The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-31

M 81 u * Il X x X N
THE Little Minister" a beautiful,
heart-flIing story in the original, which
Mr.. J. NJ. Barrie, it's author, has success
fully transferred to the stage, will be PIE
scented by Charles Frohman's company at
the Metropolitan opera house tomorrow
afternoon and evening, and the entire
week.
The comedy ran through an entire sea-
son in New York, having exactly 300 per-
fOrmances, every one Of which was giver
to a standing-room audience. Never un-
til The Little Minister accomplished it
has any play succeeded in attracting,
night after night, without missing a sin
gle performance, audiences that claimed
absolutely the capacity of the house. 1t
has gained its tremendous favor by rea-
son of its pure, charming and simple love
story, told in the same fascinating way
on the stage that Mr.. Barrie told 1t in the
book. Lady Babbie-rOgulsh and bubb!ing
over with mischief and fun, but with a
true little hearts its heroine, and the
play presents her as if she had just step
ped out of the pages of the novel. All the
quaint and picturesque characteristics of
the Thrums elders and their associates
are preserved in the mimic panorama OF
Scotch life, and The Little Minister is
the veritable ordained young gentleman
himself as interesting and sentimental
as Lady Babbie found him. The story
will be artistically presented by the or
gdniZatiOn which Mr.. Frohman has as
sembled in the cast, and their perform
ance will make clear at once why the
comedy has been such a phenomenal IA
VOTite.
The first scene Of THE Little Minister
&c 7 od TQoI IN
a red gown, with rowan berries in her
hair, surprises Gavin Dishart, the little
minister. There has been trouble between
the weaVers of the town and the soldiers,
and Q signal of warning has been agreed
upon which will apprise the offending
community of the approach of the red
coats. The signal is the blowing of
horn. Babbe gets the little minister to
blow the horn and then follows the con-
f1ict with the soldiers in which Babbie
figures on one side and Gavin on the
other. After a fight Babb-e, hooded and
clCaked, passes through the line of
soldiers, announcing herself as the little
minister's wife, and ne offering no word
Of denial THUS she makes her escape, in
spite Of a great desire to capture her,
and many precautions taken to that end.
Next, Lady Babbie and the minis .er are
found in old Nannie's cottage whittier
Gavin has gone on a mission. There is
lett OIIuhlIlS ana CONSIDERABLE UlSCuSSlOI
during which 1t becomes evident to Bah
bic and the others that the minister is
in love with her. Later on, when Gavin
should be at prayer meeting, he Is found
following the gypsy girl around and they
have further love scenes, not, however,
before the fact becomes plain that
Gavin's Pensioners are not favorable to
Babble and that some are very sore at
heart, because their minister pays Ut
tention to the girl and Is evidently maxi
ing a fool of himself for her.
The third act takes the lovers and all
concerned to Lord RintouPs castle There
Lady Babbie IS revealed in her real
character as the fine lady. The minister's
surprise is great, for he has thought Bah
bic a gypsy girl. The pair declare their
love and the fathers consent to a mar
riage IS asked. But he has other plans
for his daughter, he wants her to wed
somebody else. An interest ting dramatic
situation ensues here, and the curtain
falls on Lady Babbie insisting that Gavin
shall acknowledge her to be his wife, as
he did that night in Caddam woods to
the soldiers. The last act is sad to be
full of surprises.
1t may be we'll for those who have
formed their opinions on the play in adj
vance from the book to expect a consider
able divergence from the original story in
the dramatization. In the play Babbie Is
trothed, and Capt. Halliwell is a sutton
for her hand. With this exception the
play and story vary but little up to the
end of the second act, which covers the
scenes in Nannie's cottage and the meet
ing Of Babbie and the little minister in
the Manse garden, where they discover
their mutual love.
In the third act the scene Of the play
Is transferred to Rintoul's castle, where
Barbara acknowledges her love for Gavin
Dishart. Lord RintOul and Capt. Halli-
we'll are furious when they learn that
on the night the soldiers passed through
Caddapi wood Gavin has acknowledged q
gypsy girl as his wife in the presence Of
witnesses which, by Scotch law, consti-
tutes a valid marriage. Lady Barbara,
with the fine humOr that the author has
tnstilled into the character, feigns indig-
nation and declares herself ready to ac-
company Lord Rintoul and the captain in
seeking out witnesses. These are found
and under circumstances that add to the
hummer Of the situation recognize in Lady
Barbara the gypsy whom the little minis
ter has acknowledged as his wife, thus
clinching the Scotch marriage and MAX
ing her father and her sutton witnesses
against their own wishes.
The cast which will present 1.-THE Lit
tie Minister is as follows:
Gavin Dishart .Adolph Jackson
Lord r Riq 3to nj: William Charles Mason
captain Hall1WeII.: -. Walter Townsend
Lady Babbie Lord RintouIs
daughter 49,; ...........:, Grace Heyer
Eeice, her maid .......... Marion Convere
Thomas Whamond. chief elder
B. r. Graham
Bob Dow .........................G Giles Shine
144CoIl LOW SdQ16 lIauer
Snecky Hobart, elder 49,. Cecil Kingstone
Andrew Mealmaker. elder. Geo. Forbes
Silva Tosh, elder Howard Morgan
Sergeant Davidson .........G. B. Bowman
Joe Cruickshanks, atheist. Harry Lillford
Mamie Webster miss Kate Ten Ey3k
Jean. manse servant Ethel Blande