The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-02
AT THE THEATERS.
METROPOLITAN.

The masquerade incident of the volatile
Lady Babbie in 1.-The Little Minister" has
been condensed and smelted into most
sympathy winning play by the author, j..
NJ Barrie But after giving due acknoWl-
edgment to MIR. Barrie for his fine lit
erary conception of plot and style in the
stirring story of Thrums, one must con-
TESS that its success as play is due
wholly to the one central figure, Lady
Babbie, and that even this part has been
created and humanized by a woman
Maude Adams. For after play is finish
ed, the plot evolved, the details picked
in with the most artistic tintS, and the
succession of climaxes carefully arranged,
it still remains for some real actor or act
ress to breathe into it the spirit Of life.
Miss Adams did this. In Grace Heyer,
who yesterday carried the leading role at
the Metropolitan. Maude Adams has a
most worthy and deserving emulator.
Pretty, graceful and winning, the heroine
Of the Rintoul Castle escapade achieved
gratifying success before an audience
that largely exceeded the seating capacity
of the house.
All who have read the book will readily
single out and link together in their minds
the principal events of the play. But they
will miss much Of artistic condensation
and concentrated action If they fail to
witness the comedy drama. 1t is the
story of an honest young mans love for
supposed gypsy girl, even against what
he believes to be his better Judgment
1t is, also, question whether Gavin Dis
hart does not exhibit more personal
bravery when he is disillusioned and
realizes the real character and position
of his wife than when he defends against
persecution the beautiful gypsy.
OBJ PoH In nf o1d T ord
Rintoul, acting on a benevolent impulse,
assumes the character of a wandering
gypsy girl. She meets Gavin Dishart
1.-The Little Minister" and falls in love
with him as deeply as he with her
Previous to this episode an arrangement
had been. made to give her. as a bride, to
Capt Halliwell. Meanwhile she is
pursued by English soldiers and, to save
her from arrest, Dishart acknowledges
her as his wife in the presence of wit
nesses. In Scottish law, at that date, this
constituted legal marriage. And here
begins 'the tangled web We weave when
first we practice to deceive" Taking up a
straightforward course, under these cir
cumstances, Gavin Dishart follows it to
the end, through trial by fire. the objur-
cations of his deacons and the denuncia-
lions of Lord Rintoul and Capt. Halli-
well, to be rewarded at the curtains fall
with a prize far more valuable, in GER
tain worldly sense, than the humble gypsy
girl of the accidental woodland meeting.
1t is not certain that the character of
Lady Babbie is pure comedy part, but
were it more strongly accumulated with
this element it can be said with truth
that Miss Heyer would not lose in the
slightest. Adolph Jackson, as Gavin Dis
hart, suited the action to the word, the
word to the action, and his physique adj
mirably fits the character. He plays the
part as though conscious at all times that
he is a clergyman with all worldly
vehemence perfectly under control Lord
Rintoul, by William Charles Masser,
gains the apex of his situations In the
third act, and sustains himself admirably
throughout. The elders Of 'The Little