New-York tribune., 1897-11-16
THE NOVEL AND THE PLAY.
"a LITTLE REBEL" AND "A BACHELORS
ROMANCE"
WHAT MISS MARTHA MORTON SAYS OF ALLEGED

WHAT MISS MARTHA MORTON SAYS OF ALLEGED
LIKENEssEs BETWEEN THEM.
The attention Of The Tribune was called yester-
day to alleged likeness between the play ca'.ea
"a Bachelors Romance" and a novel entitled "A
Little Rebel" The play ia by Miss Martha MOT
ton and has had a run OF several weeks at tho
Garden Theatre The run ended SATURDAY
night The play was presented by Sol smith nus.
sell and his company, and he also played II i"''
season The novel Is by 1.-THE Duchess" copy
OF t, was found and a comparison was made. On On
the cover Of the book is printed: ''Copyr'sh' '''
by George Munro's Sons"
This IL a sketch of the story of the novel; FRO
fessor Thaddeus CurZon Is a man OF science ie"'
before the story opens he quarreied Win ms
father and was left without means. except "ha'
he derived from his work. An old friend Oh ne
dies and leaves his daughter to Curzon az W.
The girl lives with Miss Majende, maiden iaus
with sharp tongue The girl dislikes the woman
and implores her guardian to take her away iro'"
her and let her live with himself. The maiden
lady objects to the girls going anywhere eve" ~,
"A walk. with a man. even her GUARDIAN Inc 80
leaves Miss Majendie and comes TO her guar '"'a'''
announcing that she means 20 stay. He taxes
her to his sister, rich widow CurZoh "a' "
friend named Hardinge. younger man 'nan % h'in
self This young man falls IN love with the "aru'
Curzon himself also falls In love with MS "a'u'
though scarcely knowing 1t hiinset ri ",oN
Curzon has dissolute brother, VINO aIso h'a"''
love TO the ward. The most OF the chaIac'e''
meet and the plot is somewhat developed a' "
dancing party at the house Of the rich wiuo"'
Uard!nge asks Curzon to help him In MS SUI. iot
the ward He tries to do so. but the ward VIII not
listen to IIardlnge's suit. In the summer 'ui"o"
sister and his ward are IN the country 1 ="
comes there and has talk with MS "dlu'
difficult for her to show him that she loves nm
and for him 10 make himself believe It, but ne Is a.
last convinced that she does ana the s'''' ~
with both OF them made happy.
This Ia a sketch OF the story OF the play Da''u
Holmes IS a man of letters Years before the sloiy
opens he quarrelled with his father ana wac ,
without means, except what he der'Veo io, 49,,
work He has become the editor or paper, anu ~
paper has offered prize for story. iie %
Judge OF the stories. An old friend OK his dies anu
Ioayes h,s daughter 70 Holmes as ward. The girl
lives with Miss Clementina, maiden lady with
sbarn tongue The maiden lady objects 10 the
girls going TO n concert with Hiah' iio CO.
comes 10 her guardian. announcing tha' 9he
10 stay He takes her to his sister rich "''o"
Holmes has a friend named Reynolds menhpe'
OF the s,ar OF his paper younger man tIa" nm
sol, This Young man falls in love with the "aru
Holmes himself also falls In love with his "aru
though scarcely knowing 1t himself at hrst Holhes
has dissolute brother. The most or the ciArac
ters meet and the plot Is somewhat deVeopeu a' n
dancing party at the house OF the rich WIDOW
|
awards tn. prize 10 him. knowing that the money
will make him the better able to marry his WARD
In the summer Holiness sister and MS waru are
IN the country. Holmes comes there ana mas IL
talk with his ward 1t is difficult for her 70 snow
hin, that she loves him and FOR him 10 make HIM
self believe IT, but no is at last convinced tha' sne
does and tho story ends with both OF them fnaue
happy ,o.
one difference between the two stories mas oeen
indicated: the prize-s,ory contest. There are OF
course other differences that have not been ihdl-
Gated here In the book the dlssolute brother d!eS'
in the play he reforms. There are no less than
| ,hr.e sub-plots n the play which nre not In the
hook And so on But nll the likenesses that have
! h~cn Indicated between the two exist.
A Tribune reporter Miss Morton at the Hotel
| Maria Antonette last evening and asked her II
she desired to say ANYTHING IN reFard 10 the ,. al
| Miss Morton said: Human motives cannot be
copyrighted. have heard before OF ms aScdss rs
printed ia Year or so ago in Tho Chcsso Times
Herald That paper enTrse1 b ,1te MI Rbe When. as
a mater Of fact up to the time that article Lo
appeared had never heard OF the book. let alone
"Th. play has been llkcned to dozens and dozens
! Of other works among them ocins The nor dto,eS,
! sor's Love story The only resemblance oetwren
! tho play and the novel Is the motive OF baen
.nng ibat an SH for YEAR. and years before either tho
novel or my play wcre % ono OF voWng Girl thclr
deal OF womanhood and eventually maTTied cdniic ,hc
and further. believe that they VII SUI, s
| 10 do So notwithstanding autho,rs, TO- in "A
| pacbrior,s Romance" and shall use 1t again IN
u &c ~ c,r,,b Russcl when he heard OF the eccu-
s,ton that the play had been taken rom ON ~ ~,
TittIs Rebel laughed at the idea that was ho'
nf b,v, several times declined to make any an,
sv.r 10 these ACCUSATIONS. hut as they have now ss
| ccomo "a m. here In New-York desire 20 say
tbrouph The Tribune that In no way dld .aKe f n's
ary ~ NV MIA, a Bachelors Romance rom
pors povsI took the situation and plot from human
! nSperlence and built the lay around IT. m,s"o"
| ,r 49, w,v using anothers language or IDEAS. =,
u" 1T NAV be true that there is similarity d Dc
,w.s, ,he characters I'm the novel IN question an.
49, ~. - ~ mo nIoy hut the book did not Influence
m. when wrote the play. as | had not resd ~! !.
| ,hon took my characters from IRE. ana II tne
n.nn,..i,s, Ala the same there would be naturally
OF likeness between the pay a. 1nr iy
| iife az 10 human motives do not believe there u
! an,. iiksness between my work and the novel