The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-31
TWO new PLAYS INTRODUCED
SWEET AND TWENTY" AND "a
GENTLEMAN or FRANCE"
H,rio Deliew IN Hsrrsott Ford's stage
version Of Stanley weyman's Novel
and Friedman Actors In Basil Hoods
Comedy-Numerous interesting show.

K,rle Deiow In Harr4ott Ford's stage
version Of Stanley weyman's Novel
and Friedman Actors In basil Hoods
Comedy-Numerous Interesting shows.
A misunderstanding as to which OF two
brothers should marry the girl they both
! desired was the subject Of q new play at
the Madison Square Theatre last night.
The title Of Sweet and Twenty described
her as the author. Basil Hood, had written
her to be; and Annie O'Neill embodied
her as a creature Of that quality and age,
we'll worth a contention. The return Of
this actress to the stage after four years
absence, was an incident Of interest TO the
audience. There was a welcome for her,
and satisfaction In the fact hat she had
lost nothing In charm or facility.
The opposed brothers in this play were
the sons of as benignant a rural English
clergyman as that fine characterizer, Will
liam H. Thompson, knew how TO present.
The elder OF them. by Richard Bennett.
was a grave theological student. The
younger, by Harry B. Stanford, was a
gay naval officer. The girl was a familiar
guest at the parsonage. Under those
conditions In fiction, authors have usually
made the careful lover sacrifice himself
TO the careless one and help him to win
the prize. But Mr.. Hood had given a
new twist to the old knot. tying and untying
II singularly. The sailor had a fault of
inebriety, but. like many a drunkard, he
was good hearted, while the r~eliglonist.
with all his sobriety. became conscienceless
under the stress OF jealousy. So, when
the one went away TO sea service. giving
up the BELOVED girl because he thought
she did not n should not care for him,
the other craftily turned to account the
opportunity for dishonest courtship.
But nothing that happened was theatric,
or even dramatic. Sweet and Twenty
was a sentimental comedy with some re-
lieving humor, from an old handy man.
who broke pretty nearly everything in
reach except his promise to marry a parlor-
maid. These servants we're Mr.. and Mrs.
Sidney Drew. The duplicity OF the di-
WITTY student developed when the sailor
came back in squalid disgrace, having
been dismissed from the navy for drunken
insubordination. Upon the advice and
contriyance OF his brother, he went of
to Australia with his scandal, leaving the
plotter TO become scoundrelly by con-
cocting a report that the absentee was
sinking into hopeless deprayity, For a
fact, the former n~e'er-do-wel was doing
very well indeed. At length he returned
to we'd the girl. which she was right glad
to have him do.
The action took a turn toward tragedy
when the elder son, remorseful after an
exposure of his unbrotherly conduct, was
saved from suicide by the appeal Of the
sweet -and-twenty girl. But for the most
part the story was tender and sympathetic,
trimming over with tolerance for the dif-
ferently erring brothers, Sever al of it's
scenee were expert in composition for
stage purposes. Its vicarage garden was
a pretty place, and its living room was
homelike and tasteful down TO the smallest
detail-a suitable setting for a play that
appealed trresistfbly to the heart.