Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-03

in the head line which he uses for his
roast" which is "Gomorrah at the Cal
ety." He Is a trine late In the day WITH
his denunciation, for 1.-The Spring Chicken
has been running in the Strand for three
months or more, and is one OF the biggest
successes in town. Mr.. Stead, however,
explains his hardness. He says that as he
did not wish TO be prejudiced against the
stage by seeing II at Its worst from an
ethical point of view he has hitherto
given tho famous Gaiety wide berth: II
viii be remembered that this writer start
ed out to get his first impression OF the
modern playhouse only few months ago,
and that he was badly shocked at the be-
ginning by Mr.. Pinero'S Wife without
Smile" OF which he wrote that he had
been made to laugh at hell"
Owing, perhaps, to its French origin the
present attraction at the LONDON Gaie,y
has fairly coherent plot. 1t gets Its IL
tie from its hero. A young Partisan ao-
voCate." married he IL model benedlct
during the summer, winter and fan, put
in the spring his fancy turns to love In
such a determined fashion that business
and home ties alike are set at naught
while he dSpOrts himself on the primrose
path. At the beginning or the play-the
spring being then approachtng-we see
him engaged in planning niue UP
abroad for his wife in order that his gaze
ties may be unimpeded On the sceHe,
however, arrives the young wires mother,
who offers her daughter valuable counsel.
There Is only one way, the mother Cd
serves to clip the wings OF such a spring
Chickcn"-that Is by means OF sIeeplhs
pnwCer She has tried It with excellent
results with her own lord, who used TO De
lust the same"-the thing, we learn, nav
ing been accomplished by surreptltlously
sprinkling the powder over his food. she
advised her daughter to adopt similar
methods and the young wife does SO.
Meanwhile the barrister has made an even
ing appointment with one of his falr ell
euts-d CounteSs-fo5 whom he Is attempt
ing TO Gain a divorce Tor her from her
present husband. The lawyer and the lady
nrC t. meet 1T a no, too austere restau-
rant gr tee. outskirts of Paris, where they
are t. have supper. or course. the swami
aTeCtcI by the drug, crops on 10 Steep
Just as things begin TO get interesting,
and equally, of course, the much relied on
potion gets in it's work on the wrong per-
sons later in the play with laughapIe re-
suits Meanwhile matters at the restauI
rant are made stll Nvelier by the ARRIVAL
there of the young wife'S father-the hrSt
object of the powder CuTe'--in company
with the family housemaid. who has pre-
yIously explained in the course OF song
that life in the French provinces Delns
oyer-sedate she has just come up to
p1ris for a change" pessimistic waiter
who regaIcs the audience with accounts OF
what he has Witnessed through the Key
holes Cf private dining rooms rs anCther
Tart Ct the evenings amusement. -.
Mr. Stead LeS' ribes all this as pesIl-
l.nt and pestif-rous faTraSo OF nth. ana
he goes on to speak of the promiscuous
anlmaiism" which reigns supreme on the
stage of the Galety. ~, e.
The wonder is that those responsible TOT
mis- Latest musical show have thought II
worth while to- reply to Fir. Ste ads at
tack or that even so earnest person d9
lac should rave done anYthin- so iutlIe as
to make it, London likes it. American
cities are striCter about this sort of thing,
however. and II Will be interesting TO see
what the critics at home have to say ABOUT
The Spring Chicken.