New-York tribune., 1908-01-21

take care OF him, he accepts his wife's profered
attention, and he causes her to write. requesting
Mr. and Mrs. Summers to come to his house on
TIE following day; and then he plans a journey
INTO other lands. calling it "a second honeymoon
and revealing that his acceptance of his wife's
care Is not because of remorse for his many Of
Iences impeliing him to try to live a decent llfe
put because he has realized his dependence and
that his Wfe's society will be a convenience in Sc
curing an attendant and also a of gratifying
ms carnal appetite. The wretched wife perceiving
tAe truth, repels him with horror end the act
crosses with Wycherey's furiously expressed inten-
tion' N which he incidentally her, 10 show
ms wife by summoning his one-time mistress. the
loFIher Mrs Cave. The closing incident is hideous
IN lis latent indecency and shocking in its mplica-
uon' such things may occur: probably they do:
out they should not be selected as ingredients for
d work of art.
Act Third provides the situation for which,
through long and tedious talk, the ground has been
prepared Mr. and Mrs Summers have arrived at
the house Of Wycherley. Mrs Wycherley is al
raost distracted between a conviction that she
ought TO remain with her loathsome husband and
a desire 10 leave him and find refuge and peace
with Chesterton-a desire of which she allows the
latter TO become aware. Their conversation is in
terrupted by Mrs Summers Mrs Wycherley is
Ignorant OF the identity of Mrs. Summers with
Mrs. Cave. Chesterton now warns Mrs. Summers
TO leave the Wycherley household. threatening that.
If she does not. he Will tell Sir Peter who and
what she really is. Wycherley, In state of par
ilSA lnloSlCallOn, ana MI summers interrupt tile
talk of Chesterton and Mrs. Summers. Wycherley
addresses his wife with uncouth vulgarity. Mrs.
Summers and Wycherley converse. Mrs. Summers
makes known 10 him that her interest in him has
ceased. because of his Disagreement and also that
she fears her husband. who is suspicious. She says
Summers had seen Wycherley kissing her, the
night before the accident, and it is now indt-
Gated that the injury Wycherley was not acci-
dental but the result of deliberate intention on the
part of Summers That person had been watching
and he
confabulation Wycherley leaves the room. In
quest of the consolation of spirituous liquor Mr..
Summers. Mrs. Wycherley. and Sir Peter converse
Summers. speaking Of his nativity and former lie,
mentions his meeting with his wife at cape Town.
and then states that she the widow Of a man
named George Cave who had committed suicide.
Mrs. Wycherey and Sir Peter are thus provided
with information the identity of Mrs. Sum
mers. and ny perceive that Summers is not
aware of his wife's criminal conduct. That is the
situation" What does if amount to? Running a
mile that you may leap yard" Mrs. Wycherley
is unable TO conceal her Indignation. Summers per
ceives this, and his suspicion is increased He
presently says good night and retires. Mrs.
Wycherley will endure no more. She demands that
Mrs. Summers leave the house at once She re-
fuses to heed SIR Peters counsel that she must
wait until the matter be "contrived." and she
mentions her perception that Sir Peter is
only trying protect mis- and is COM
pletely indifferent to her She confronts Mrs.
Summers and orders that person TO leave
the house II give you one chance she
SAYS: You shall tell your husband that | am ILL.,
and that. under the circumstances. you think it
best to leave here at once" Mrs Summers re-
fuses and threatens TO tell Mr.. wycherley that his
wife is the mistress. of Chesterton Mrs. Wycher-
ley ignores both the threat ard the calumny Mrs
Summers submits and goes TO her husband Sir
Peter warns Mrs. Wycherley that Summers is a
dangerous man, and Mrs. wycherley is alarmed as
to the possible consequence of her decisive CON
duct. Mr.. Summers appears. and, in the presence
OF Wycherley (Yyho has OWNED that the accident
was an intentional shooting and is therefore wild
with fearl he demands of Mrs. Wycherley an eX-
PLANTATION as to why she finds II needful 10 turn
him and his wife out Of her house after inviting
them TO stay there. Mrs Wycherley is frightened
and cannot reply. Summers threatens Wycherley
and leaves the room. Wycherley is led away by
his father and Chesterton and Mrs. Wycherley are
left together. Mrs. Wycherley admits to Chester
ton her love for him Chesterton begs her TO aban
don her husband and give her life into his care-the
intimation being that she Is to obtain divorce and
become his wife. At that moment, Summers, unseen
b1 either Of them crosses the room and goes out.
in the direction taken by Sir Peter and Wycheriey
Presently Mrs. Wycherley repulses Chesterton and
declares that she could not be happy with him
and that her duty" - compels her TO sacrifice
herself by remaining with her husband AS Ches-
terton replies so IT, them. two shots. close to-
sether are heard. Sir Peter appears, overwhelmed
with emotion. He tells them that Summers has
murdered wycherley and killed himself. Mrs
Is daZed- she SfandS petTlIeh III
the direction Of wycherley's room and she says:
Isn't IT funny? Philip sat in this chair-they
both sat in this chair; and they're dead Then
she turns and looks at Chesterton; the welcome
curtain descends; and this sweet-scented episode
is ended
Such are the contents of the play of Irene
Vycherlev' What does II mean? Does It mean
that the Roman Catholic law, "once married al
ways married. is wrong, because fruitful OF IN
Justice and misery? If so. the obtrusion Of that
vi, AfFgka NnrT
cannot alter the fundamental principles Of that
religion by writing pays-nor in any other way.
Moreover no priest who is not fanatic would
enioin a Hife submit to such treatment as Irene
wycherIey endures. Does the play mean that the
dictum once married. always married is right.
ord that wife should bear anything and every
thing from her husband? If 90. the meaning is alb
surd Any priest would protect wife from physi-
cal assault by her husband-if needful, by per-
sonaI intervention There is neither law custom.
nor necessity requiring wife 10 live with an
,dpIterous husband or subrt TO physical abuse
and outrage at his hands Is the play intended~as
an exnostion Of the sacred obligation of duty? II
so II IS the more foolish There is no obligation OF
dntv that requires a to bear either physical
abuse or shameful betrayal There cannot be less
than two persors 10 contract, and when one of
them breaks that contract it Is no longer binding
on the other Nobody viii assa or deprecate ra-
lieous feelings principles But fortunately. the
aw urovdes remedy in such cases. and no
sars,bI narson could feel anything but syInpa-
,bv and approbation seeing 1t invoked In such
q case as that of Mrs. Wycherley. If religious
scruples prevent to the divorce court there
can he no reasonable question OF the duty of a
woman 20 keep away from such hnsnand as
Phjlip wycherIey. Does the play mean that some
socal conditions are bad and ought not TO exist?
II So its impairment is superserviceabie-as
though a moralist should squirt tobacco juice
into your eyes in order to prove that tobacco
chewing is a dirty habit. Or does the play mean
.ba, ,,s aufhor Mr. Anthony F. Wharton is a
voung man. clever in commonplace way,-in-
snnncad by the unhealthful and sometimes dirty