The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-13
MRS. LANGTRY's DARING.
Her Play Was n Challenge. to the
Criticisms On Her Life.

From the New York Press.
London. Sept. Mrs. Langtry is moth
ing if not daring. Being a bright ana
ehrewd woman. she knew well enough
that the part of Mrs. Trevelyan which
she played in Sydney Grundys "Degen-
crates" brought out at the Haymarket
Theater last night, was in many respects
the character with which she herself has
been credited In public gossip for the last
fifteen years. The resemblance was de-
liberately emphasized by reference to her
ownership of race horses and by other
unmistakable details One was not per
mitted to avoid the suspicion that the
beauteous Jersey Lily had issued sen-
sational challenge to her audience, say
ing in so many words: 10, here Is the
character In which you have been paint
ing me for fifteen years. Even If 1t were
true, 1t has its justification"
The attitude of Mrs. Trevelyan Us that
of one who should say: Yes I've been
in the divorce courts; I've Travelled the
pace; sporty men like me and their wives
do not; my past wasn't sanctihed; but
whatever l did was from impulse and
sometimes / have had good impulses.
never betrayed pal, and | never shield
ed myself behind some one else. Prudes
talk about me, but they can't say / am
not good fellow-and that Is what
counts
Mr.. Grundy has set out In THE Degen-
crate" to stigmatize the sporty set in Lon
don society, and has brought together an
even more questionable lot Of people than
Pinero has raked up for Gay Lord
Quex" or X. c. Carton for Wheels
Within Wheels" Among those who sur
round the GrundY heroine. Mrs. Treve-
lyan, are a drunken Viscount an obnox-
ious money lender titled lady jour
nallst," who cribs her news from rival
column written by Mrs. Trevelyan's but
ler a South American company promoter,
who Is so much of cur that 1t Is mys-
terry how any one can tolerate him; rich
young man so feeble in body that he can
eat only one lozenge day, a duke who is
looking for his ideal of a woman-one hav-
ing spots on her character preferred. Then
there are a baronet and his lady, both
of whom have an intrigue with some one
else In this delectable aggregation. Last
ly, there Is Mrs. TrevelYans young daugh-
ter, who has been kept in a convent all
her life because her mother doesn't want
10 seem old enough to have so mature a
child.
The girl is a sort of golden text OF the
play. She is pure and sweet and refresh
ing. She arrives home on the day her
mother has an engagement to receive the
baronet al midnight, and her winsome,
trustfu admiration of her brilliant mother
fires the sleeping maternal instinct and re-
suits in the dismissal of the baronet and an
expedition In search Of his wife. who had
betaken herself in revenge 10 the apart
ments of the promoter. Miladys reputa-
ton Is saved, thanks to Mrs. TreVelyan,
who causes it TO appear that II was she
and not Midday who was in the promot-
ers rooms. The duke thereupon concludes
that Mrs. Trevelyan fills the bill. He pro-
poses and is accepted.
Herein. then, we have the great moral
lesson, "be a good fellow, and don't worry
about spots"
Mrs Langtry who was married secret
Iy on July q 10 Hugo de Battle is the
same brilliant, vivacious and lovely wo-
man she was eighteen years ago, when she
first appeared in this same Haymarket
theater as Miss Hardcastle IN she Stops
to Conquer" Unless one looks too closely
for hard lines in her beauteous counte-
nance she seems as young as ever, and
there are the same matchlegs curves in her
shoulders. She is explosive in speech, i'm
pufsive in gesture and high strung In
nerves Her display OF gowns has been
rivaed only by the astonishing exhibit pro-
vided for Mrs. James Brown-Potter In
"Carnac sahib."
The cast Of this first play of the fan
season in London was remarkable for IL
included such actors as George Grossmith
and Ferdinand Gottschalk, who had little
opportunity to show their merits; Miss
Lily Hamburg and Charles Hawtrey. Yet
the success OF the evening, next to that
of Mrs Langtry. fell TO a young girl who
never had appeared on the Stage before
and may never venture there again. She
was Miss Lily Grundy, the authors
daughter, who took the part Of Mrs. Ire
velyan's daughter, and was 50 winning.
self-possessed, gracious and bright that
after the play was over the audience re-
fused to 90 home TIL she had come out
alone before the curtain, blushing and
frightened, but happy beyond measure.
Her father was called for. Of course, but
contented himself with bowling his ac-
knowledg ments. There was fortunately
no speech-making.
-Madge-I always select tragic stories