The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1900-03-24
THE PASSING SHOW
VILLA GATHER

appeared here in play, novel in plot
and refreshingly simple and wholesome
in sentiment. All the people in this
play are persons whom one could ask
to dine at ones house, yet they are not
stupid; none Of the episodes Of the play
are within the province Of the police
courts. yet the play is not dull. On the
whole it is rather invigorating to see
respectability get in few innings oc-
casionally. The Elder Miss Blossom"
is by no means a remarkable comedy,
though it has fallen into excellent
hands. The dialogue is not unusually
good, and the first act is certainly
trife slow. But one thing. the play un-
blushingly possesses sentiment. and it
tells quite pathetic story about people
who are ordinarily good, and ordinarily
attractive and makes it interesting. 1t is
its humanity, not it's cleverness, that
saves 1.-The Elder Miss Blossom" The
story Of the play concerns itself with
noted explorer, who on the night before
his departure for the Cannibal islands
meets pretty girl Of seventeen at a
ball and falls head over heels in love
with her. after the crazy manner Of ad-
vanced bachelors. The chit's name is
Sylvia Blossom" but the young lady
had borrowed her aunt's lace handler
chief for the ball, and the mouchoir
was marked Dorothy" When the
enamored explorer. whom Mr.. Kendall
portrays with exquisite humor, started
for the man-eating isles, he wrote q
hasty proposal Of marriage TO the Miss
in short skirts who had shattered his
ascetic ideals in a dance or two. He
directs the missive to miss Dorothy
Blossom and is accepted by the ma
ture aunt on his caption and he never
knows the difference. sailing for the
tropics engaged to one woman and be-
lieving himself loved by her younger
brothers daughter.
On his return to England he finds
the elder Miss Blossom waiting for him,
her wedding clothes ready, her home
full Of wedding presents, the village
church decorated. The scene in which
the distracted man undeceives her is the
scene in which both Mr.. and Mrs. Ken
dale do their best work. 1t is cruel sort
Of situation even in play. The woman's
self-respect is 80 completely broken,
the loneliness and hunger Of her heart,
the wealth Of love that lay hidden in
this calm, thin, English spinster are
too pitifully laid bare. 1t is like an
Indian summer lured into roses and
second buildings and grossly betrayed
into winter. The woman's humiliation
and detection at losing again and for
the last time that Elusive love dream
that had always fled from her, are pc
culially within the scope OF Mrs. Ken
dale delightful and discriminating art.
Always more refined than brilliant in
her work, she makes this cruel study
in heartache noble as we'll as pathetic.
When her lover, who has never loved
her, leaves her alone, the idiotic young
rector begins to practice on the we'd
ding chimes. The theatricalness of the
incident may be overlooked for the
acting which accompanies it when Mrs.
Kendall rushes to the windows and
closes them and holds her hands over
her ears to shut out the hateful sound.
Incidentally, should like to see Min
ME Madden Fiske play The Elder
Miss Blossom" The comparison would
give one food for thought.
Mr.. Kendall has always been, in my