Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-13

by william c. de Mile; staged and pro-
duced under the direction Of David Be
lasco. The cast;
General warren.........M Frank keenan,
Ruth Warren. his wife. Miss Violet Rand
Their Children.D
Agatha."."..."...Miss Christine Norman
CTheir Younger ChildrenD
Bob Master Richard storey
Miss Molly Hatton. Mrs. Marren's sis
ter Miss Blanche 1urka
General Griffin....".....Mr. VIM. McNay
General Carr...........Mr Mr.. Justin q. Hull
COf General Grants Staffl
Lieutenant Burton. Mr.. Charles d. Waldron
......-.......M MIR. Raymond L. Bond
Corporal DePeyster. Mr.. Gilmore scott
Billy Peavy..-.-..Mr. Willard Robertson
Tom Dabney. .........-.....Mr Harry sutton
Sapho........-......Mrs. Charles G.. Craig
Romance and history lie so closely en-
twined about Old Virginia that it seems inn
possible to tell where one begins and the
other ends. From jamestown to Appomatox
Court house, the days of The Old Dominion
are days of stirring action. and the nights
are disturbed by dreams In which conquests
of arms and conquests Of hearts commingle
as the sweet waters OF two streams uniting
to form a river. and on its broad course the
sons and daughters OF Virginia go on and
bh LNIENEAF IiE BILLS NHN NAA.6A
and the hopes that are. To call the roll
of Virginia's heroes is to recite the roster
of the families Of the state. And from that
day way back yonder in the morning OF
the seventeenth century, when the first
English colony was planted on American
soil, down till now, the women of Virginia
have stood side by side with the men.
And Virginia was sorely stricken during the
war OF the rebellion. Nowhere else was the
struggle so fierce, so titanic; nowhere eisc
did the flood Of war roll so deep or dash so
high as over Virginia, And nowhere, prob
ably, do memories Of that struggle, both
sweet and bitter, abide as they do in Vir-
ginia.
What a field for the novelist and drama
list is here afforded may be judged by the
| fact that the war stories and the war plays
are nearly all pictured with Virginia as
a background. Her own son, Thomas Nell
son Page, has With rare tenderness pictured
some OF the phases of the sentiments of
| her people In 'Marse Chan" "Meh Leddy."
''The Coloners Christmas" 1.-THE Burial OF
the Guns" and other short stories, and in
RED Rock has told better than any other
writer of the conditions that surrounded the
work of reconstruction. Hopkinson Smith,
in his delicious Colonel Carter of Carters-
Vile" has afforded a lighter. but nonethe-
less intimate and tender glimpses of Vir-
ginla and Virginians; and Bronson Howard
and Gillette, and now the younger de Mile
have taken Virginia as the scene for
dramas of deep interest. 1t may be the ef-
fort Is a little strained. that the action is
melodramatic. and some of the sentiments
a trifle trite, but the fact remains that love
story never grows tiresome. and especially
when it involves the innermost springs of
brave men and women who are worthy OF
the name.
And such a drama Is de Miles THE
Warrens of Virginia 1t is very simple.
The day before Lee surrendered to Grant
General Buck" Warren of the confeder-
ate army is ordered to take a few days
rest from his duties and retire to his home
until recovered from his illness. His home
at that moment is in the hands of the
union forces, commanded just then by
General Jim Griffin, who is warren's
old-time cOmrade and at present dearest
foe. These men may represent Sheridan and
Early. or any other of the numerous pairs
of brilliant officers whose wits were pitted
against each others in the great game OF
war. Griffin has tried in vain to trap War
rem. and has failed. But now he generously
gives his enemy a pass so he may be taken
to his home to be nursed. In the meantime
tut problem Is 10 ONeFndul ana capture a
supply train that is proceeding from Lynch
burg to succor Lees army. General Crit
fin discovers that Lieutenant Burton Of
his army is In love with General warren's
daughter and wants permission to call on
her. He orders the young man TO carry
false orders, that he may be captured, and
General Warren deceived.
The ruse succeeds, but not until after
Miss Warren has confessed her love for the
lieutenant. General Warren changes Lees
plans and falls into the trap set for him,
the supply train is captured and the Last
hone of the confederacy is dashed. But the
young lover stands convicted OF the basest
Of deceit; II matters not that he Ia a
soldier under orders, he Is denounced by
the woman he loves and discarded by the
family that was 50 glad to welcome him.
regardless OF difference IN politics. He re-
fuses to escape. tears up the pass given
him by the girl he loves and stays to be
shot. But the surrender ends the shooting
and ne goes his way. Five years later. In
the rose garden OF the old Warren home.
now the scene OF penury instead OF plenty,
its owner engaged in agricultural pur-
SUITS the young folks meet again. He
pleads, but she tells him her duty is with
her people, ana they say goodbye. But the
implacable old general calls him back. He
has watched the lovers meet ana part. and
his own resentment gives way IN favor or
his daughter. Young man" he says. II
don't like a hair on your head; but my
little girl -. Come back again; come
often" This " Buck" Warren's sur
render. and the curtain goes down.
Around this story build a setting Of
Belasco stagecraft; give IL the settings
and the atmosphere, and the lights and
the music. the Cant set 'em up" Of the
r~eveille. as the sun is breaking through
the woods, where two ragged soldiers. one
G "Yank.'' the other a Johnny" creep
| down to a rivulet TO drink and fill their
eeLteens. and stand for a moment looking
at each other over leveled muskets; later
the peaceful home Of a cultured Virginia