The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-18
SKINNER'S new PLAY.
1.-THE Honor of the Family Will Be at
the Grand on Wednesday Night.

Otis SINNERS new play THE Honor
of the Family" has for it's basis a
| novel entitled "Menage de Garcon'' by
| Ba1zac, which is known to English and
American readers chiefly through very
excellent translation called 1.-THE Two
| Brothers by Catherine Wormeley.
| From this novel, which ranks among
Balzac's best analytical studies of hu-
man character and passion M. Emile
F'abre derived a play La Rabouil-
| leuse" which, when produced at the
| a run of seven consecutive months. At
| forwards when. M. Fabre acquired the
| control of the Theater Antoine he re-
vived La Rabouilleuse" and it again
| enjoyed signal prosperity for four
months. The play has been freely
adapted for Otis SINNERS use by Paul
M. Potter. and while he has adhered
| closely to BalZac's characters in all their
salient traits, he has introduced new
| dramatic motives and novel catastro-
| phe which brings the play to an end in
| a natural but quite unexpected way.
1.-THE Honor of the Family" has for
it's scene of action the quaint little town
of Issoudun and the story transpires in
the year 1924 when Bonanarte's name
was still q vital topic although the
Bourbons ruled France with an iron
hand. The play is set in the home of
Jean-Jaeques Rouget, sexagenar1an
bachelor who is dominated by his beau
tifuI housekeeper, Flora Brazier. He
submits to the ascendancy of Flora and
so completely does she govern the
household that old Rouget is the mere
servant of his servant, trembling when
she frowns, ecstatically happy when she
smiles upon him. Flora controls the
old celibate by glance Of her eye. 1t
is foregone conclusion that this beau
tifu1 creature would not long be con-
tent with the feeble amativeness of old
Rouget. Her fancy has been caught by
Max Gilet, a dashing young command
ant of the Imperial Guard. This hand
some penniless officer has wanted moth
ing better than to take up his abode at
Rouget's, recognizing perfectly the weak
nature of the old bachelor. And SO the
triangular household appears to be SOL
idly established at the opening of the
play, and the old man blinks at the
intrigue between Max and Flora wheth-
ed he likes it or not. An unexpected
visit frora his sister, Agatha Bridau,
whom he has not seen for 80 years, Gre
ates a small commotion in the house
She is accompanied by her youngest son
and comes to implore the loan of l2OOO
frances to save hel eldest son, Philippe,
a lieutenant colonel of the Empire, who
is implicated in an alleged conspiracy
against the Bourbons. For an instant
Flora and Max. fear that this sister has
come to dispute the heritage of Rouget
and at the command of Flora, the old
man refuses his sister the sum demand
ed and bids her no more to return to
his house. Max and Flora remain cham
pions upon the field of battle.
Flora ereupon follows up this tri-
umph by putting in execution a long
cherished plan. This is nothing more
or less than getting old Rouget to
make over to her the greater portion of
his property, which will enable her to
marry the handsome Max and flee with
him to Paris to enjoy the spoils so cas-
lily acquired. Rouget is so powerfully
fascinated by Flora that he decides to
grant the request. Then it Is that
more formidable opponent appears upon
the scene-Philippe Bridau, for whom
his mother had in the opening scene
uselessly interceded. He had been en-
meshed in a conspiracy against the
Bourbons. Passing before the chamber
of peers in extreme danger of being
condemned to death like Ney and the
four sergeants of Rochelle he has ex-
tricated himself by false witnesses or in
some mysterious way and an acquittal
has been granted. When he arrives at
the Rouget house, his cane in air, his
voice at high pitch, Flora and Max rec
ognize that they are in the presence of
a man who will not surrender the field
without a fierce struggle. A Bonapart-
ist hero who had carried Napoleon's or
ders on two battlefields and was wound