
'he enc Is peace. ROSE FANCHON.