The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-18

received. The title of the piece is per-
haps as suggestive as any that could
be chosen. but the fruit OF the tree Is
not always pleasant. In fact, the plot
and the idea is old enough, but there
are at times neat ways of disclosing the
intricacies Of the problem that interest.
as some trick of the bright teacher or
figures does a pupil, or the using OF blg
words or the resounding repetitions or "A
rhetorician amaze n crowd or more or
less unthinking auditors. Even the
children In the larger towns know the
adventures story, and 1t Is not nee
essary for her to put too thickly the
rouge on her cheeks or display too un-
blushingly the extravaganza OF her
dress which has been so dearly bought.
A past and a past Is the story or Inc
Tree of Knowledge" The title is well
chosen IL the boy is happier when he
finds how simple the teachers trick is
and the audience pleased when the hol-
lowness of the rhetorician is discov-
cred. There are in the main plot sug-
gestions that are sinister. but none OF
it is new at ALL no new lesson nor no
new way by which the dangers OF the
way may be avoided are taught Eng
lish it is meant as a lesson TO those
who have Hogarth and many another.
There are surprises in the piece that
relieve IL from tediousness and rev
there were in the audience last night
who did not cheerfully welcome these,
and few to whom there was any lesson,
dramatic or otherwise. That is, dra-
matte save in the lesson given OF dra-
matte work that was nearly always
careful and very often correct. 1t was
not enough that the story OF the ad-
ventures should be told over again.
but-a young Woman must read Dad
work given her by bad man and then
excuse IL to her mother by saying
g
woman whose lines were at times in
nocent-and artless could-after- seeing
n story OF perfidy enacted hear from q
mans lips the story of his wrong and
then make a plea for the bandage from
women's eyes. The fruit Of the tree q;
knowledge nearly all men and women
who have moved a few feet on this
earth have known enough Of; even
the children mock Jenny in the streets
of London town.
There are in the play some nice con-
trasts that are particularly pleasing
some that are heart fresh. one Of these
Is the scene between Maj. Blencoe and
Monica. II Is the proposal OF a fine
worthy man for the heart of the younl
heiress Mr. Taylor. who plays tho
part, throws into it all the feeling of !
chiValry that is so different from al
else in the evening that appeals tC
many i'm the audience. for the men ant
the women. take them as they come. ar,
more like this kindly. devoted. but ED
erly lover than like the other char
acters that "The Tree of KNOWLEDGE
Informs us about Another thing the
Is we'll brought out is when the I'D
venturess is 10 elope while her husband
is supposed TO be on his way 20 Lon
don. The surprise OF the denouemen
dispells n tendtncy to wearincss an,
keeps the interest undated through
the closing act
The cast is satisfactory: on some q
the members the demands are no' great
and the principals cerrv tho dialogu
IN an Interesting wav. Nv. Eackett y
the man with q past whose friend ha
married the woman w''h p poet. md
an apparently conreninl pert. There ~
tir,,es when u cats fo~ c1rncet wc~b
and then he Is olweys equal to th
occasion. and probably the DlaywriCh
is TO blau,o for the rnvotiticos whic
mar Mr. Hactetts work. Mr. IFoop
was ono OF The MOST "TrfVrHrtrr-y ~
cldents OF tho niece fT'7 acts and NJ
lines are worked out with care and q
ppparent noncha'anco that is ~ a
times captivatin~ 30 q 'ran OF ~
ctarvon household Nr .Fville make
for himself ar Erpiichr0r's servant
psrt that is ore 81 tho relieving pact
- . we'll balanced uerforr'ance. Nis
Nesbitt's presentation of the adopte