The times., 1900-03-18

csllent last week that here is considerable
pleasure in recording the results. The
weather was fne-at least until Thursday
no pronounced outside opposition worked
against the hox Offices. and, finally. the
attractions averaged we'll but never
strongly rivalcd one another. Thus. QUO
Vadls." which wa- presented at the Co
iumbia by Joseph Haworth. Arthur For
rest. and minor people. drew tremendous
audiences. yet did not appeal especially TO
the carth-oarjhy folk whose love ci wit
and clcvernose took them TO the National
Annie Russell and Miss Hobbs Both
performances were admirable and inter
Csting in their separate and distinct lines.
though neither hurt the business OF the
Grand. where Chi9g Ling Foo. Mr.. and
Mrs William Robyns. and George Evans
formed the nucleus of the bin. The re
ceipts slated at the three houses cannot
De under $25 .0oo At the Lafayette and
the Academy. respectively. The Strakosch
Company produced III Troyatore" and
Manor" and the Hcushaw-Ten Broeck
combination did "n0ice's Trip to New
York" with the usual returns-small.
Fred Irwia's Majestic" Burlesquers
brought notable gatherings 10 the ever
popular Lyceum. Vladimir De Pachmann'
Wednesday recital and a variety OF lesser
musical affairs were fairly attended. What
wagner calls the German art" does not
seem to have many supporters in Wash
iugton. But as has been said, summed up
the week was a good week-the best OBJ
served here during a long while.
7 faith. but We have been excelenty
repaid this winter for taking our wives
and sweejhearts TO the play
one after another. there have come TO
Washington comedies and dramas in the
stories or dialogue of which has been
CouchCd the sort OF argument that every
husband and lover would urge occasion
sliy-if he dared. Considerable courage,
however. must be lying dormant in the
man who can preach the dignity Of moth
erhood to the secretary Of "a mutual suf-
frage association merely because that Of
fetal happens TO be married to him, stin
greater heroism is The endowment Of the
youth who talks concerning marital Oh
legations to a really modern girl when he
is engaged to her Either individual may
feel perfectly safe in taking the unwilling
pupil to a production which conveys the
lesson. always providing that the afore-
said pupil is conscious Of being well
dressed and that the seats occupied are
not on an aisle. Until recently, directors
have catered to the unfair sex. though.
and nieces Of the right kind have been
scarce. Only in February did The 7 ranHy
Of Tears" appear 20 benefit liege lords who
knew the danger of being authoritative
before procuring life preservers. shortly
after. Sarah CoWell lie M0yne demon
strsted the possibilities OF maternal
Watchfulness. and last week in the de-
Hcious Miss Hobbs" Annie Russell Of
fered herself as the object for q somewhat
strenuous discourse on the noblest phases
OF woman nature.
such a discourse is not ia the least
objectionable from Jerome X. Jerome. even
though American gentlemen do not set
their weaker companions 20 building
fires and accomplishing similar diss-
greesble tasks. The creator OF Three
Men in Boat" has a deft fashion
OF smoothing over the rough inches On his
platforms in a manner so quaint and
unique that they are not observed And
then. too, he were ungrateful who could
make return for an evening Of such whole
some enjoyment as was Afforded in Miss
Hobbs" by qusrreling regarding petty
prououn in this sentence. Let the gender
be what il may. Miss Hobbs" proved
quite the most charmingly amusing and
amusingly charming trihe Washington has
had in a season. The ingenuity Of its stu
ations the comprehensibility OF its sew
eral delicate touches Of nature the grace
and ease with which its climaXic episodes
were reached-all these points, added TO
the fact shat in the telling, its rather i'm
o. O.
was mot strained" contributed 20 rem
der the work admirable Spark
ling lines too. were responsible Tor much
Of the laughter provoked. And while these
lines betrayed full understanding Of the
difference between stage and library hu-
NOR the majority CT them were sufficiently
Characteristic to bring pleasant memories
No one familiar with The Diary OF
Pilgrimage" could have heard IL explained
TO Miss Hobbs that "he has lived in the
East''-which was supposed 90 be Wolff
Kingsearl's excuse for having wagered on
a kiss-without so altering the speeches
that they would read: "A. was pr0fuse in
mis- apologies He said that his friend b.
had lived in the East all his life and had
got accustomed % that sort of business. 9.
was not rec0ncIled. but b. kept quiet
Perhaps the most apparent fault m Miss
I0bbs was the conyentiOnality Of its
theme. When the play was done In New
York the critics all we're agreed that o.
MAS very similar 10 a familiar classic,
though they couldn't agree what that
classic was. Franklin F1les found that m.
roles were those Of Much Ado About
Nothing" Alan Dale discovered that Mr.
Jerome had plagiarized from THE Tanning
OF the Shrew" William Winter scented
selections that he recalled as having been
PARTS OF satire entitled -MatrimoHy
an had listened before 10 the tale Of the
subduing Of man-CatinE woman and ut
her eventual capture. Yet none Was au-
solutelv right in his allegation. for Miss
Hobbs Nas unlike Beatrice and Catherine
and Mrs. Brewster. When The young her
uine was introduced and one had met the
inevitable philosoph one felt
sure OF what was about TO happen,
yet knew not why. The curiosity quite re-
sembled that OF the boy VINO woiHs an
problem. the answer to which
De has seen in the back OF his book
OF course. the production was not barren
of disappointments. The seriousness Of M 1
Kingsearls conversations with Miss Hobbs
failed 10 supply the hard sense expected /
by persons who had studied The Idle |
Thoughts Of an Idle Fellow" or the pstnos 1
anticipated by the few who had witnessed .
performances Of Barbara, the authors
half forgotten sketch. Mr. Jerome's adj I
Iuirers believed that he should almost have 4
dramatized himself for their benefit por- /
tions OF the second aud third acts seemed "a /
bit forced. too. while the lack OF p focusing .
point constituted real flaw Of consider 4
able Importance. But. these matters not I
vithstanding. the comedy proved the very
best Washington has had in three years. 4
comedy in which each scene was SO full I
that the spectator feared. as did the trav- I
oler in his iovemaking. that there would be I