The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-11-03
THE THEA TER
.seryant in the House"-Gennett.

SERVANT In the House"-Gennett.
is the Thanksgiving attraction at the
Gennett theater, is a modern comedy
through which runs weII-defined vein
of pathos that occasionally touches
tragic Significance. 1t tells of mys-
FERROUS Indian bishop who enters the
home of an English clergyman dis
guised as butler. At the end of the
play this servant in the house disclos-
es himself as the Bishop of Benares,
the Holy City of India. And it does
realize that he is something more
than Bishop in Gods Church. He
is readily recognized as reincarna-
ton of the Christ.
When the curtain rises for the first
act a man clad in flowing Oriental
robes is seen standing with his back
to the audience. After few minutes
of conversation with the butler" of
the household, who tells him that he
can't help thinking that he has seen
him somewhere else, this stranger
from the east startles the lad by cor
recting him for a petty offense which
had been committed while his back
was turned. POND my word, Mr..
| Manson" the boy exclaimes, you give
me the fair creeps and no mistake. u
you will get over that when you
know me better" the other replies. A
| moment later he turns about and the
audience sees that this Manson bears
a startling resemblance to a well.
| known painting of the man of Sor-
rows
The story of the play tells of three
| brothers who have not met for fiji
teen years. One has become a vicar
in the Church of England, a preacher
| famed for his elouuence. Another
brother has sunk low in the social
scale and becomes scavenger (the
man who looks after drains)- The
third had disappeared in India when
a mere boy, and only the previous
day word had reached the Vicar tina,
his long lost brother and the celebrat
ed bishop Of Benares were one anG
the same person. On the morning Of
the play these three brothers come
together at the Wears home The
drain man had iourneyed there with
hatred in his heart against his clergy
man brother, and brooding ovel
wrongs, for which he held him respon
sible. The brother from India is pre-
sent. but neither of the others recog
nize him. They soon come under the
| f,,1 ;,,f
the house. The vicar realizes the hyp
ocrisy of the conventional form of re
ligion into which he has drifted ant
in the revolt from it finds peace. The
scavenger turns from his thoughts o
revenge and in the end gladly faces /;
horrible death down in the darkness t
1 save his comrads up above.
The most pathetic episode in thu
| play is the meeting between the scav
enger and his little girl, Hhom he ha
not seen since she was baby, ant
who shrinks with fear before his dis
| sipated face and disreputable appear
ance. But in conversation with hin
1 she grows even friendly and tells hin
of her longing to see her unknown
father, who is, she knows, brave
beautiful and good" The scavenge
is tempted at first to disclose his ider
tity. but is stopped by her description
of her ideal father He realizes hi
own unworthiness and that he can or
ly drag her down to his own level b
claiming her. He determines to g
away without speaking. AS he goe
out of the door she says: Before yo
go won't you tell me your name? VIII
are you?" II got no name wort