Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-02

%<V you'd you in seriousness seek
Nv 2 an answer to the poets query,
AAl Where are the SHOWS of yes
wv ter YEAR," You will find 1t In
the rural drama. There Is no
pathos that exceeds that which was years
ago made possible by the genius who nrst
discovered that a snowstorm could be sim
ulated by chopping up paper into bits ana
letting them futter from aloft. There
would be no impression in going out friend
less and alone with the birds flnging sum-
mer cadences on a balmy breeze. 1t would
look like a pleasure promenade But let
the wind whistle and the snow1akes de-
scend and there is instant sympathy for
the wandering one. whether he be husky
chap able to make a living anywhere or
heroine so bejeweled that her income is
assured for weeks to come.
tine Old Homestead" whose charm is so
universal that 1t may be said to appeal to
everybody who ever had a home, does not
descend to the crudity of white paper snow
storm The frig!dity is suggestive; the
weather conditions are told in pantomime
by the people who come into the house
and throw their arms across their shout
ders in order to stimulate circulation But
the snowstorm, even though only imagined,
is an essential feature of The Old Home
stead. And how many, many yesterdays
has it survived!
There have been many better plays than
'The Old Homestead" yet it is an exam
pie of permanency such as has few equals
One reason for this is the manner in which
it has been managed. Its career has not
been cut short by the overwisdom which
lays undue stress on the fckleness of the
l,yt { 10 +nrS
Temperament. an unrest which makes
new work absolutely necessary. Denman
Thompson has kept it plodding along for
years past and no doubt when he is
quite through with it (nay the day be long
distanu his estate Will keep it plodding
alcng for years to come.
Miss Rida johnson Young, who wrote
Glorious Betsy" is q young woman of
much literary courage. 1t required great |
faith in self a deep conviction such as is
seldom founl except in geniu land Miss
Young is too lucky and prosperous to be |
considered quite real genius, to give ut /
terancc to an oII-fashioaed bit CT romance |
like Glorious Betsy" This is epoch OF |
great literary punsency; everything is high |
ly seasoned The plays, instead of ending |
with happy marriages. are beginning with |
state and even musical comedy has the |
eff oatcry 10 borrow bodily the cynical cpl |
grams of the professional problem play |
wright. 1t is so not only in the theatric,
but in the literary world Scarce a month |
passes without some lady writing a book |
that no gentleman ought to read. SO it |
required some courage to set a simple, |
wholesome love story like Glorious Betsy |
before the public. But the attendance this
week has proved that there is a lot OF
people whose arpetites are not jaded; and
even some of the jaded chaps We're glad to
forsakc the perfunctory menu of the liter
AIRY chefs for a time and indulge in a tile
plain, home cooking.
Camille d Arvilie. whose first name in real |
life is no, Camille, but Cornelia, and whose |
last name is not d Awhile, but by kstra. the
lady being the s.anch Holander that her
blonde. buNom personality suggests can al
ways be depended on for good musical en- !
tertaiumcnt. \ musician herself it is read |
lily understood how she might set her foot |
down against the good looking hut often
unmel3dious bcvy Of show girls that Gus |
tomarily accompanies a musical comedy, in |
favor of lot OF men who. however un-
calmly in appearance, sing. Camille |
D'Aryllles personal existence is no more |
like her theatric gaiety than her stage name |
is like her real one. She haI abandoned the |
footlights permanently. she thought, and !
was living happily with her husband in San |
Francisco when the earthquake left them |
practically without resources There was
no need, however to bcwai the Indifference |
of fire insurance companies. Camille D'Ar- |
willie was name to oonjure with on the |
operate stage, and both managers ana pub !
lie were glad to welcome her back to the |
career which she had conspicu isly |
graced before
PHILANDER JOHNSON.