The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-12

sent from any publishers press. It is to be hoped that a book like "The Ten ants' will be accepted and appreciated for what it Is, namely, one of the best stories of it's kind which has been pub lished in a long time. It is book of life. The descriptions of life in the sos is just as we will all recall 1t and will recog nize the points which Mrs. Watts makes. When book like "The Tenants comes forth, after flood of tommy-rot, re- viewer is usually so delighted to recom- mend it that he wonders how to make his discussion of it sound and fair with out overstepping the bounds. Now, there fore, if any one wishes a first-class, very interesting, true-to-life story, thrilling and superior in every way to the usual production. try "The Tenants" 'Hannele." By Gerhart Hauptmann. En-
 glish Version by Chas. Henry Meltzer.
 Doubleday, Page & Co)
 "Hannele'' is now permitted to be played in New York. Some years ago there was a great noise made over the desire and attempts to stop the perform ance of this Dream Play" Although nothing perhaps was ever written within the last 300 years with a view to the stage which has touched more reverently on the mysteries of life and death, | .Hannele" at the time of it's first ap- pedTdI1ce III EuTOpe dTOuSeu LlucU uSdleu controversy, later Commodore Elbridge T. Gerry of New York denounced it as blas- phemous How absurd the "basphem- ous'' charge was may be seen from the fact that in Catholic Austria the play was produced by the authority of the Emperor, a devoted Catholic, and of the Catholic hierarchy, without whose com- ment or consent it would have been im- possible to put 1t on the stage. In Ger many Emperor William ordered a spe- cial report made to him privately aAd "Hannele'' was welcomed as the begin ming of school of Christian drama" It was not until 1894 when the play was brought to New York in its English yer sion that an attempt was made and which attempt for the time was successful to keep this play off of the stage in free America" Battles were fought for and against the play in the newspapers and Hauptmann, the author was dragged be- fore the Mayor of New York with the managers who were to produce his work. to defend the play. Orders were given by the District Attorney to Inspector Byrnes to arrest the performers if public per formance was given. A performance was ; given to many prominent literary, eccle- sastical people of New York and the re- suit was complete artistic triumph and vindication. Now no less a parsonage than Cardinal Gibbons is understood to
 
 now published in it's English Version, Charles Henry Meltzer, of the Metropol- itan Opera House in New York as trans lator, by the firm of Doubleday, Page & Co. ..Hannele' is a dream play, what ever that may mean. It will be discussed no doubt and the book is interesting or will be found so to students and to those who attempt to keep up with the good things in literature. The general effect which the play as book will have upon the reader is to produce deep pity for the suffering and the weak and especial ly poor little souls, such as "Hannele." a waif" The key note of the play Is Suffer Little Children to Come unto Me and Forbid Them not, for of Such IS 1 the Kingdom of Heaven"
 In Austria the author, Hauptmann, was awarded a coveted prize for "Hannele' | and at great reception at which one of | the Imperial family was present Haupt- mann was proclaimed our next classic. ,"
 'The Weight of g Name" By Paul