The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-10-24

than in German, and thence by Marga-
ret Mayo into English. to be sweet
hearts in a courtship climaxing in
happy marriage. However, Little Dor
rit Is very agreeable as here presented.
Old Dorrit, the human derelict floating
hopelessly at Marshalsea, are satisfac-
torily Dickensian. although acted by
unknown men save Digby Bell so
SPECIFIC reason for the plays quick
withdrawal must be sought. 1 think
that I discern it in Old Dorrit.
Dickens books don't contain plots for
dramas. No good play has ever been
made out Of his material. But Joe JEFF
ferson's Caleb Plummer and Billy Flor
ence's Captain Cutie are two among
many happy transfers Of Dickens char
acters 10 the stage; and the failure Of
Bells William DOrrit TO make THE
Debtors" live long is due in part only
TO his not being q Jefferson or a Flor
ence. The hindrance TO success with
Old Dorrit is that while the pathos
and humOr Of Dickens made his whims
Of vanity and tricks OF rapacity reada-
bic, as deiineated In a play by a rather
too explicit actor, they set your toes
itching to kick him for a faker and a
beat That he is liked on the stage I'm
Berlin, where affectatiOns OF superiority
by birth are tolerated. and might be In
London for the same reason. doesn't
recommend him in New York.
It would be interesting to know
which ending TO THE Fourth Estate"
sums UP fits authors convictions. A
guess would not be difficult. When Jo-
seph Mediu Patterson presented his
drama in New York. its very dramatic
climax taught with force that failure
may be the reward of a social reformer
It. After the fearless young managing
editor had secured the evidence on
which TO expose corrupt Judge he
was stopped by the proprietor of the
newspaper and shot himself. This week
the moral of the drama is changed to
teach that compromise i'm a good cause
Is better than complete defeat
The play now has a new and differ
ent end. The story that would drive
the rotten judge off the bench is in the
form. Several influences are pressed
heavily on the managing editor. but i'm
vain; he turns a deaf ear even to thu
pleadings Of the girl he loves, who is
his enemy's daughter. All that is still
as 1 told it last Sunday So. too. is tho
arrival Of the proprietor with orders to
Kill the story. But now he brings, also
the Information that the judge, on the
promise of the journals silence, has
agreed to resign his office and retire to-
tally from public life. The journalist
d week older than when the play was
new-does not shoot himself He buries
his head disconsOlately in his hands
The Judges daughter. whom he was
prepared to renounce for the cause that
he considered right. enters his office
again. and I'm silence they sink into
each others arms.
Mr.. Patterson is not without distin-
guished precedent for his desertion Of
suicidal conclusion to "a problem illus
trated fCtionally. Rudyard Kipling and
Arthur Wing PinerO are honorable
names for him to quote. The novel Of
THE Light That Failed" may still be
bought with its first suicidal conclusion.
the blind hero riding to sure death I'm
battle because his boyhOod's sweetheart
has deserted him i'm his afflictiOn Or,
if you prefer a pleasanter finish. you
may get the amended edition in which
the girl returns to comfort cheer and
marry her lover. None Of the several
plays made from the story even fore
shadows the original denOuement. Pr
nero altered the last fifty words or so Of
Continued on Page 4.