Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-23

AAAHAhA INTEREST Inc holiday at
IEIE{q fractions will extend over a pe-
CO. Rod Of two weeks owing 70 the
fact that both Christmas and New Years
fan on midweek days Last week was NOT
so dull as had been looked for by the
managers. as a rule little or no business
a. expected during the week before Christ
mas, and the rule Is seldom varied But
20 great is the local prosperity that the
people went to the theater and bought
Christmas gifts. too. so that the business
at the houses was almost of normal nm
portions At the Orpheum the bill was one
of the best Of the season so far present
ing some OF the strongest acts in vaude-
willie, and II was given a great reception
by the patrons Of that house. The Krug
had In three good shows. and each got
a good share Of business and was much
enjoyed Camille at the Burwood drew
fairly we'll and was very well presented
At the Boyd the novelty was THE squaw
Man." the Royle play that created such
furore in New York last season. II did
very well the first three nights Of the
week, and "The County Chairman" which
finished the week, was also we'll supported
by the public.
In preparing his story Of the west for
gthe stage Mr.. Royle wasted no time on re-
fnnement Of passions or motives He pre-
sents the eiemental man in all his primal
savagsry. The passions that are portrayed
In the play are the basic, Invested Of any
glamour OF civilization or softening effect
Of convention. In the opening scene
brief picture of the intense conservative
English society is shown with its ultra
conventional attitude and aspects; but
underneath even this CLEANS the original,
and only the presence of a sentimental and,
to large degree. Quixotic man saves the
play from ending right there. In order to
carry II along to the necessary second,
third and fourth acts Mr.. Royle transplants
his hero to western Wyoming where man
was found In his nskedness of mind and
soul. where the veneer Of civilization had
been ground away by attrition with actuali-
ties Of the sternest, and brutal directness
Bupplanted the niceties Of polite society
The picture Mr. Royle gives of the west
lacks quite bit Of being exact It 10 stir
the story book west to a large degree; its
bad man and It's barkeeper came from the
comic papers, but Big Bill and its Shorty,
Grouchy and Andy, its Tabawanda and its
Eat-U-Ritch were from nature, and these
save the situation. 1t was on thin ice the
author found himself skating in that SEQ
ond act. and he came mighty near going
eAAA Jus IL CbAy - NAAOIOhbu AdlAlAAtAlNy VIII
stage mechanics saved him, but after he
had Cash Hawkins properly killed and Jim
Carstens exonerated from the deed he was
back on comparatively safe footing, and
from there 10 the end OF the chapter the
piece runs q very even and satisfactory
course.
A very pretty contrast between the
natural and the conventional is presented
in the third and fourth acts. 1t was we'll
for the hero Of that play that he had been
seven years removed from the allurements
of the English home, and that the ele-
mental man in him had had time to de-
velop itself, else he had not been able to
~, thstand the temptation offered of restora-
ton to his place in society. his name
cleared and his fondest dream OF love
realized He had been through the fire,
( though, and his nature had been proven by
diversity. All that was artificial had, been
wiped away and his natural manhood re-
volted at a wrong that might be excused
by society. TT could be arranged" said
the tempter. and the tempted knew it could,
! only too well. But he also knew then he
could never arrange 1t with himself and he
was able TO resist the proposal 1t is this
that the 'simple life" provokes, a sense OF
right and wrong that travels in straight
lines, that does not wind its course through
a maze of sophistries and by false logic or
selfish reasoning turn truth aside. Jim
, Creston knew that he was doing the best
thing for his boy, but he knew, also, that
he could not convince the boys mother of
the fact The death of Nat-U- Ritch de-
plorable as it might seem, was the only
way out of the difficulty. It was but the
inevitable triumph of civilization over saw
NgOry.
Better fifty years Of Europe than a
cycle Of Cathay," sang the poet, even
when his heart was strained the sorest for
the loss Of his cousin, shallow hearted. u
He knew that the conventions Of society
are the lubricants on the wheels of civiliza-
ltion that enable the body to move without
friction. The little shams and hypocricies
that are practiced are done for the purpose
OF making people feel better; as a rule, the
white lies that are told are told to spare
The feelings Of others, and the receptions
that are done are done to make matters
more pleasant for those around us. That
man has given over the law OF force and
substituted the law of love is an evidence
OF his advance. The society of Maverick
had it's attractions for in It life was re-
duced TO its narrowest Of equations; mar
Hived or a man died That was all. II
England, when a man lived, he was sur
rounded by little things to pad his comfort
and when he died he went out OF the worlC
in a decent and orderly fashion, in thu
full tale OF his days and not OF a sudden
with the fire of his hatred burning fierct
within him. In this is the difference. Tit
strong, under the softenlng influence o.
civilization have given over their strength
60 the uses Of the weak, and however at
tractive the picture OF elementary life ma!
seem for a moment, sober reflection bring
the decision IN favor Of life with III
arthcialities, its conventions and its forms
Some of these may be wrong; nay, SOM
OF them are wrong, but the remedy doe
not lie I'm abandoning all. 1t will COM
with time, for mankind is steadily goinl
ahead, and sooner or later the flaws in on
way OF life will disappear under the inhu
ence OF a better way Of doing things, Il
this sense Nat-U-Ritch did not die Il
vain.
Jester once said that a woman cou