The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-11-03
.servant in the House"-cennett.

servant IN tHe r1OuSS -SchHctt.
"The Servant in the House" which
is the Thanksgiving attraction at the
through which runs welldefined vein
of pathos that occasionally touches
tragic significance. 1t tells of mys-
terious Indian bishop who enters the
home of an English clergyman dis
guised as a 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
not take an audience many minutes to
realize that he is something more
than Bishop in Gods Church" He
is readily recognized as a reincarna.
ton of the Christ
When the curtain rises for the first
act man clad in flowing Oriental
robes is seen standing with his back
to the audience After a 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 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.
"You will get over that when you
know me better" the other replies.
moment later he turns about and the
audience sees that this Manson bears
d startling resemblance to 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 socia
scale and becomes a scavsnger (the
man who looks after drains.) The
| third had disappeared in India wher
mere boy, and only the previous
day word had reached the Vicar tina
his long lost byother and the celebrat
ed bishop of 'Benares were one ant
the same person. On the morning O
the play these three brothers come
together at the Wears home. The
| drain man had journeyed 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
wonderful influence of this servant ii
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. TIL,
scavenger turns from his thoughts 0
revenge and in the end gladly faces
horrible death down in the darkness t.
save his comrads up above
| The most pathetic episode in tn
play is the meeting between the scav
enger and his little girl, Ehom 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
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?" 81 got no name wort