New-York tribune., 1900-07-29
ENGLISH NOTES.
AIRS. O'CONNOR's WAY OF ENTERTAIN
ING HER FRIENDS-POST-GRA
AND UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
COURSES.

-.atinee performance Of her own. and as it is
short piece. with single act. she has intro
4-eed il with delightful concert and closed Il
-4.h an ingenious and lively speech and a social
-a~sprson on the stage Mrs. O'Connor's friends
bsve rallied about her ard enabled her TO pro-
.5e this unique entertainment in the best pos
s,ble style Mr.. Charles wyndham lent his
tsau-.fll theatre for the occasion and the stalls
4-gt gallery and a few Of the boxes were filed
with guests on a sultry afternoon. Miss Ella
RusseI. M Johannes wolfr, Miss Ada Crossley
NJ u. J Holman. Miss ST Andre and q quar-
tst q the Guildhau GIee Singers supplied a de-
1frht<uI programme Of music which was hap
My varied with song. glee, violin and violon-
cello Mrs Labouchere assisted IN rehearsng
and staging the play, and six actors enacted
the!- parts with great spirit and exceptional
intelligence When her friends were so loyal in
supporting her. il vas only necessary for Mrs.
OCornor g make an effective and unconven-
t.onal speech n order 70 round OF the after
Moons entertainment and TO receive the con-
e-atu-ari0us of e large company
When the late Harold Frederic gave small
Gl1ne- 20 Sir Alfred Miner. on the eve OF the
High Commissioners departure for South
africa he remarked that one advantage Of
hiring private dining room and paying for the
feast vas that il enabled him 70 hold the guest
entirely Al his mercy and 70 do all the talking
Eege. ne compelled every man at the table to
deliver & speech. and there was season Of
Cratl-y and wit which lasted far into the night
Mrs O'Connor. having written the play and pro-
vI5et theatre. concert and q stage tea was in
The same enviable position OF disarning critics
holding every one al her mercy and keeping the
eo0r for herself for the only speech Of the after
noon The weather was against her. for II was
E hot close day, when everybody was gasping
t0r breath and showing signs Of irritabiIity; but
the mistress Of the revels rriumphed over every
thing. and the company were entertained 50
wei that the disconlforts Of tropical blaze in
-he London ot trock coats and high hats were
forgotten. The audience was pleased and happy.
s15 he amateur playwright had every reason
u believe that the compliments showered upon
L=r were sincere
The play was entitled Madame Delphine."
and was suggested by an incident in one OF Mr..
Cables stories Il was & love story OF the
Creole quarter Of New-Orleans and Mrs. O'Con-
nor vas OF her own ground. for she was born
II Texas, and knew New-Orleans well in her
g-rIhood- Nine DeIphtne Is an octoroon with q
daughter. Jeanne whose beauty and grace have
attracted the love Of Captain Webster Moth
ing stands in the way of the completion Of a
happy romance except the taint of negro blood
Inherited from the oct0roon mother; and as
Judge Webster. The brother Of .he lover. points
0ur with inezorabIe plainness. this renders
marriage illegal and Impossible a negro nam
ny and an old prie1t join n the under plot, by
which tfze rtgc-s = rae-fav- ran be evaded, and
he lover himself Is Indifferent q the blood
tzinc which separates him from the fair Jeanne,
aus Nine Delphine is forced 70 save the sttua-
-iou a. he- own cost by making oath that the
beloved child Is rot her own, and then throwing
herself upon the mercy Of the priest. It IS a
tragic story. with q climax of moving pathos.
The mother dies with lie on her lips, and the
priest zbsolves her with gesture and word OF
f8rg-venesss as q protest against an unjust and
unnatural law.
The play was well acted. Mrs Cecil Raleigh,
as Nine. DeIphiue. played with emotional in
ters.-v and naruraIness; Mss Lettie Fairfax
7as charming and tender as Jeanne: Mr.. Denni-
taorue vas q manly lover. and Mr.. Brandon
Thomas was effective IN the small part OF Judge
Tebsce-. AIr. Lawrence Irving played with
ea-nesrness and elaboration Of detail the part
ot the sen1Ie priest. making Il a strong study OF
character and dialect Miss Amy Height was
E negro nanny such as has never before been
sssn OF the English stage. It was Z remarkably
effective work Of realism. with the loyal devo-
tlou he hysrertcaI laughter the strain Of super
sti-ion IN the blood the passive bearing OF gen
sra-iCns q service. and the suggestions Of
parhos ard comic spirit which are associated
with Southern negro character. With artists like
these 70 interpret the parts. Mrs. O'COnnor's
Attle r-a- went brilliantly. and although she
nodest.y confessed that she was only anna
teur Playwright there were signs Of power and
resource in Il which were rich IN promise for
future professional work. The spirit and color
e Southern life we're caught; the dialogue was
T=1 turned. and i served the purpose Of denot-
-Eg character with lucidity by short bold
strokes the climax was reached with dramatic
force. and The motive was left clear and de-
csiTs without superfu2us mOralizing or ex-
position. Mrs O'Connor's first essay in dra-
matte writing ought not 70 be her only one. II
Is amateur work for which 4 professional writer
to- the stage would not have reason TO offer
any apology.
The American club 81 oxford has undertaken
% open the way for advanced courses Of study
a that university by supplying Information 70
a. inquirers from the United States. The Of
aoers q The club represent various American
Universities The president is Mr.. H. A. over
st-ee- from the University Of California. who
now a. BaIlioI: the vice-presdent is Mr.. 6.
: Seward. 1r Of Columbia University and
Exeter College. the secretary is Air. r s. Huide-
roper z Harvard and Trinity. and the honor
~ advisers are 1fr. Louis Dyer, OF Balltoi, and
At O. s Schiller of Corpus Christi Letters
% inquiry directed 20 the secretary Of the Amer
@sA Club. BauLoI College, oxford. viii receive
very attention While fully convinced that
Iercsrs cannot be SO well educated a. either
'1-orc or Cambridge as al American untver-
lles for the practical requirements Of life IN
-sr own country 7 think that much is TO be
sd IL favor of ost-graduate courses in the
-lglsh universities The conditions under
'l'ch these courses can be taken and eXamlna-
~'As PASSED for honor degrees and special re-