The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-14

NAhaN " 7" -
Mexican war and the spanish-that the one
was Fictitious and inspired by self-seek-
ing pro-slavery politicians, while the other
was thu spontaneous work OF Q nation
which at it's best IL a. genuine q lover OF
liberty a II is irresistible in the propagation
OF its power. But be that a. 1t may
The play which Is now IN the boards III
the Princess IL q deep and convincing pres
cntation Of the right OF sturdy might, how
ever rough and crude, In opposition to the
thin and anemic self-righteousness Of our
deoadent puritaniEn. And the form and
purport OF the play bear the stamp Of spon-
taneous originality.
The great divide Of the title is the
line Of demarcation between the West
Of primitive impulse and the East OF re-
fined and conscious propriety. Originally
the play was called The Sabine Woman,
in reference TO the fact its hero lays hands
OF violence upon It's heroine and forces
her 70 submit TO his will. Three drunken
roisterers come upon Ruth Jordan, left
alone for the night or a ranch. The best
Of them, ar American named Client, shoots
up one greaser and buys of the other; and
as the price Of his protection leads her
to the nearest magistrate. Hero is an
analogy so perfect that it walks on all
fours. The projectiles We put into the feet
Of the Spaniards In, Manila Bay and the
millions we paid for the Philippines could
not possibly have a more fitting symbol
than in the bullet from Clients iron and
the chain Of nuggets from his neck. And
the result Of this bargain Of force on the
Arizona desert, painful as it was, is the
greatest and deepest happiness.
For. different to the superficial view as
were the drunken miner and the daughter
Of New England culture, they were one at
heart. Mr.. Moody has denoted this with
fine skill. Ruth has lived long enough
in the West to respond in spirit to its ampler
hfe-to desire in her heart TO become part
Of IL. And the eye Of drunken desire which
Client casts upon her becomes from the
first the eye Of a true aspiration. Each has
need Of the other to evoke the latent powers
Of his soul.
The bargain at first brings anguish TO
both. The eye with which Mr.. Moody sees
their anguish is the eyA Of poetic vision,
and the hand with which he portrays IL
is as fine as it is unerring. Even in the
hour in which he asserts his will Client
becomes aware Of his ~depravity; and in the
months that follow his sense Of hurnilia-
ton deepens. 1t chastens him and brings
to light all the patience, the devotion. the
nobility Of his rugged heart. And so~.a all
the time, his heart tells him that he Is right.
Ruth also from the first feels in the deeper
wells Of her impulse that she can do no othsr
than she does. Client gives her the oppor-
tunity to shoot him, or herself. She tries
to do each in turn-and does neither. In
the months Of her life with him in the Cata-
lima Mountains she feels happiness knock
ing at her door; but, victim as she is Of the
conventions and the proprieties OF her
people, she bars the way to IL. The price
Client paid for her was a chain OF nuggets.
She learns to make Indian baskets and sells
them at a neighboring hotel until one by
n she has bought back every nugget in
the chain from its Greaser owner. There
is deep womanhood in the ~iercenees Of her
pride, as well as deep feeling for the puri-
tanical character.
When the last nugget is bought she throws
the completed chain at the feet Of her has-
band and leaves him to 60 back to her New
England home. But instead OF being free
OF him his shadow only falls across her life
the more blackly. The Anal scene Of recon-
Citation is one Of mastery d~ivination. II
is the mar who has perpetrated the osten-
sible sin; but he has got only good out Of
II. He has grown to the full stature Of spir-
itual strength. The woman has suffered
violence and outrage, and out Of it has got
only blight and death. Her pride and her
scrupIes spell spiritual extinction.
IL would be hard 10 overestimate the
originality OF the value Of such a treatment
Of such a theme. The wages Of sin, our
preachers and play wrights are accustomed
to tell US, is death. Here 10 q man In whose
vision the wages Of sin is life. RaA's
brother, when he learns OF the manner in
which Ghen1 won her. has the impulse, the
world old and world approved impulse,
TO kill him. Her mother, q model Of con-
ventional goodness, says: You should
have killed YOURSELF In her heart Ruth
that either event would have meant
death. In the end she accepts
the wages Of her sin and Clients, which
the fulnees Of life and happiness.
OF any attempt to proclaim what we
have come to call manifest destiny Mr..
Il nc doubt unconscious. Except
for his anti-imperiAlist ode the idea would
have no ~pertInence. But Of the nearer
s. g~niicance Of his play ne is uEInetaxAbly
There has been much question
Of the -propriety" Of the initial scene OF
violence. II the guardians Of the con-
vent.onal we're as keen V they are eager,
they would find far graver offence il the
last act. Precept after precept, subtle,
quiet, but luminous, c~ontravenes our most
cher shed beliefs. Bernard Shaw at his
irreverent never taught anything
more ioonoclastic. And Mr.. Moody has
this supreme advantage, that whereas the
brilliant Irlshman. when he has flashed a
paradox or two has spent his powder he
his play with the earthly fires OF
primal pass.on and nourishes the flame
with all the richness Of the deepest spiritual
life OF men and women. Pinero has never
been keener in psychology and never half
az deep. Henry Arthur Jones has the
Of passion and the head Of right
thinking; but compared to this play all his
against the deathly hypocrisy Of
puritanism seem pale. Those, it is true,
are all great playwrights, each with his
in the hall OF the English drama,
while Mr.. Moody is a bars novice. One
does not make a drink. And yet
it is all the wine faster needs to SAVIOR the
rarest vintage.
The Great Divide" is a picture painted