The Washington herald., 1908-03-22

Bob-It's gfe.
ALA grave,
Bob-Yus one o them Whoppin' great beer vaults
as you shove big bugses cOrpses inter What dyer
think o that nowg
MRry-Ohi,
Aunt-HorTihle.
Vic-I seem 20 remember some traditions
BOb-You'd A-said So If youd seen wOt ! sect.
Talk abaht corins an shrouds an bones an dead
men gone to rot they wasn't in II. wot l dahn
therei Madame TWosces is a hea-bite 20 IL. Lord
And the rats an the stink. AZ the bloomin gravy
thick ND 20 your eyes-I reTef thought there could
place before. II fair treat. II was. | tek my
oath tRaDturouslyl Why. II may cost a man is
life TO deal with that little job
Vic-My God The things inpossiblel
BOb-impossihle Means bit Of Wark that's AL !
Nic-Why no one would ever dare
Bob-Dsrei Why. what d'yOu think l come ere
forg
Vio-YoGg
Bob -yus, maxim myself unpleasant
Nic-Do you mcan-do I understand.--
Boil mean as I've fOurd ny place. or | don't
know good thing when I see II.
Aunt-Nhatl To go into that dreadful vault
and
Bob-why not? Amt it my job
Aunt-But you ssid-perlAps- death.
Bob-lts wort it-it's lovely bit Of work
Vie-No. ten thousand times rcl The sacrifice is
too much
Bob-You call that sacrifice? It's fun: not arr
Nic-I had rather see the church itself
Bob-What. you call yourself clergyman?
Nio-I call myself nothing am nothng-less
than nothing in all this living world.
Bobby God. but call myself sumnat-Im the
drain man. that's wot ! am
Vic ifeverishlyl-You shall not go
Bob-Why wot Is there to fear'i Amt it worth
while TO move away that load o muek1
Nic-The stench-the horror-the darkness.
Boo-What's il matter. IL the comrides up above
s' light an ioy an breath Of olesome air 10
sing hys
Nie-Hour by hour-dying- alone
Bob-The comrdes ur in the spann an arches.
joinin 'ands
vic-Fainter and fainter below there and at last
endleSs silence
Bob-'Ish in the dome the smmerins Of the com
rides as av climbed aloft
Aunt-William. there is yet one other WayI
Nie-fes. yes! ] see. ! seei TO Bob Then
you mean TO goi
Bobby 'Eaven. yus,
Nie-Then, by God and all the powers Of grace
you shall not 30 alone on with these lies and
makcbeieves, OF with these prisoner's sbacklesi :
They cramp. they stiie me! Freedom Freedom
This is no priests work.; calls for a man.
he tears of bis parsons coat and collar casting
them furiously aside He rolls up his sleeves.)
Now. # you're ready. comrade; you and I TO
sether,
Auut-God's might 90 with you. william! Accept
him. Christ
And so It is that this play. which is. #.
fact. sort OF allegory. exempllfes. by
means of dialogue. with moving human
figures. the basic and essential truth Of
Christianity. The characters. while they
are revealed to the observation as indi-
vidual members Of the genus homo. are
in reality types OF different classes. en-
bodying the several important motives
and natures which enter as factors IN the
sum total of human existence and offer
ing a tangible solution OF the tangle
which for ages has bafied mankind.
There are now. always were, and ever
will be, such priests as the Lord Bishop
OF Lancashire, prejudiced and seif-seek-
ing, employing the sacred Offices Of the
church not as means OF benefiting their
fellow-men, but as a means Of selfish
personal aggra Indictment There are plen-
~ OF Wears like the Rev William Smythe.
who, by power Of intellect. clearly see
the truth and yet are afraid to live il.
going on in the same old way until per-
haps, the true spirit comes. There must
always be some lusty scavengers like
Robert Smith, who. led into early sin and
error by the passions and unthoughtful
moments of youth. suddenly awake to the
consciousness Of their duty. and forth
with begin 10 expend their powerful ef-
forts where they are most needed. IN the
clogged and befouled drains beneath the
Temple Of God, which too often lead
from the minister's house
They are the sturdy representatives OF
the church militant who shake off all the
restraints Of conventionality. abandoning
the groined and arched auditoriums Of
lofty cathedrals for the sIums and street
corners in the very vortex OF human cor
ruption and misery. There must always
be mistaken wears wives and simple
loving natures like Msry's, and above all
praise be to God. there will always be A
leavening quantity Of men and clergy
men Ike the Bishop Of Benares. who
having grasped the fun significance OF
the teaching. by their influence. indehn-
able. yet all-pOwerfui. bring order out Of
chaos. cOntentment out of misery, and
perfect faith from fear.
They diffuse the true spirit Of right iiv-
ing, and the cathedral pupit. the strug-
Cling church, the mirky slums. and Gods
green fields are all alike 10 them for pur-
poses OF spreading the truth. Some see
something occult. and it may be slightly
tinged with Orientalsm, in this character.
but unless we are greatly mistaken. the
author intended him as an aftertype Of
the Nazarene. for He alone. and neither
Buddha. Brahma. or Confucius taught
this universal brotherhood Of man in all
its fullness and sweet simplicity.
The whole thing is a sermon well worth
any mans listening. and II the listener.
irrespective OF creed. education, or social
standing, has any substance in his skull
approximating brains IL will certainly set
him to thinking, and almost as Certainly
viii he be led to the conclusion that here
is offered the easiest solution Of the prob
lem Of human life
OF Henry Miller's associate PLAYERS lit-
tie can be said that has not already been
said regarding their respective high ouaIi-
fcations. but 1t Is doubtful II the authors
ideas could have been given such full
and clear exposition at other hands. The
group comprises q company Of actors
great intelligence and consurn-
mate skill In expression, no greater COM
bination having been brought together
since the days Of Booth and Barrett. and.
We wish there were more as
sociations of its kind and more plays like
The Servant in the House."
Washington Playhouses.