The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1900-04-21

slow, the climax makes up for it. 1t is
a remarkable piece of stage management,
and Mrs. Fiske's superior intelligence
is seen all through it. The English
generals in uniform are grouped at the
top Of the grand staircase. below them,
in the ball room, the dancing is at its
height. Mrs Fiske herself is seated at
table playing cards with George Os-
borne and cheating him out Of his eyes
and his heart. Presently soldier enters
from the let, goes up the stairway, has
some conversation with the generals
and then departs as silently as he came.
After few moments another soldier
enters and goes through the same per
Torrance. The generals are visibly agi-
tate1 by this time. Then dispatch
bearer, covered with dust and bleeding,
dashes in through the door. through the
crowd OF dancers, up the stairs and falls
at the feet of the officers. Still the
dance goes on and the mirth is IN
abated. Suddenly a woman screams;
she has heard the cannon. The music
stops. the wounded soldier rises to his
knees and Shouts in the phrase Of Lord
Byron, 1T is, il is the cannon" The
call to arms sounds and the dance
breaks up, and the dancers hurry off to
step to another kind Of music.
II for Eothing else, this play would be
notable in that it is the occasion Of one
of those fitful revivals Of energy which
have occasionally graced Maurice Bar
rymore's indolent career. His Rawdon
Crawley is another illustration OF how
true an artist can be when he takes the
trouble to try. 1t is only fair 10 say
that bis Rawdon is nearer to Thackeray
than is Mrs. Fiske's Becky. He plays
the character, not caricature Of it.
He is the only noble figure in that sad
assemblage OF sordid and selfish people,
stupid. slow, powerful in any last resort,
the kind of fellow who lives badly and
dies well. as hard es iron in an extrem-
ity, otherwise as soft as woman. His
goo l.bye to Becky before he leaves for
the field of Waterloo, was. think, the
finest bit of acting in the play. This
duffer OF Rawdon, who never pretended
to pay his debts and couldn't keep out
of the bailiff's hands, came out strongly
just where other men were weak, and he
was staunch where other men were dis
loyal. He goes out with tears in his
eyes and Becky stands at the window
and watches the troops go by, laughing
good naturally 20 herself as she says.
"There they go 10 die for their country
= aud l am lying for my breakfast ''
Eight years elapse before the events of
the third act occurs. During that time
Rawdon and Becky have pulled along
together rather better than most mar
ried people, have lived and owed money
and broken up establishments all over
Europe. Two things have never
changed, Bscky's unfailIng pluck and
Rawdon's unwavering admiration for
her. The act opens on one of their
blue days. The bills are stacking up
and there is not sixpence in the home.
One of Rawdon's creditors has fallen
into prison for debt and threatens to ex-
pose the fact that his wife has cheated
at dice. When this news arrives Raw
don flies into passion, but when the
unphaseable Becky denies that she used
loaded dice, be believes her Immediately,
and sits down rubbing his forehead. He
is so very much in love with her that he