New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-27

ms, and IN the precoclous but convincing work
=. : ,,,tse Girl as the grandson-the best stage
child seen for long time
..ry1ervbodyis Secret would be nice little tea
4ah,e nla,, II there were not flaw In the por-
re,ai, SANGER. In Pierre wolff's lie Secret de
polichiuelie" there was no marriage between
the Young officer and the flower girl. and French
audiences were not disturbed shocked when
che l,.tle child drew the old people in turn to
the modest lodgings and finally induced them to
consona immortality. The adapters-Captain
Fohert Marshall and Mr. Louis Parker-have
respected British social conventions and have
converted the flower girl into the lawful wife;
hut they have also considered 1t necessary to in
dictate the French origin of the play by putting
into the young officers mouth a confession in
two lines that marriage followed the birth OF
the child. If these two lines were cut out there
would be play not unlike Caste" and the
gambos Of the old people with the grandson
could be witnessed sympathetically by children
Of all ages. The French porcelain. too brittle
10 endure the strain OF pressure. has crac3ed in
The adapters' hands. The artifciality of the
concessions TO morality is apparent when seduc-
ton is confessed. In place of the delicate, frag-
lie sevres saucer. so transparent that the light
seemed to shine through it, there is a bit of
English Worcester with long, ugly crack from
rim 10 rim, with signs Of clumsy use of cement
IN the patching. This is what usually happens
when French plays. adapted to social conven-
tons and ethics in Paris are made to suit
the serious British public The process of recon-
struction is not thorough; an artificial compro-
mise is adopted, and the made-over play lacks
both the artistic qualities and brilliancy OF the
original text and the wholesome sweetness and
homely tenderness of English life.
So light a play has needed a curtain raiser of
dramatic force. and THE Monkeys Paw" by
Mr. Jacobs. has been designed to precede it, but
after few trials il discarded as too
creepy a shilling shocker" In one respect this
change Of programme is unfortunate. Mr.. ia
cobss play in three scenes, while distinctly I'M
canny, admirably enacted, Mr. Maude being
at his best in the part of the simple minded old
man. distracted between superstititous awe and
family affection. The talisman from India con-
veys the mystic power of enforcing fulfilment of
wishes. and this is followed by poignant regret.
The first wish is for 600. needed for wiping out
the mortgage the old mans house. and 1t is
carried out when the solicitor appears in the
morning to offer that sum as compensation for
the accidental death of the only son, who has
been killed at the electric power house over night
The second wish comes when the sorrowing
mother looking toward the churchyard whera
the boy has been buried wants him back, and
there is at a mysterious knocking at the
door. The third wish follows the frantic efforts
of the mother TO unbolt the door, when the
father, in his anguish Of heart and supernatural
dread. catches up the monkeys paw and implores
that the boy may return in peace to his grave;
and it is granted when the door is opened, and
the entry is silent and empty. There was power
IN this little curtain raiser. and there fine
acting in it, but the resurrection scene was more
than sensitive spectators could endure. and
consequently THE Monkeys Paw has been
set aside The substitute for it is THE Case of
Arson" play in which the Dutch actor Mr..
Henri de Vries has been acting seven parts at
the Royalty Theatre and working with remark
able skill e series of rapid transformations of
character. I. n. T.