The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-09-30
BLANCHE WALSH
in 1.-THE test"
Offering At Auditorium Saturday
Night Wonderful Piece of
Stage Literature

The Test" by Jules Eckert Good
man, is easily the best play Blanche
Walsh has ever presented, and this
will seem a broad statement to those
who saw her in Resurrection THE
Woman in the Case" and THE Kreutz-
err Sonata"
Her new offering is wonderful
piece of stage literature, touched here
and there with genius, sparkling at
times with epigrams, always interest
ing, never mediocre. You may or may
not like the theme, for morality is an
unpopular subject; yet when served by
Mr.. Goodman in 1.-THE Test" the rough
edges, somehow, seem to be missing.
1t is certainly the most wholesome
play we have had dealing with SIM
liar subject. 1t can harm no one, but
it does considerable power for good
| The much mooted question rs
mans sin to be forgiven, while a wo-
mans sin is beyond the pale?" forms
the basis of the drama. which is play
ed in a distinctly modern setting, with
the scenes laid in New York.
Emma Eltynge has sinned to save
the man she loves. Frederick McVane,
having told her if she will yield to him
he will save Dick Tretman from pris-
h IL
McVane proves false and Tretman
goes to prison for ten years. At the
time the play opens Emma has fallen
in love with a novelist Arthur Thone,
who has rented apartments on the
East Side that he may study that
phase of life, which he hopes to in
corporate in a new novel he is writ
ing. She tells Thone her past, and
he, with broad views of life, asks her
to marry him.
At the same time Thone's sister
Peggy has fallen in love with McVano
and is trying to secure the novelist's
consent to the marriage. At crucial
moment Tretman, ignorant of the sac.
rifice Emma has made ten years be
| fore. turns up, having served out his
| sentence. He believes Emma has been
false to him, but in one of the most
dramatic scenes in the play she tell;
him the truth
In the meantime, Peggy, at Thone's
behest, has invited Emma to call upor
her at the Thone home on Madison
avenue, having secretly determined tt
ask Emma to give up her brother TO
the sake of his family and his work
Emma calls and here meets McVane
He tries to induce her to quit tn
house and leave the Thones alone, an
promises on one condition-tha
he give Peggy up. This McVane II
fuses to do. The entrance of Arthu
brings matters to a climax and En-
ma is forced for her own protection, an
| show McVane in his true color
to tell the unfortunate pages of hi
past life. 1t is strong and dramat
climax.
| In the last act Thone comes to Er
mas apartments, where Tretman hs
gone before him, bringing with hi
McVane, but is subdued by Emn
when she again recites the unfort
with officials relative to plans for d
to save him. Mcvane is allowed
go. Tretman resolves to become
Il worthy citizen and Thone gets Il
woman he loves. There is a hapl
ending to the play.
In portraying the role of Emma I
tynge, Miss Walsh easily sustains h
reputation as Americas foremost en-
tional actress. The part is one viii
requires not only the touch Of gre
Il artist, but no little reserve power, al
details of its operation, but repor
in manner which wins for her Il
most hearty commentator from
audience. The dramatic climaxes a
handled by her as they could be on
-lby a woman who is the complete m