The Washington times., 1903-11-01
Merely Mary Ann. !"
Israel Zangwills Charming Story Pre-
pared BY Him for the Stage.

pared By Him for the Stage
One Of the most difhcuIt forms of hc-
ton to write with success is the short
story Edgar Allan Poe and Robert
Louis Stevenson both owe their high
place in literature 20 their mastery OF
this style Of composition, and Of all
living writers none exceIs Israel Zang-
VIII in his skill in this same depart
ment. Mr.. Zangwins short stores are
as varied II their character and ma
teriaI as they are numerous, but IL
would be useless task TO look for a
really uninteresting narrative among
them all Naturally it IS with those
stories which deal with his own people.
the Hebrews. that one usually associates
Mr. Zangwilrs name. but he has treated
of other people in an equally enter
tanning manner. The Grey Wig"
Merely Mary Ann" and The Serio-
Comic Governess" are sufficient proof
Of this assertion
No more charming story has been
told in recent years than Merely Mary
Anna story full OF the pathos Of real
life told with all the vfvidness OF de-
scription and the briIlianey OF language
of which the author is capable And
IS Mr. ZangWiu himself has rewritten
the story in dramatic form for the use
Of Eleanor Robson this season. II has
gained strength and point in the cpl
e,rammatic wit OF the lines with which
he has provided his characters
Story of the Play.
1t is needless to repeat the story OF
Merely Mary Ann" which must be
familiar 20 every reader OF recent hc-
ton. There are a few changes OF course
in the dramatiZation, but they are only
such as the stage unities compel In the
play the opening scene is the hallway
of Mrs. Leadbatter's clearinghouse. It
is rainy Saturday night, and the
boarders-a newspaper man. a medical
student. pair OF music hall sisters.
and Lancelot, the composer, whose
music is of too high a quality to attract
purckasers-come in one after the other
in varying conditions of pre-holiday
sobriety. They are all late. and Mrs.
Leadbatter, loquacious and n" less.
with her eoarseIy handsome daughter
Rosie passes through TO the upper
regions of the house, leaving Mary Ann,
the poor little charity slavey. grimy
from the pots, and clad in the patched
garments her mistress generosity pro-
vides, to clean the dirty boots and lock
up the house.
Lancelot is one of the last to arrive
and with him comes Peter, his old
Leipzig conservatory. Peter has for
sazen the path of art to go into trade
the tea trade-and his appearance proves
that he has benefited by the change.
Peter. kind-hearted and generous. points
out TO LancelOt that il Mary AIMS face
were clean she would be pretty, and
after he has gone the composer forgets
himself so far as to kiss the little sery-
ing-maid.
The First Kiss.
He is a handsome young fellow, and
Mary Ann, ike all the other women in
the house. is in love with him. That
klss-the first, perhaps, she has ever
had since her mothers death-compietCs
her subjUgation. Through the next Two
acts there follows a curious courtship-
sometimes comic, always pathetic-be-
tween LanceiOt and Mary Ann. The
composer, driven by poverty, has final
~ consented TO write a popular song.
and with the proceeds he agrees to take
Mary Ann with him to a cottage in the
country.
on the eve of their eIopement comes
the news that Mary Ann is an heiress-
that her brother has struck ne'' in
America and dying has left her his for
tune This stroke of good luck is a.reai
calamity 10 poor Mary Ann. FOR Lance