The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-21
BUTTERFLY AND CHRYsAxrHEME.


The opening scenes Of Madame But
tcrfly" are singularly suggestive Of that
dainty story, Madame Chrysantherne. "
! by the gifted Frenchman, Pierre Lott.
Z One was struck by the thought that nos
/ sibly the earlier work gave John Luther
Long his inspiration for the tragedy
which Puccini has immortaIized. As
early as 1892, a translation into English
Of Madame Chrysantheme" appeared in
this country, and was very widely read.
It was not until 1875 that the Century
Magazine printed Mr.. Longs story. There
can be little but the merest superficial
comparison between the two stories, how
ever. The difference between the two
lies not only in the tragic denouement
Of the one and the disappointing. al
most weak ending Of the other, but in
the drawing Of the character Of the two
heroines.
In the French work. the hero lands from
| the battle ship Triomphante to contract
one or those marriages of convenience
that are so attractive. apparently. 10
the sailor. and so ObIigingly countenanced
by the japanese. The intention is de-
liberate. and n. Kangaroo, the marriage
broker, produces Madame Chrysan-
theme" with whom the French officer
dwells in satisfactory relationship until
his ship sails away. He does not fall
in love with her. nor she with him. Thu
only hint at intrigue or attempt at a
possible dramatic situation is In the in
PRODUCTION OF a brother officer, Yves,
whom the hero suspects is in love with
Chrysantheme. Even this suspicion
srouses in him no jealousy-indeed, he
is perfectly willing nat his japanese
wife be taken of his hands by his friend.
Yves. however. who Is serious minded
and conventional. has no intention OF
committing what he considers an act
disloyal 10 his comrade. So the two
officers sail away on the Triomphante,
leaving Madame ChTysantheme 20 count
her dollars. received for her servltude,
and to wave a polite farewell from tbs
midst OF a crowd OF other women az
her station, to her husband who kneel-
ing in his cabin, prsys TO be washed
clean from this little marriage Of mine
A very pretty setting for a very
smooth and even little tale.
II would appear, therefore. that aside
from drawing upon the same source for
his mise-en-scene. Mr.. Long owes very
little, If anything, To his distinguished
L Atiatll tDi4VsiE At. II is true tltslL tA4e ol-
titude Of the two heroes Is very much thu
same. but poor Lieut.. Pinkerton, unlike
the French lieutenant, has done, uncoE-
sciously. tremendous wrong. for where
as Lofts hero has only 10 deal with what
we are pleased TO consider Il woman OF
the normal japanese type. Pinkerton has
happened upon n woman whose affections
and emotions are strictly un-Oriental, and,
therefore. not to be lightly trified with.
In this view of his heroine. one fancies in
Mr.. Longs work a glaring fault We
have never been taught that the japanese
were an emotional race. That Is a char
acteristic which students and historians
have hitherto denied them. But Che
OF a Camille or a SaphO. with twice the
moral courage OF either. In view OF her
extraordinary difference from those of her
class It is hard 90 condemn Pinkerton.
except for his fundamental error. And it
is all done SO cOnvincingly that II takes
front rank in the realm of tragedy.
Z. II. Southern and Julia MarloWe viii
shortly be seen here in a repertoire OF
romantic. symbolic. and classical plays.
Thev are under the management Of the
Mcssrs. Shubert this season. and the tour
has started under the most suspicious
circumstances. They will play a series
Of one and two week stands, which viii
bring them I'D TO the holidays. when they
will appear at the Lyric theater, New
York. for long run. At its close, the
stars and the entire organization VIII