The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-29
Franklin Fyles Writes of
 The NeU Sicili0n Star

sndeavor to divert them. One peace-
 maker is q barber. From his poSket
 the murierously jealous man draws
 And white Eloved hands clap for art.
 a raHor, with which he cuts is rivals
 throat General horror screams, con
 sternation. Blood gushes. The Agug- lia writhes some more on the floor
 Mary Gibbs spooner is somewhat un- like Mimi Agugiia. Mary Is the rnoth' CT of Brookiyn's pet spooners. Edna May and Cecil. and she conducted a Brooklyn stock company with them in 1t. Lately the daughters went starr ing. A fortnight ago the mothers old lady do. U1lie Akerstrom. for . long while . maker of plays for her own use. suggested that Mother Spoorer take to the road after Edna May and Cecil in | New England piece that tIiIie just out out. pasted togeth- CT and named Aunt Cynthy's Home stead. By'a singular chance the ven- ture would bring to mind Denman Thompson in '"rhe ola Homestead" for Cynthy. like Uncle Josh, would come from her old homestead to search New York for q strayed young member of the Senaily; also. Ike Nell Buraess's Aunt Abigail In ''The County Fair" Cynthy would drive into 6 not original Why take Fisks9 The theatre to be used was nearer the Bowery than Broadway. So c rail- way company sends q villain to buy the old homestead tFiekiiy. He has mistress who turns on him venge. fully. thwarts his rancasity, saves Cynthy's innocent but nialigned niece from b1a nlNatNhAG and elAAFa the NlPffa true lover from the ignomy of im- prisonment for the villains own crime. Sure stuff. that.
 Sure hit. too. Mother spooner doesn't
 have to make up her smiling pudge of face for genial Yankee old maid;
 nor change her plump nsure by put ting rustic Eowna on it; and her tones are no different as an actress
 from those of her falniliar speeches to the Brooklyn branch Of the Church and Stage Society. Really, she is lot of
 Fish Whitconb and Abigail Prue anal gamatsd In Aunt cynshy.s Ullie Ak nrstrom, too. is funny as F1oppy Jane, uIatian set of down eAet types. The doln's begin with 6 party to celebrate Cvnthy's birthday; next she Is sporty with the b'goshes at the fair: and when she comes to town, she is as fBn- ny as Josh or Abigail ever were with har gawlKing in e city drawing room. Here's one of her sure.pop nerri-
 ments: T think the skirts real pret- ty," she says, when a woman in
 deeollete gown asks her opinion of 1t; "but I haln't seen the waist yit." She has sent her boy naphBw out on catch. Ing him peeping at what she took for lack of bodice through a fan, but now she slips away herself to return with her own eorsage turned down to be in the mode. Then the boy comes back with his shirt and coat Of, leav- tng his vest to expose his arms and bosom similarly. Almost as violent as the tragedy of "Malia' is the comedy of Aunt cynthy's Homestead"
 The stale subject of international likhtfully with fun in The Stronger Sex" and "The Patriot" plays which Annie Russell and William Collier bring to town. Then, too, although the wealth is American, it isn't used to buy titles In wedlock, which Is q relief to New York audiences tired Of seeing our daughters of Republicans and Democrats give themselves and their millions to impoverished foreign aris- tocrats. Annie's helFess lets & lazy English younger son win her love, and ! fool her to believe he loves her. At reception after the wedding, while | changing her bridal gown for q tour Ing dEeSSs bne beeS nun hAeS HIS SHSO@C | heart and hears him say he has mar ried for money only. Then some old stage stun Is thrown in for climax of the first act. She tells him there may be a wedding journey if he wish | es 1t, but there won't be any honey moon. She will be his wife in name only. Why not quit him then and there? Because the author has to Keep them together to make a play; and there is pleasant comedy in the out come, as you presently shall see. William Golfers case begins to be
 peculiar right at the outset of The
 Patriot" His name is Augustus Plan tagenet Armitage, and he was born In
 the only country where such name
 could happen to a boy; but he has been a Nevada gold and silver seeker
 so long as to have grown into an
 American Western camper of the un-
 couth sort. So little of the pay ore is in sight, and so much. of unpaid
 wages, that his miners are just about
 ready to lynch him. Then comes a lawyer from his childh ood's home in
 England to say he is heir, to 8 huge estate. He goes to get his heritage,
 but finds a proviso that he must mar. ry girl whom he doesn't love. and can't because he does love. a. girl in Nevada. So he gives the fortpne to
 the English girl ,and ocmes back to
 
 which enables him to pay his debts and marry the American girl. The play wouldn't be an entertainment for
 all that # Williams trip to England
 wasn't full of racy good fun.
 The merit of popular value in both
 ''The Stronger Sex" and The Patriot" Is that sentimental wit and huEnor in
 abundance employ fully the talents of
 their star players. Annie Russell as
 gentle and lackadRisical as ever. and
 William Collier as slangily cheeky.
 and new twists and turns are given to
 their never varied indiviaualities.
 Yet "The Stronger Sex" wasn't written
 in America, but England bt a woman
 calling herself John Valentine. but
 who is the wife of T. P. oConnor.
 politician. Journalist. author and
 Irishman. and 1t lasted year in Lon-
 don before Florence used it awhile in
 and west of the Rockies. There ean't
 be much resemblance between Flor
 enee's and Annie's performance. We
 in New York know Florence for her
 similarity to Mrs. Fiske in looks.
 voice and naethod--a likeness that
 caused the costly failure of her ex-
 pIoitation here; for We said that, oh
 yes. she was a fine actress. but all
 in imitation of Mrs. Fisks's peculiar
 effectualIties. Annie doesn like to aWaef EcfFaNa.