The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-31
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"Tie Bonnie Brier Bush.''
A comedy drama in four acts. drama
tized by Mr.. James Macarthur from the
stories of Ian MacLaren and presented
for the first time in St. Paul at the Met
ropolitan last night by Mr.. j. FL. Stod-
dart and company.
/ CAST OF CHARACTERS:
1 Earl of Klspindie-
Mr. Charles Macdonald
Lord Donald Hay his SON
MI. Marcus Ford
Rev. John Carmichael
Mr.. George S. Probert
Lachlan Campbell. Mr.. J. H. StoddaTt
| Flora Campben Miss Irma La Pierre
Thomas Mitchell Mr.. Augustine Duncan
Archibald McKittrick. Mr. Ruben Fax
/ Sandy Mcpherson. ;. Mr.. Charles -MacRae
/ Geordie, a Laddie. Miss Gertrude Robinson
/ Jeanne, a Lassie Miss Edith TaIiafero
1 Kate Carnegie. Miss Maude Knowlton
Redolent of fields of golden gorse and
/ purple heather, resplendent with the rich
/ colorings with which nature has painted
| the rugged mountains that tower above
the glen and village of Drumtochty, ex-
hilarating as the ozene-laden atmosphere
/ of the Northland, and teaching, without
the semblance of didaeticism, the great
duty of forgiveness for the erring, and
] the danger of hasty Judgment, is The
/ Ronnie Brier Bush,,' which was present
4 ed for the first time in ST. Paul at the
/ Metropolitan last night Nothing mora
| thoroughly human has been seen in this
| city for many a day. The people OF the
/ play are those of the secluded hamlet
! where its scenes are laid. and are the
same familiar figures with whom the
readers of Ian MacLarens book have be-
come acquainted. Strong and forceful
/ characters, too, are these men and
/ women, who, far apart from the mad
| ding crowds, in the solitude of their
/ quiet glen. have had time to ponder
or the great questions of life. Ii their
medita tons led them to conclusions that
seem to us illiberal and narrow, let us
ascribe it to the age in which they lived
and the environment by which they were
/ surrounded.
Surprisingly beautiful is this simple
! story of the people of Drumtochty. 1t
runs the whole gamut of human emotion,
and the arrangement of the material is
| such that the brightness of the one is
made the more luminous By the somber-
ness of the other Smiles and tears, joy
and grief bigotry and liberality, chase
one another through the four rather
| long acts as sunshine and shadow across
| a meadow in June The characters por-
4
another as darkness from light. Against
| the severe auSterity of Lachlan Campbell,
| is set the cheeriness of his dearest friend.
| DR.. Mcclure, and the garrulousness of
| the bibulous "Posty, whose ready
| tongue and quick wit have made him the
| favorite of all with whom he comes in
contact. Flora Campbell, hoping against
| hope, and trusting her lover with the per-
| feet faith that is the very fruit and
| flower of affection, is sharply contrasted
with the biitheSome Annie, on whose
shoulders care sits lightly, and whose
| chiefest concern is to worry the aspirant
for her hand and to keep Inn as nearly
! as she dares in state of mental tor
ment. Then, too, there are the young
| minister, dignified, cultured, a leader in
| the free kirk; Kate Carnegie, of Carne-
| gle castle, woman whose station is
| far above those with whom she mingles,
but whose heart is full of womanly ten
derness for the friends by whom she is
surrounded, and of her love for the hand
some young parson; and SO on down
through the whole list of characters with
whom the play deals. The play itself is
almost a masterpiece 1t is full of dra-
matte strength and rises at times to an
intensity of feeling that compels the at
tention of the most blass habitue of the
theater. 1t is all very beautiful, artis-
tic, natural.
1t is quite needless to say that the
beauty of tie piece was immeaSurably
enhanced by Mr.. j. II. Stoddart's SUI
perb interpreta ton of the part of Lach-
Ian Campbell, really the central figure
of the play. Nothing could have been
finer than his portrayaleof the God-fear-
ing man, who though cold and unrespon-
sive toward everyone ne met, yet pos
sessed an infinite affection for the moth
erless girl in whom he daily saw the
woman he had loved and lost years be-
FORE Love for this half orphaned child
had grown into the very warp and wool
of his being, but he did not realize it I'M
til that one fateful hour, when miscon-
STRUNG letter she had written to her
lover, and interpreting it to mean that
she had disgraced the home in which
her mother had lived. he ordered her
from the house and erased her name
from the record in the family Bible. The
poignancy of his distress when he awak-
ened to a realization of what he had
DONE the breaking down of the barriers
he had placed between himself and the
sympathy of his fellows, and his
radiant happiness when his daughter is
finally restored to his arms, were drawn
by Mr. Stoddart with a fidelity that left
no grounds for criticism. His was the
finished art that one sees so rarely now
adayS, and it was as refreshing as an
oasis in the desert to the weary traveller
The company supporting Mr.. Stoddart
is one of unusual excellence. Mr.. Ru-
ben Fax to whom is entrusted the role
of the thirsty "Posty,' was wholly sat
-isfaetory, and his work was admirable.
Mr. John Jennings gave an excellent in
depreciation to the part of the bluff,
old doctor. MacIlure. and Mr. George
s. Probert was satisfactory as the
Free Kirk ministers. Excellent work Was
done by Miss Bessie Baldwin as Annie,
Miss Irna La Pierre as Flora Campbell,
Miss Maude Knowlton as Kate Carnegie
and Miss Hattie Foley as Margaret
Howe The remaining members of the
company were adequate to the demands
made upon them
IL seems almost superfluous to say that
the play has been given magnificent
mounting. and that the costumes of the
Drumtoehty folk are worn by those who
have the play in hand. The entr acte
music is composed of familiar Scotch
airs and is both pretty and appropri-
ate Taken all in ali, 1.-The Bonnie
Brier Bush, is one of the seasons
choicest offerings and should be seen
by all lovers of the drama. The engage
ment closes Wednesday night.
Of the many attractions which have
been presented at the Grand SO far this
season, it is doubtful if any have pleased
in as great a measure as has Shore
Acres James "A. Herne's beautiful play
of New England life, which is being pre-
sented at that playhouse the current
week. For tomorrow afternoon there
is announced special New Years matt