New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-04

the conditions OF life IN the working world rem
| dered wholesome and tolerable by municipal
| aid.
municipal opera house Is indeed as logical
az municipal library OF art gallery. and 1t fits
!" win all the new ideas OF the theory and
practice OF local government as they have been
carried out In English and Scottish towns The
London County Council. which has heen held
BACK and blocked In Its attempts to reproduce
| In the metropolis the enlightened municipal
| policies OF the great provincial centres now
has an opportunity for initiating a movement
for popularizng the best class of operate COM
position. municipal theatre is the logical
| sequel to municipal opera and the patrons Of
art. who have appealed to the Council in behalf
| OF musical education, probably equally in
| terested In the support Of drama OF the highest
character. State-aided drama Will never be
practicable In England unless the municipalities
take hold of 1t for the sake Of popularizng the
best works and elevating the standards Of public
| taste.
RAGGED ROBIN" AT HER MAJESTYS.
NJ. Rchepin's idyll Of the French highway,
| lie Chemineau" with its characteristic local
coloring Of peasant life and the rhythm and ca
dence Of text in the meodious verse Of singu
| superable barriers to the dramatic adapter. 1t
| is a marvel that any one should have had the
| hardihood to attempt to Angcize 1t. but Mr..
| Louis N. Parker has undertaken the work with
| Judgment as we'll as courage. Born In France
| and educated on the Continent. he has perfect
| knowledge Of the delicate shading OF the text
| and of the spirit Of romanticism in rural life
| and by virtue Of long residence In an English
county he has the ability to provide racy,
! deep-colored Dorsetshire setting for foreign
play. He has not attempted to translate NJ.
| Richepins rhyming couplets into English verse,
| but he has reproduced In dialect prose the
poetic spirit of the work. he has Transformed
| the French peasants into English rustcs such
as Mr.. Thomas Hardy, with Incompatible skill
| and humor. has painted in his novels; and he
| has intensified the effect by borrowing local
color from village near shelburne ard making
free use q, Dorsetshire dialect The French play
is Angliczed with daring realism and with
| highly artistic effect.
| THIS drama has been produced at Her Majes-
tvs Theatre under the title Of Ragged Robin
and while II is not likely to rival Rosemary
| in popul ,rity it is certain to command ao'''iia
| ton from Its literary. artistic ana drama.io
| qualities 1t is staged with remarkable SKILL
| and enacted with splendid force and symPa-
| thet,c intelligence. The opering harvest sceie
| with tie grain standing and cut ana 'he Id
| away prospect of cultivated fields Hleaoo"S
and hlsides is one of the lovelieststasc picture
of rural England which have ever "''"e'S.u
| The orchard scene. with trees penang u"ue.
| tho weight OF blossom, Is triumph VI 'iie 81
| OF Illusion. The bright and homeiy 'n'e',V.
| IAN. cottage on Christmas Eve. with the oi'no
| 49,. ,..orr, outside in which the gypsy ROBIN
| e.u,, d,sannears with a heavy heart IL d
| ..ust,c Getting for the pathos OF wahuerei
| NO, ,rd,r tho greenwood tree. The actlng anu
| s.ase work throughout the play are as au'hiia
| b,s as the scenic effects. The Dorse'sh',e u'A
| loo. a. reprod uced with versimli'uoe' anu
| actor seemy to have caught the roniah''' 'P 80,
| ~ IN. work. with its open air pass'o" anu '''
rus.ic narrowness and superstition
Nv Reerbohm Tree is the deV'i-'''ay
| poh,n who turns his back TO the "'i -
escanes from the prison life OF co''ase'
ha ha. won the heart OF village ina'ue"' ""o
-. .o,rrns q erayer but still restless gypsy "
nc =. re son. whose fortune he can
-. hv ,rghtening an old farmer WIN MS
| .,o,as ., song. his picturesque makeup anc
| 49,, o,otue sn,rits he converts Ropin ih'o I"
| Ito IRRESPONSIBLE figure OF the KING hs"
| 49, .rd when all tn arrangements are oroeieu
| for his stepping into dying man shoe'
| ending his DAYS In peace under co''"se
| the wandering impulse masters him. anu ~
| the despairing cry up. tramp ana away
| trudees off a lonely and pathetic heule ~
Tree supports him with the gen'ie cha'" Va
| -,.aor,,v az the wiifu, trustful Alison. MI
| Louis Waller makes the most OF the oo''
| 1ock,s love scene with the farmer uaus"''''
| Miss Evelyn Willard; but the most po"e'iu' -"
| narsonations are those OF the TWO ola i'''''
| perro. and Farmer Stokes. by MT Chaiiea
| ner and Mr. Franklyn McLeay each Oh w'''o,. %
| Itctin
perc,val Stevens and Mr. Gerald du Maur'er as
ct, sear, 70 have stepped out OF the
| $500, of Mr.. Thomas Hardy's Far from the
| ,.aa,rg Crowd" one os them distinctly suggest
| 49,, I,sann poorgrass, one of the most hleli"e
| :. e.. rove,it's rural characters. Morahzihs
| - sucr = play as Ragged Robin. with us
| Fantastic happy family OF the closing ACT 10
srrer6,ous IT Is enough to say that FRENCH
| idvi NJ poetic spirit has been admrap'y uD"p
| ,,J.h local color and dialect for the EhehS"
stage.
DRAMATIC TREAsURE-TROVE.
Sir Henry Irving. Sir Squire bahcroi' WI
Kendall and Ms Boucicauit a''e'oe1 w
ton sale OF Charles keans library a. ,o.aa
| ond the proceedings were watched by iaIee
| ,.,, NJ collectors and booksellers Inc
,,...rv containing many relics Q. MS
| $50 wos heoueathed to his only chiid' MI o.
Marv Logic. and has been auctioned OH at me-"
nr,c.s by order OF her executors u'os.ap
,e,ters Of Edmund Kean ranged IN Vaiue ilo.'.
$40 TO nearly $50. The sharpest co'''pe''.,o"
over the last letter which he wrote ~ ''' 49,
o,a IN which he used the words lie. u' NC ~ y.
| ,onger fools: come home. forget ana io' e''' =.
7 have erred, it was my head not my "e"'
Tho collection Of letters was large ohe, on,
IL. ,.a ,,oter,al for complete biography Oh
,ha cider Kean's quarrels with actors ana man I,
onors h,s stage successes in England anu
An,.r,ca and his constant skirm'shes WIZ.