The times., 1899-01-01
FRIENDS OF LAST WEEK.

In seeing James o'Neill in The Count
of Monte Cristo'' last week at the Acade
my of Music one was forcibly reminded of
the fact that one OF the greatest blessings
of the modern drama is in its unity of
locale. The play of today has few acts
and only one scene in each. Patrons in
the body of the house are not asked TO
take their imaginations across dangerous
gullies and over broad streams because
the author has lacked the ability to con-
fine his theme within reasonable bounds.
They do not become interested in some
thing that takes place in a Florida orange
grove and then awaken to find that the
entire cast has been suddenly transplanted
TO the North pole in presumable bal
loon or a visionary steamer. Nor are they
allowed to envy the luxury of the man
sion in which the characters of the piece
are exploiting themselves before finding
that those whom they most admired have
been put into the street because OF nom
payment of rent or the arrival OF dis
tant relative with seven children. The
auditor OF contemporary times may sit
quietly in plush chair with the certainty
that he is not going to be forced into per-
forming mental gymnastics of any kind.
For some of these changes-even when
they are dark changes tax the in
tellect severely. 1t is not pleasant thing
to be greatly interested in family trouble
to work up with the hero TO his quarrel.
to see him fall and rise again. TO note that
he has reached for revolver. and-then
to have the lights turned out as though the
head Of the household had forgotten TO
pay his gas bill Such an event takes one
from the piece being enacted and brings
him back to the stern necessities of life.
And then it Is so rarely that all the
lights in the house are eXtinguished be-
fore the subsequent changes are made.
After one has gotten wrapped up in the
history of a friend 1t is bard to note ;hat
in addition TO difficulties with the gas
company. he is not on good terms with
Fate. There is horror, under such circum-
stances, in seeing an entire brick wall
come out of the skies or a large section OF
a leading business street fall through the
roof OF the mansion and totally eclipse it,
And it is quite as aggravating to nave d
garden full Of apple trees pushed through
the side wall and toward another end oi
the apartment, where sections of the wood
join Familiarity and keep together like the
| clown and the good fairy in pantomime
So one is equally displea5ed at having the
| railway depot before him pulled into the
atmosphere or the corridor in which his
impromptu acquaintance is waiting, sud
denly rent in the middle by giant hand
and torn asunder.
In THE Count of Monte Cristo" some of
| these affairs were unusually astonishing
The spectator could not reconcile himself
| TO many of the things that took place. In
| the first act he was admitted to the Office
of the chief of police in Marseilles-a
| handsome office with a great deal OF nice
| furniture and two or three gendarines
| about. He may have been admiring tine
mahogany table OF antique workmanshiI
when the light grew dim and the ohcers ol
the law were seen to drop their guns anc
| steal everything in the room--and that be
fore the very eyes of the chief, who stoot
in the right wing with his arms foidet