The times., 1898-10-04

young man to whom half the ladies in
the cast are married; Mr.. White is the
magistrate, and very, very good one,
and Mr.. Herman parades the sailor
clothes in the second act.
Miss Hammer poses as the old lady of
the piece; Miss James takes the role of
the old lady's maid. one Of the most ef-
fective in the cast. and Miss Muikins
more than sustains the reputation she
earned in THE Man From Mexico" The
minor parts are all acecptably taken espe-
cally that of James Topper, clerk in
the magistrates office. which has been
assigned TO Malcolm Bradley.
To sum up, "A Misfit Marriage" is a
fair comedy with rather novel lines. full
of bright dialogue and promisingly pre-
sented. IT needs considerable polish-and
Smyth & Rice are renowned polishers-
but that is all that may be required TO
furnish these managers with another hit.
NationaI-.'Why Smith Left Home"
That a same author should write two
phenomenal successes within one year
is perhaps not to be expected, and no
one who did not look forward TO this
could have been disappointed in the new
comedy, why Smith Left Home" pre-
sented for the first time in this city last
night at the New National. The farce
lovers of the capital being divided among
three theaters, there is little wonder that
the house was not filed with people as
was the comedy with merit. But the au-
dience was duly appreciative, despite its
lack of numbers. and curtain calls fol-
lowed each act.
"Why Simth Left Home" is three act
play. the last scene being of a double
barreled variety in which two little coun-
ter plots are explained. Smith is a mid
die aged contractor who has recently
welded a beautiful young woman. he
marrying for love and she for better or
worse-with anticipations of the former
state. Because Of business reasons the
customary honeymoon has been post
poned and, to add to the sorrow of the
twain. the manifold relatives of the wife
come TO spend their vacations with Mr..
and Mrs. Smith. Now. it chances that
the family lord and master possesses
enough of this worlds goods to have
three servants, aomng them a cook
lady whose very badness proves her on
ly virtue. In his efforts to get rid of a
troublesome historian aunt by mar
riage but mother-in-law by nature
Smith bribes this girl to serve such bad
; meals lldl the guests cannot remain. n
newly married brother of the young
spouse bobs up very inopportunely and a
foreign count falls in love with Mrs.
Smith mistaking her for her sister-in-
law a maiden of forty Winters and
untold Falls. A touching maid, French
husband of the mother-in-law aunt, re
tired major. and several others of smaller
Importance add to the confusion and the
salary roll Finally. after untold suffer
! ings Smith explains that he loves his
wife. the foreign count gives up the am
tronly sister to the major the other fami-
~ relatives skip for the woods and the
newly married man leaves home with his
helpmeet
This more or less clever farce is inter
/ preted by a company in many ways
/ good-in others unusually mediocre. The
4 title role. as done by Maclyn Arbuckle. is
/ strong, even in fits farcicaI fervor and
graceful where many would incline to
/ overact. In the few serious bits with
/ which Mr.. Broadhurst has Interspersed
the part, Mr.. Arbuckle appears with
I especial capabi!ity, placing this creation
on par with those of his old stock days.
/ Mrs. Anna Yeamans is probably the pop
4 ular favOrite of the piece her cook
lady" being probably the equal of Mrs.
Bates's famous Mrs. Murphy, or Matte
Fergusons Swedish servant In the
character work. and in this is more than
excellent. In makeup, accent, action
. and business, she is all that can be de-
! sired. Marion GirouX is a capable Mrs.
Smith-chic, pretty, vivacious. shapely,
well gowned and finely formed Miss
Giroux could do serious work If she
wished. but should never wish so long
as she can offer lighter matter so refresh
ingly. The General Biletdoux of Fred
farS iS afF ~ F,ss %
Matt Snyder seems little irksome prob
ably because of the failings of the author
rather than his own. Count Won Guggen-
helm. by Frank Hatch is as unique as il
is brief. The players dialect being nat
ural yet humorous, with the exception o.
Jessie Conant. granted a small bit In
order that she may display her really
beautiful and exceilently trained voice
the roll of commendation ends here.
Sadie Kirby, who attempts to offer
comic impersonation. is simply patheti
in her efforts. the chief merit of whicl
comes when she displays very SHAPED,
ankle and dainty lingerie in a few un
graceful perambulations early in tn
trouble Maurice Darcy is even worse
not possessing the shapely ankle. Blanch
Chapman is worse than she tries to be
and-Dorothy Usneri Well, Dorothy. in
recent interview. said that she was in
/ spired to write poetry. but that her ACTIN
was due TO her own efforts and labor
''Repuiescat in pace Rose Snyder i
| above the average.
Viewing the comedy retrospectively.
must be said that it is not the equal o
What Happened to Jones'" or of othe
GSrces from the facile pen of Mr. Broad
hurst. 1t resembles a Hoyt concoctio
too much. The author has been com
PEELED to seek the trodden paths for stu
ations His writing appears forced an
as a result lacks cohesiveness. 1t is no
satisfying while bright in repartee an
clever in design. For all that. it is funny
reasonably well presented. and appro
priately staged
Acndemy-"Gayest Manhattan"
sGavest Manhattan" which appeared