The times., 1898-11-05

Home, Sweet Home" played by an in
visible organist from behind the scenes
of the New National Theater stage, her
an audience of rather small proportions
yesterday afternoon. The auanpce was
made up almost exclusively OF women,
who, during the hour and a quarter of
Mr.. Gaines reading, made liberal use Of
their handkerchiefs.
The personal appearance of the cele-
brated novelist is now so generally we'll
known that a description of him is not
necessary here. 1t is sufficient II say
that he suggests the Englishman in his
manner of dress and has an old-country
air about him that is interesting.
Mr. Caine began by stating that his ex-
perience of the lecture platform was not
stage much less so. 1t was the first
time, he said, that he was ever called
upon to be his own chairman, and the
fact reminded him of little incident IN
4 political meeting.
1.-THE meeting" said Mr.. caine. was
being disturbed by a voice calling out
loudly. Henry, Mr.. Henry, we want Mr..
Henry The demand was made so often
by the voice that finally small man was
lifted over the heads of the people and
placed upon the platform, where he began
to speak The voice still called for MI
Henry. we want Mr.. Henry The chair
man rose and said, Why, Mr.. Henry Is
now addressing the house. That little
man.. the voice answered, why, he's the
fellow that sat next me and asked me W
call for Henry.
Mr.. Caine plunged at once into the
telling of his story. Home. Sweet
Home" reading from manuscript placed
in front of him. He has a pleasing voice.
which at first did not penetrate to the
.rthest part of the house. but eventually
did when the reader got seriously down
10 the work His enunciation was ciear
and distinct, and he led his hearers from
grave to gay with indescrfbabie touches
of pathos and humor.
Home. Sweet Home is pretty story
sweetly told The theme OF IL rehiihos
one of something they have heard before
There is the usual story OF a crime, Tue
fight TO tar-CH ldllus, hAc AO'o
hitter anguish to separated hearts, and at
loo, tho homecoming of the wanderer,
who finds the conqueror Death awaiting
him on the threshold of the new nap
piness. But the story is so clothed py
the magic wand of the writer tnat one
in listening is lost in admiration.
The scene is laid in the country village
of Seven Oaks, in Kent, and Mr.. came
paints ideally the picturesque old nome
of Lawrence Clough, hero, the old inn'
and the ancient church, with the monu-
ment of the hero's father in the market
place.
Larry" Clough has let the pleasure of
the world prove his ruin, and when the
story opens he is tottering on the verge.
bringing down with him his wife and one
child of five years. daughter. Lucy. He
was TO be sold out, lock, stock and bar
rel" Even the house which belonged to
his wife and in which she was born was
| to go under the hammer. The afternoon
| of the sale arrives and with 1t one Harry,
| now Capt. Crow, an old resident of the
village but for ten years past engaged
in the North Seas in the whaling industry
| Crow had been a suitor for the hand OF
Lucy, Larry's wife, but his poverty had
| been against him.
When the Clough home came under tht
|
| full, outbid Larry. A few hours later
! the captain proposed to Larry to embark
| on one of his whalers and try his fortune
| in the North Sea To this Larry acquiesced
| agreeing to go that very night. on the
| last coach that would start at o'clock
Crow then met Lucy Clough. telling bel
| he had bought her home only to return
it to her, that Larry was going on the
whaling expedition, and that If he never
| came back might there not be some hops
| for him? A few moments later Lucy told
Larry what Crow had said, and Larry In
blind madness rushes to meet Crow
There were words. a blow, the blow re-
turned and Crow falls-dead. Larry has
| tens to his wife, tells her the ending OF
the quarrel. and finally leaves her to take
| the coach as had been agreed upon by
| Crow and himself.
The scene shifts to the North Sea, to
| Greenland; the time. twenty years after
| the opening of the story. Here Larry
| Clough with his identity lost as Jan, the
Icelander, lives his life, waiting for the
| message that never came to him. Fate
| comes one day in the person of a young
Englishman, who turns out to be the
son of Capt Crow, and who is in Green
land in the interests of his whalers. The
unraveling of the story at this point
passes from the commonplace into the
realms of sublimity. The young fellow
tells the story to the lonely Jan, after
much questioning.
Larry discovers that his wife is dead
and buried, and that his girl Lucy is
| the betrothed of Harry Crow. Harry re-
| turned to England and Larry was left
alone once more, not having revealed
| himself, although he was assured that
| his crime was not remembered against
| him in the village.
Finally, after five and twenty years.
Lawrence Clough, aged and worn, re-
| turned to his native village, the living
| image of the monument of his father in
| the old market place.
He saw his daughter and her husband,
happy in the old home. and his old heart
was captivated by the little son, called
after Jan. the Icelander Just as his
| children recognized him and took him
into their hearts the angel of death in
tervened and Lawrence Clough entered
| upon another long voyage.
Mrs. Sponord Divorced
Justice Cox yesterday granted a divorce
to Edith f. Spofford from her husband,
Henry w Spoffnrd Aooord;,r ~.