New-York tribune., 1900-05-01
THE DRAMA.
NEW COMEDY AT THE LYCEUM.
"BORDERSIDE.'

BORDERSIDE.'
This blithe good -humored fantastical and do
mestic romance-worthy have been tried a a
more auspicious time than the weary end of a
long and tedious dramatic season,-tells an impos
sible story about Southern girl who sort Of
female Japhet In search of father. and who
found her sire and her happiness last through
an imposition that was half mystfying. half
cruel and altogether irrational While. however,
the play is steadily incredible and sometimes in
sipid it shows a nmbIe invention. it provides many
ludicrous incidents, and it contains good sketches
OF character and manners The scene is Maryland,
and the ction passes in and about d old estate
called Borderside. in that State: hence the we'll
chosen title, which indicates in the mind OF its
author Mrs. E F. Riggs. sense of the subtle
alurement that sometimes harbors In a single fe-
lcitous word. Perhaps It might be wished that the
lady's perception of probability. in constructing
what purpOrts to be story of actual life,
equally keen. The whole fabric of the plot
the violent assumption that a young. hon.
orabe, ardent lover and husband newly married,
would accept a mere letter from enemy posi-
tive evidence OF the death OF his wife and infant
child and go near the place OF their burial
make the slightest inquiry 70 their fate Mr..
Cunliffe Mordaunt such man His wife died.
but the infant. girl, survived and when she grew
womanhood, under the care OF cruel aunt,
who had vengefulIy told this lie and woven this
web of deceit. appeared. bearing her fathers
name,-a prematurely gray young man, whom, in
fact her absent father had adopted a son,-and
him she received and loved father. since he
had not the honesty the frmness or the heart
to undeceive her. This Impostor who had by
chance saved her Nfe,-in the usual emergency OF
al equine runaway,-was at her lover, but,
through various scenes OF domestic triviality he
maintained the character of her father, presenting
her with gifts. and redeeming for her, great
cost family estate. and so delivering her out OF
bondage, till last explanation occurred and
the true father made himself manifest. Viewed
truth this situation is preposterous. but viewed as
fiction although first a little painful, 1T ultimately
becomes udcrous and is accepted purely farcical
All the same there is an element of almost
frivoIity this trifng with the paternal relation
possibly the most absolutely sacred bond, and i'm
pliCative Of the sacred feelings, known 10
man. The eGucoque is clever. and the portrayal
OF the impostor's mood of self-confet shows
dramatic talent Various types of Southern char
acter are disclosed. in the course OF the story
aunts and cousins. q vocal negress. colonel with
a Bah beard twins that confusion (as they
lately did in one of Mr. Cranes Plays. and
masqueraders that mystify each other, as they
have been doing for centuries in the last
act of The Merry Wives OF Windsor" These
are three acts and thirteen characters. The house
was full and the audience genial Miss Vir
evinced decided talent and proved her She is.
as yet monotonous with conventionality and her
action lacks ginger: but she has abundant vivacity
of spirit. she moves nimby, speaks sweetly. shows
play feeling in the face is capable OF repoSe,
and sustain character from beginning to end.
The character OF Kate Mordaunt is gay. simple,
earnest and tender; and II clearly and ef-
fectively embodies, Miss Julia Hanchett gave
remarkably artistic personatiOn of the wicked
woman by whom all the trouble caused and
upon whom its burden ultimately fell. W. w.