The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-19

II is the thief who holds Gorki's chief
interest. for he is Young and strong and
able. and not degenerate. however evil
The impulses TO good have been turned
awry by an unhappy contact with organ
ized society. but they have not been per-
verted There may yet be for him "A life
Of useful happiness. He has had the wife
of the innkeeper for mistress; but discover
ing that she is Indignantly selfish and inn
passioned-that. in his own words, she has
no soluble has ceased TO care for her,
and ia casting not irreverent eye on her
sister who is innocent. good and plserably
naltreated The Wdnderer divines the sit
ustion and encourages the two. The wife
pretends to be willing to give w the thief
and promises him her sister ana a mar
rage portion IL he will kill her misery hus-
band. leaving her his heir The Wdnderer.
having scented mischief crawls up on
top OF the oven and as the thief tempted
bv his hatred Of the old mser, IL about
to kill him, interrupts The thief asks an
grily what he is doing there With his ever
present gentleness and humor the Wan
derer says that he is old and likes warm
places besides, it was good thing for
the thief wasn't it, that he did happen to
he by7 SO for time the danger ~ averted.
But in the case of strong. positive people
IL is not easy TO have an effective finger in
the pie Of fate. On hearing that her sister
IL about to marry the thief and 60 away the
wife sends her into another room and
there falls upon her and beats her In
the scramble that follows. the old husband
interferes. and in a moment Of passion he
thief stabs him This is the one big scene
of the play both theatrically and in the
DEVELOPMENT of the theme Of the drama.
At n stroke the whole fabric the WdHderer
has so patiently. so lovingly 50 diviningly
built up tumbes to the ground The police
come and arrest the thief. the wife loudly
accusing him. Even her sister, mistaking
all that has happened. joins the cry against
him. The soundes. and best man OF all
is sacrifice to the law. The worst char
acter OF all gains everything. In the tumult
the Wdnderer vanishes forever He cannot
face the authorities-he has no passport
In the final act it transpires that the girl
who has read yellow back romances has
becam, a prostitute to support the Baron
who abuses her. Tho actor, bereft OF the
inspiration Of the Wandcror, despairs in
his fight to reguin his confidence in himself
WIN NNlN iNHt III lN nv - NAN'-'N'N ''''
hangs him self Only the cynical and in
different are left on the scene. They re-
member the Wdndcrer with a stronger,
tenderer feeling than they were conscious
OF when he was among them. but even as
they speak OF him they are deep in a drink
ing bout. The pale phantom OF him which
they conjure up only throws their debauch
into a deeper shadow. II is in the MIDST
OF one Of their songs that the actor la dis
covered. hanged by the neck. Must our
song be spoiled by him. one OF them
says. The fool" Those are the last words
of the play.
Technically. "Nachtasyl' is not drama
Of the hi,viest order To a surface view
il is mere genre pioturing OF life-a col
lection of characters who discuss one an
other and reveal themselves in the process.
There il no keener critic Of character than
the hopeless failure, no moro trenchantly
satirical CONNIE ntator on society. The play
resembles to take a humble analogue
THE College Widow" more nearly than
such play as Ibsen's Ghosts or Suder-
manns -Heinat.' The same effect would
have been more fullygained- and gained with
far greater difficulty-if the minor cherao-
ters had zen dispe1 sed with, except such as
were strlc,uraly necessary, and hestruggle
OF the thief to rehsbitate himself had been
made the dominant theme. Yet, an Barrie
lately remarked 1t IL not necessary for all
plays TO measure 301i0. A play measuring
i5x50 may still be play. Beyond question
the form Cork chose is that most sympa-
thetio 20 his genius one calculated TO
ana hia him 10 ,,roduca N a best rpgult3
! IL it drawing things too fine TO consider
! that tho Night Asylum il an emblem OF