The San Francisco call., 1909-01-18
By Waller Anthony


the story Of Aladdin and the Lamp
interesting to foreign Intelligence.
The House of Bondage" which is
Florence Roberts emotional story
this season at the American theater,
is stirring narrative and fun of
pangs and tense moments The force
of the play is the force of the story
teller. The House Of Bondage" by
Seymour Obermer, is a good story,
though the customs and laws which
surround and press it are not our
laws nor Yet our customs. Still we
can sympathize and pity and regret,
just as we can shudder when Aladdin $
false uncle shuts him up by magic in
Bondage" is TO US. one might say,
what Uncle Toms Cabin" was to
London 1t is an English play de-
signed as Dickens stories were
planned. to correct the evils of our
cousins. This particular evil with
which Obermer concerns himself is
the divorce law, which gives the right
TO the English husband TO divorce his
wife for infdelity, but prevents the
English wife from divorcing the hus-
band on the same grounds
HAS EXCELLENT COMPANY
Lest the story here printed run too
far it should be said Miss Roberts
has an excellent compa ny-so good, in
fact, that the villain is as fine as the
hero, and her minor supporting char
acters are abreast with the possibili-
ties OF their roles
Lady Meredyth, the wife of neglect
full Sir Vincent is the role that Miss
Roberts plays. The part involves all
those qualities of passion remorse,
sanity resignation and high light
emotions which our own Florence
knows so well how to bring to the foot
lights of her theatric art Her love for
DR.. Bertrand, TO whom she is driven by
the criminal neglect of her husband is
passionately portrayed; her appeal TO
him for protection and affection is
womanly and fine; her subsequent re-
nunciation. and her plea to the surgeon
that he keep his hand firm and steady
in the operation which fate has placed
in his office-which operation is to de-
termine the life of her husband, Sir
Vincent; her splendid indignation in
the third act when she encounters her
convalescent master with the countess
who has made HIS political fame and
his social infamy, are all excellent cpl
sodes in acting. The whole point Of
the play being. politically, that the
divorce laws of England do not permit
the wife to divorce the husband unless
he actually beats her or abandons her
to poverty and want
To us. with a weakness growing out
of long acquaintance with practices
prevalent in this country, it may ap-
pear strange that the husband, who
wants devoutly to be rid of his wife,
does not permit himself the luxury of
slapping the face of the woman who is
no less anxious to be rid of him-a slap
being the physical evidence of the
cruelty he has inflicted on her soul.
WORTHY OF HER TALENTS
Miss Roberts play this season is
worthy of her talents, and, as hinted,
It carries strongly to the heart of the
beholder, although it is covered pro-
test against the customs of a foreign
land-assuming that the hands across
the seas are foreign. 1t presents a
vital struggle in the soul Of a man
and a woman to preserve the conven-
tions, violence to which usually mean
the destruction of the home and the
dissolution of the family. II is a moral
lesson, though it's manner of statement
IS sometimes broad and frank. 1t is
moral because frank. The occasional
disposition on the part of the author
to preach is forgiven freely because HIS
sermon is eloquent and Games, appar-
emily, with the sincerity which wrongs
and the hate of wrongs impart.
Arthur Forrest as the neglectful hus-
band Thurlow Bergen as the devoted
and skillful surgeon, Ann Warrington
as the cynical, yet loving. duchess. Mary
Bertrand as the countess of Darlington,
Hallet Bosworth as the funny Swiss doc
tor are all good, and If you viii consult
the cast of characters you will find that
the names mentioned are all there are
OF the company except the butler who
has little 10 do.