The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-19
RUSSIAN HOPE AND DESPAIR.
4 NATIONS SOUL IN GORKFS
"NIGHT REFUGE"
Scenes From the Depths" and Their Eiuci-
dation in the Light NJ the Recent
Mo, emcnt Toward Reseneratio on The
other Half DrdmAtized- Genre Play


Other Half DrdmAtized A Genre Play
lie Gorh's Might Refuge q symbol Of
the modern movement in Russia toward
regeneration? Perhaps not II may be
stretching a point to take this miserable
closs house. this haunt of human serpents
and vetninthese Scenes from Depths
as i fit representation OF the moral con-
dltiou Of the land "a a whole. II il an
attractAye possibility that Lukd the Pill
grim, the WaDderer, who drifts into it
nu.ohs other eotsain and ietsam OF hui
manity. leavening for a time the whole
soddeh lump. embodies the gospel OF tho
spirit which Tolsto has so long and power
fully promu gated-but the Wanderer, in
spite Of the makeup OF Herr NARROW,
who played the part at the Irving Place,
IL not Tolstoi. He breaches no doctrine
OF non-resistance, and his religious faith,
simple, almost conventional. as il is in the
main, has traces OF the philosophy OF
Nietssche. Some one asks him why poor
wretches are born into the world For
the use OF tho great leaders of men, he
answers Clearly, he has the idea OF the
Overman.
Yet figures, we are told. do mot walk on
all fours. And IL is scarcely less trlte
observation that every true work OF art in
the theatre has If not a symbol, yet thesis,
or at least an informing idea. When ono
compares the social condition Of the masses
in Russia with that OF the masses in any
other great modern nation. the night refuge
OF Cork trots along we'll enough on three
legs. And lie not the Wonderer perhaps all
the moro fully symbolical because he en-
bodies Influences beside that OF To!sto,2
Though not actually a revoiutionary-if
he had been. tho play would. of course. have
been quite impossible in Russia the Wan
derer, he il seems has something OF Gorh's
own temper He ignores, perhaps despises'
the right of the Law. rs Is evident in his
story Of bow he aided and abetted the
escape Of a couple Of prisoners in Siberia.
And mysterious circumstance
has no passport Somehow or other he
Ia Mt odds with the powers that he.
Most Russian OF all is the spirit OF Slavonic
despair that broods over the whoie-true
background for tho ftful light of Savonlc
san,rations One by ono the WGnderer
has won over tho inmates OF the night ref
uge criminal. cynical, degenerate IN BODY
as in mind to the hope of new and higher
life: and then, at the first touch OF conflict
with the law, the whole fabric he has reared
tumbles about his ears. 1t is possible,
OF course. that Cork had no notion OF
cumming up in this play the spirit OF his
people and his time-no prescienoe OF the
mission Of Father Gapon If so, he builded
better than he knew.
Very characteristic are the first words the
WundeTer speaks al he totters down the
steep stairs, clad in his Pilgrims gown
and leaning on his Pilgrims stat, into tho
reeking hole OF vice--Good morning,
honest people," Characteristic also Is the
self-satirioal half tragic answer Of the hat =
maker: Honest we once were-but since
last spring. Lukd il all humor and
kindly understanding. No matter he
says, 4 know how to respect a rogue. One
flea, | take it, is as good as another All are
black. and all know how TO jump Pres
entity he begins TO sing pous hymn, IN
an ancient, auavering voice. The thief,
who In by way Of being bored with lite, tells
him roughly TO stop You don't like sing
ing SAYS the Wdnderer, good humoredly.
Good singing, yes!' growls the thief
And / thought | sang so well, the Wan
dsrr- answers. amiably. But that's the
way! You cay TO yourself. Well donel'
and people don't like it a Bit At this
touch of nature the thief laughs There!
You are laughing says the capmaker
And just now you said you were bored.
The disolassed Baron reminds them OF
his former station. Once on time in the
morning he had coffee served TO him in bsd
-oofeo with cream. Yet you were only a
man. like all the rest" says the Wdrderer
rebuking his vaingory The Baron is
nioued and asks who he ia. Ia he a Pill
grimi I'VE are all Pilgrims here below
Our life on earth, I've heard it said, is only
d pilgrimage to heaven. The Baron is
cynical. Have you your passport he
asks. evidently meaning the passport "a
heaven. The WdRderer takes him literally
and il terrified. For he has no passport
such "a the Russian police require The
Baron abuses him bit and as he goes out
1 for his vodka calls him q scoundrel. No
! doubt | ami says the Wdnderer, and the
soft answer turns away wrath.
1t il in this open simple manner that
! hn glides into the hearts OF all who have
hearts. There is drunken actor whom
| the doctor has told that his organism If
poisoned through and through with alcohol
! He doesn't quite know what his organism
! IL but the word rolls well on his tongue
and he sos himself in the part. He repeats
the phrase egaln and again. full of pride in
his organism, poisoned through and through
with alcohol. He has even greater pride
however, in poem he used to reoite
I. was the thing he loved most, but hi
fuddled brain has forgotten it, That ip
bad says the Wdnderer in what z
man loves most is his soul. He tells hin
of the Russian equivalent Of the gold cure
and PROMISES him, If he will go take u, =
return Of his self-oonfdence-the con.
hdenoe which. as the actor il fond Of saying
Ia the essence Of genius. The actor pulls
up, and amid the jeeTs of the others begin;
10 earn money for the journey
There Is young girl given 10 the reading
OF yellowbaok romRnce--Fatal Love Il
the name of her present volume. In The
spirit Of the heroine Miss Maude Adam.
/ lnterprets in "'Op o. Me- Thumb, sh'
} THE SPRING