The times., 1898-05-29

prettiest popular ballads heard since the /
qntimely death of that musical gem, Il |
Love Her in the Same Old Way" All of |
the songs mentioned have been heard |
here before and have been so universally |
and SO deservedly praised as TO require |
special mention. One of them. Don't |
Let Her Lose Her Way" is the work Of |
George Taggart and Max Witt. The first |
gentleman has set to a common place |
theme some of the simplest and most |
heartful sentiments ever brought out in |
a street ballad, while the latter has fur |
nished plaintive melody quite as unos-
tentatiouS and just as charming. The |
second song is by Charles K. Harris, the
brilliant composer of After the Bali
and "There'll Come a Time The words
are far above the ordinary and are set to
a brilliant allegro that ends in a waltz
chorus almost unequaled for its catchi
ness. Josephine Gassman's "Go to Sleep
My Pretty Pickaninny'' abounds in the
odd chords and the weird effects that
made ''The Alabama Coon so delightful.
The final strains cling to ones memory
as thistle clings to something more ma
terial and all three are bound to Very
popular.
The dramatic department Is in receipt
of two exceptionally patriotic songs. both
of sufficient merit to last whether the
war does not. The first of these.
There Is No Flag Like the Red, White
and Blue, was written and Is published
by Charles X. Harris It's music has great
swing. and the words are really worthy
of the highest praise. The sale will un-
doubtedly be large. r. II. Russell, New
York, has printed the other handsomely
on fine paper The front cover is a work
of art. 1t is bordered with the national
colors, inclosing the picture Lest We
Forget" which created such a SEN
sation when published a short time
! ago, in Truth. The music Is by c. Crozat
Converse, and is really good. while Robert
| Burns Wilson'S words. which We're origi-
nally printed In the New York Herald.
are by far the best written on the present
| trouble. They are forceful metric and
| generally enspiriting
Mrs. FHske and her company seem to
! have no difficulty in extending their run
/ at the Fifth Avenue Theater New York
city, indefinitely into the hot weather.
| This is true. Notwithstanding the fact
that the metropolis Is a proverbially bad
/ theater town in the Summer, except for
| phenomenally strong stock companies and
| roof-garden attractions. Even these have
| 10 play at popular prices to clear ex-
| penses. A continuous run of $50 nights
during ApTdl, May and June, is there
/ AOtSf q itiN'Ai SitsitGi tribute 10 the worth
or drawing power of a play than one
! secured during the Fall or Winter. Mrs
Flske's success in maintaining prices ad-
Panced over the Winter rate for so long
period is accordingly little less than
| marvellous, and has excited considerable
discussion as to the underlying cause.
A critic who saw her during recent
visit to Gotham has to say of her success;
| 1he Dill consists of two plays "A Bit OF
Old Chelsea, and Marguerite Merring-
toms Love Finds the Way The first is
| a one-act study Of artist life in old Lon
/ don and is intended, so It seems to give
! The spectator insight into chapter of the
life Of 'Saucers flower girl who lives
! in that part of the city As there is prac-
| tically no plot, the whole value of the
| sketch lies in the worth of the picture
| drawn It's success has been unqualified
| and continued That Mrs. Fiske and her
! company are able to Bnfuse into drama
Of this sort a sufficient degree Of quiet
and artistic atmosphere to give It live hu-
man interest Is in itself. perhaps, the key
| 10 their hold on New York
| Love Finds the Wayf might easily
| be continuation of the curtain-raiser
! The hero is an artist and poor. as in a
! Bit of Old Chelsea and the dialogue is
/ made 10 smack of palettes and turpen-
tine Mrs. Fiske, however. - the pro
| tagonist Of the play. has q part as unlike
| Richelieu. 1t is interesting to note In
| passing that the roles seem to be done
by different women The star has the
part of Madeline, a lame girl, who has
| been commtserated all her life This has
| developed in her a bitterness of speech
| and asperity of temper that. being yelled
under the empty smile and mock suavity
of her social life. makes her scenes with
| her family-the principal commiserators
as artistic as anything done in New
| York since the rise OF the realistic school.
1T would not be fair either to Mrs
| FislSe or to Miss Merrington not to men
! ton some of the strong scenes. as, for in
| stance, the discovery that Madeline s
/ fiance, the artist. Is already married and
| has a wife living, and Mrs. Fiske's mar
velous hesitation when first she realizes
| that her lamcness is gone and that she
can walk without her crutch. But 1t IS
! questionable whether these parts of the
play contribute to give it its distinctive
! character, as it's bit of nature reproduced.
! Most Of the people who bring to the thea
ire any sense of artistic criticism or any
degree of human sympathy do not seem
| ingly care to dwell on those scenes,
though sure to note their absence.
''Of those who support Mrs. Fiske
Frederick de Bellville as the family ply
sician. and Alberta Gallatin. as the pretty
| sister for whom Madeline suffers so much
CoiVNt- Steiiiu 4a45ilSSI III AlStIOpOlNdii ID
| vor. The others in the company work to-
gether as easily as does the Empire Thea
ter Stock Company and with equally good
effect. In short the whole production is
considered by New Workers to be as good
as anything seen there within the past
| decade"
FRIENDS OF LAST WEEK.