The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-18


csllent last week that there is considerable
pleasure in recording the results. The
weather was ine-at least until Thursday
no pronounced outside opposition worked
against the box Offices, and, finally. the
attractions averaged well, but never
strongly rivalcd one another. Thus, QUO
Vadis." which was presented at the Co
lumbia by Joseph Haworth, Arthur For
rest. and miner people, drew tremendous
audiences. yet did not appeal especially 10
the carth-earthy folk whose love OF wit
and cleverness took them TO the National,
Annie Russell. and Miss Hobbs" Both
performances were admirable and inter
osting in their separate and distinct lines,
though neither hurt the business Of the
Grand. where Ching Ling Foo, Mr.. and
Mrs. William Robyns, and George Evans
formed the nucleus Of the bill. The re-
cepts slated at the three houses cannot
be under So, 600. At the Lafayette and
the Academy, respectively, the Strakosch
Company produced III Troyatore' and
''Nanon" and the Henshaw-Ten Brock
combination did "Bodge's Trip to New
York" with the usual returns-smalL
Fred Twins Majestic" Burlesquers
brought notable gatherings TO the ever
popular Lyceum. Vladimir De Pachmann'
Wednesday recital and variety of lesser
musical affairs were fairly attended. What
Wagner calls 1.-THE German art does not
seem to have many supporters in Wash
ington. But, as has been said, summed up
the week was a good week-the best OBJ
served here during long while.
/ faith but we have been excellentiy
repaid this winter for taking our wives
and sweethearts TO the play!
One after another, there have come to
Washington comedies and dramas in the
stories or dialogue of which has been
couched the sort of argument that every
husband and lover would urge occasion
aliy-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-
fragc association merely because that OIL
fetal happens to be married to him; still
greater heroism is the endowment OF the
youth who talks concerning marital OBJ
legations to a really modern girl when he
is engaged to her. Either individual may
feel perfectly safe in taking the unwilling
lesson. always providing that the afore
said pupil is conscious of being well
dressed and that the seas occupied are
not on an aisle Until recently, directors
have catered to the unfair sex, though.
and pieces of the right kind have been
scarce Only in February did The I ranny
of Tears" appear to benefit liege lords who
knew the danger of being authoritative
before procuring life preservers. Shortly
NON
strated the possibilities of maternal
watchfulness. and last week, in the de-
hcious Miss Hobbs Annie Russell Of
fered herself as the object for a somewhat
strenuous discourse on the noblest phases
OF woman nature.
Such a discourse IL not in the least
Objectionable from Jerome X. Jerome even
though American gentlemen do not set
their weaker companions to building
fires and accomplishing similar disa-
greeable tasks. The creator OF Three
Men in Boat" has a deft fashion
of smoothing over the rough inches en- 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
things Perhaps she had been netter
be what it may, Miss Hobbs proved
quite the most charmingly amusing and
amusingly charming trihe Washington has
had in a season. The ingenuity Of Its stu
atioas the comprehensibility of its sew
eral delicate touches of nature, the grace
and ease with which its climaxlc episodes
were reached-all these points, added TO
the fact that, in the telling, its rather inn
probable story like the quality of mercy.
ufva nod 1+Fff, tod In n
der the work admirable. Spark
ling lines. too. were responsible ior much
% the laughter provoked. And while these
lines betrayed full understanding Of the
difference between stage and library hui
NOR. the majority Of them were sufficiently
characteristic to bring pleasant memories.
No one familiar with THE Diary of a
Pilgrimage" could have heard it explained
to Miss Hobbs that '-he has lived in the
East''-which was supposed TO be Wolff
Kingsearl's excuse for having wagered on
a kiss-without so altering the speeches
that they would read: "A. was profuse in
his apologies. He said that his friend y.
had lived in the East all his life and had
got accustomed to that sort of business. C.
was not reconciIed, but he kept quiet.
Perhaps the most apparent fault in Miss
Hobbs was the conyentionality Of its
theme. When the play was done in New
WAS very similar 10 n familiar classic,
though they couldn't agree what that
classic was. Franklin Fyles found that the
roles were those Of Much Ado About
Nothing" Alan Dale discovered that Mr..
jerome had plagiariZed from The Tanning
OF the ShIew" William Winter scented
selections that he recalled as having been
parts OF a satire entitled "Matrimony."
An had listened before TO the tale of the
subduing of a man-eating woman and OF
her eventual capture. Yet none was aD-
solutely right in his allegation. for Miss
Hobbs WAS unlike Beatrice ana Catherine
and Mrs Brewster When the young her
Dine was introduced and one had met the
inevitable philosophers ynic-hero. one felt
sure of what was about to happen,
yet knew not why. The curiosity quite re-
sembled that OF the boy who wUiAs an
arithmetical problem, the answer to which
he has seen in the back Of his book.
OF course, the production was not barren
of disappointments. The seriousness Of Mr..
Kingsearls conversations with Miss Hobbs
failed TO supply the hard sense expected
by persons who had studied The Idle
Thoughts of an Idle Fellow" or the pathos
anticipated by the few who had witnessed
performances of Barbara" the authors
half-forgotten sketch. Mr.. Jerome's adj
Inirsrs believed that he should almost have
dramatized himself for their benefit. Por-
tions of the second and third acts seemed a
bit forced. too, while the lack OF focusing
point constituted real flaw Of consider
able Importance. But. these matters not
withstanding. the comedy proved the very
hest Washington has had in three years-a
comedy In which each scene was so full
that the spectator feared as did the tray
eler in his lovemaking, that there would be