Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-01-27

oMANTIC drama seems 20 be pass
lid ing: at all events, the experience
Of the managers in Omaha during
| YT the week would 50 indicate. Down
- at the Krug "NVhen F<nighthoOd
Was. in Flower" bloomed for four nights
and almost blushed unseen. At no time
were the audiences sufficiently large to
embarrass any OF the people on the stage
who might want TO talk over private af-
fairs during the progress OF the play. At
the Boyd Dorothy Vernon Of Haddon
Hall" displayed her charms, which were
not inconsiderable, but without attracting
20 any one performance more people than
might be comfortably entertained at a tea
party. This can only be accounted for on
one hypothesis. The public has changed
its mind A few years ago the announce
ment of either of these plays would have
packed theater, no matter whose name
was connected with the leading role. At
this time no one seems to care for them.
IT is not reflection on either Miss Merritt
or Miss Gallatin that they received no more
respectful hearing while in Omaha. Each
Is capable and clever, and each gave well
considered and carefully worked out pre-
sentaton Of girlish character Of sort
that appeals TO most people. Each was
surrounded by company OF. capable
n
vironment and atmosphere for the play.
But neither was listened to. What is true
of Omaha seems to be true everywhere, and
the Historical romance" that is neither
historical nor romantic has had its day.
with its breath from the great meadows
Of the west, the tang OF the alkali dust aud
the exhilarating taste OF its ozone. the
fresh air and the sunlight. came THE
Virglnien." II is hardly needed here
where we have all but the alkali dust as
our daily portion. Omaha is Of the west
western Here life is broad and free and
open. and It's affairs are carried on man to
man. Just as they were in Wyoming in the
day Of the Virginian. Some of the re-
filming influences Of civilization have come
60 us along with the telephone. and the
trolley cars, such as bath tubs and bill
Hard tables and evening suits but they
have not as yet cramped our natures
warped us from the living truth" 1t is
still possible TO stand upright and draw
a good, deep breath Of free air in Omaha,
air that tingles and titilates in the blood
az champagne And as only the earlier
settlers are old enough to be grandfathors.
we have not been able to accumulate either
ancestors or traditions That is why we
can sympathize with the Virginian. And
right here enters something that too many
people lost sight of when watching the
progress OF events in that play. Molly
Wood had ancestors.
.
II is bad enough to be a tenderfoot, but
TO be the heritor Of several generations
of ancestors in the bargain is a handicap
that only a few could overcome. Miss
Wood was placed In a decidedly awkward
predicament from the very first She had
brought to the west certain very we'll de-
fined notions, absurd enough from the
viewpoint of one who had known nothing
but the west, but perfectly reasonable from
the outlook of one who had known nothing
but the east. Society. for her at least,
meant certain well behaved persons, who
proceeded along their daily walk in a cir
cumspect way paying each the tribute of
profound respect to conventions that had
established themselves as laws even less
mutable than the Medean code. and living
their lives In circle growing ever mar
rover. Customs that had grown up with
passing years had encompassed her and
beliefs that were fixed on a foundation of
heredity could not be shaken off easily.
The grandmother whose name is associated
with Bennington and the glorious battle
fought there was born again In Molly
Wood. with the addition of positively fixed
notions as regards gradations of society
and a sense OF duty that had grown
sterner in its passage down through the
female line. Miss Wood knew what was
her due. and felt herself to some extent
obliged to exact it. Hence 1.-The Vermont
rundown"
.
Molly Woods experience has been re-
peated many times. 1t is no more novelty
than are other features of the story, so
familiar to us all. She could no more live
81 .
revivifying effect and not expand under
II than she could live at all and not breathe
It, That is the mission of the west. Its
life has been one Of expansion Strangers
coming to us have expressed surprise at the
freedom OF life they have found. Many
things, they say might be better ordered
but in time they learn our ways and dc
as we do and wonder that they ever did
differently. So It was with Molly Wood
& Slowly but surely her preconceived Ideas
underwent a change: she went bac kite
Bennington, but there she heard Beal
creek calling. and back she came to tht
new life. The west had won her. She had
learned ALL but hardly knew II till that day
r when Trampas put matters past mendinl
between himself and the Virginian. Bacl
in Vermont on such an occasion the prope
course would have led the hero to the near
est justice OF the peace or other magistrate
with JURISDICTION, whence peace Warran
would have been issued against the war
like and bloodthirsty william the latte
would have been hailed into the presence o
the law, and there would have been oblige
TO enter into undertakings with good an
sufficient security. that he would not pursu
his murderous purpose or otherwise distur
the peace of the commonwealth and espe
cially that OF one OF It's citizens, towit
The Virginian aforesaid for a space G
time 70 be determined by the magistrate
failing in which undertaking he woul
be by the operation OF the law locked u
in the town oalaboose until he had coole
OF to a degree that would render him
safe person to be allowed at large anon
the peaceful citizens OF the communit!
This was the procedure with which Mis-
Wood was most familiar. That sort of la
did not prevail in Wyoming. and Mol
Wood knew IT,
One or the other Of the men must di
It was not the spirit OF Grandmother Star
that burst forth here. but the heart OF