Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-26
"MOfre JeuneSse"

Here is the plot of one of the latest
French plays which has just been pro-
duced at the Theatre Francaise, Paris,
where 1t met with considerable success.
1t is by Alfred Capus.
This play is the story of a husband
without a smile. His name was Lu-
Glen Briant. He was a French husband,
very French; he had French wife,
a French friend, and, as is the way
with French husbands, French past
also very French.
1t was the French past that troubled
the French husband. He was ever
lastingly talking about it to the French
friend. When the French friend got
too tired of it he would beg the French
husband to shut up and remember the
other great mercies. Lucien Briant
worked fifteen hours a day trying to
forget it, but 1t was useless. Incidental
ly 1t should be mentioned the past was
a pretty newspaper girl-also French.
The French husband had not seen
his French past for fifteen years. AS
his French friend used to say, What
on earth, therefore, was the good of
worrying; the past was probably dead
or married." but Lucien refused to be
comforted, and one fine afternoon the
French friend, having advertised for
a young lady to do his typewriting,
who should walk in and apply for the
situation but Lucien Briant's daughter
out of the dead past, an extremely
pretty girl. She was so pretty, indeed,
that the French husband stopped talk
ing to ask who she was. The French
friend, who recognized her instantly
from the photograph with which Lucien
illustrated his conversations replied
with some obviousness, but more dis
cretion "O you don't know her."
Now, the French friend had French
sister and French conscience. His
tarradiddle weighed on his conscience,
so he went and told his sister all about
everything-as is the custom of French
friends.
The instant the French sister heard
of it she rushed round to the French
wife to tea. The French wife-as is
not the custom of French wives in
general-had no past to worry about,
so she wisely went about and enjoyed
herself to try to make up for having a
husband without a smile The French
sister, having scolded her well for en-
joying herself, the French wife cried
bitterly, and said she was ready to
stay at home forever if only she had
a child. i've got one for you waiting
round the corner" exclaimed the
French friend and told the French wife
all about everything. Whereupon they
kissed and cried together, as is the Gus
tom of women-not only French.
Next day the French wife interviewed
the French daughter ostensibly as for
governess. The French daughter hav-
ing accepted the situation, the French
wife gently told her that, having no
children, she required no governess,
but wanted a daughter. Whereupon
the French daughter and the French
wife fell crying into each others arms.
When they had finished crying the
French husband came in, and the
French wife introduced the girl to her
father. "She is not my daughter" cried
the French husband.
NO" cried the French wife; "she is
mine" which not unnaturally so sur
prised the French husband that the
curtain was obliged to fall.
Next day the French father inter-
! viewed the French daughter and offered
her an allowance to go to her native
village and stay there. She was just
on the point of going when he discov-
cred the likeness to her dead mother,
which amused him so tremendously
that he began to smile. Whereupon the
French wife and the French husband
and the French daughter kissed and
cried together, while the French friend
wept of French JOY in the corner, fore
seeing he would hear no more about
the dear little French newspaper girl.