The Washington herald., 1910-11-29
THE COLUMBIA.

play ON Eultn EllS, bAscu on inc hoNNt
Of tho same name by the Rev. t. r.
Roe. a novel which had a large vogue
some years ago, was presented at the
Columbia Theater last night before an
audience of large size 10 which the home
ly. wholesome. simple love story seemed
20 appeal with considerable force. Miss
Ellis, known best for her beautiful little
comedy Mary James Pa has, IN the
making Of this play, been handicapped
by that problem that eonfronts all the
makers OF dramatized nOvels-the prob
lem Of trying 10 condense into the action
of three acts on the stage the events,
the characters. the environment, the mo-
t!ves that the novelist was able to spread
out through many pages.
Ii Is for that reason that Miss Ellis
new play Is not so spontaneous. so light
some, so natural as her previous work.
He Fell in Love with HIS Wife" is
play that creaks at the joints II takes
long while 10 get started. and because
II Is not so much drama as it is mar
ration Of eyents-talk taking the place OF
scti0n-it is far too conversational TO
measure up 10 modern standards There
Is. in short. a strange sense Of the old
fashioned about the play-it is as old
fashioned in its way as the family Bible
that used 90 rest on the center table IN
the paTlor. inscribed with the family
births and deaths and marriages. Il was
a great book, and II has stood for much
IN the lives OF a great many OF US, but
the spirit Of modernity has been at work,
and now We have the new version" and
although the words are about the same
the old texts don't look as they used 10.
somehow.
In its main thread of story Miss FL
lis has followed quite faithfully Mr.. Roe's
novel All the scenes are about the
farmstead OF James Holcroft, the wild
over. a manly enough man. but one who,
Ike so many farmers OF the Olden days,
has fallen into rut since the death of
his wife left him quite alone. To such
n man it was a necessity that there
should be a woman about the house
for manly as he is, he is one OF those
simple natures that need feminine minis
tratiOns and 10 whom a wife means a
good deal of a second mother James
has tried all sorts OF expedlents and all
have failed His household has gone 10
rack and ruin: discomfort at home has
made for carelessness on the farm. so
that IL does not pay any more. The
cook ne has is a drunkard, the woman
he has brought IN and hired as a house
keeper is an eccentric widow with a
taste for poetry and a chronic Iaziness.
All this you learn In the first half OF
the first act, and its telling. though it
Is necessary TO the thread of the story,
makes the plays beginning slow and a
bit tedious When. IN desperation. Jim
Holcroft has rid his house OF the in
l. fnI- nF
giving il all up. there drives by his
friend, Tom Watterly. master Of the
county pOorhouse, who IS taking there
Evangeline Hawkins, who is homeless
and i'll. Watterly tells Holcroft the girls
story How she has been deceived by a
man named Ferguson who was about 10
marry her when Fergusons wife turned
Up. Evangeline will not prosecute him,
but let's him so away with his wife, and
she is left homeless and alone Her
story moves HolcrOft; ne has her brought
into the house. is taken with her, and
then and there OpOses-simply as
business measure a measure for the
comfort and happiness of them both-to
marry her. The strange compact is
made: the twain are married-they be-
come partners.
The second act shows the farm two
has transformed the place and trans
formed Holcroft. Beauty has taken the
place Of ugliness; happiness Of misery;
work has become a pleasure, not curse;
she has made q real home for herself
and her husband. The neighbors still
lock askance at the strange marriage.
and hold alOOf from the girl who was
married on the way TO the pOOrhOuse,
but TO James Holcroft she has made her
self indispensable.
Then the other man, Ferguson, comes
back. His first vile is dead; he wants
Evangeline TO go with him To him she
Confesses that she has come to love her
husband, and when Holcroft comes in
and catches Ferguson In his house It is
with a brave determination and a simple
faith that will not allow him 10 think
evil of her even for a second. And so,
as the rogue is driven away, never 10
trouble them more James HOlcToft, rea-
lizing now that he and his wife have
grown Ia be much more than partners,
takes his wife in his arms-nOt TO be
only a helpmeet now, but 10 love and
cherish foFevermOre.
The play is very simple; very whole
some. and sweet and clean as a breath
Of morning air. It is. so far as
construction goes, a melodrama, using
the word IN its good original sense; a
drama in which part, at least, Of the
words are set 10 music. The play as a
whole has for an obHgatO the fitting and
harmonious refrain Of Just a song at
twilight, when the lights are low'-and
that is the keynote to the motif OF the
play, which is-love II is a play that
cannot fail 20 win your sympathies. for
its sentiments though simple, are lofty.
It's tone Is high, and IL is fine example
Of the happiness of cOntentment and hu-
milityi OF how true and honest love can
make even the simplest life noble and
blessed
The greatest strength OF Miss Ellis
work lies in her characterization, which
was, Of course, the strongest point In
MARY James Pa" James Holcroft IS
a finely drawn figure. suggesting much of
what was so fine in the character OF
John Halifax. Gentleman. Tom Wat
terly. the pOormaster, overruled by
shrewish wife is a character true to life;
so is Justice Hawkins, a not exagger-
ated but perfectly natural country JUS
tice Of the peace. There is the book
agent. Milo Peasley. and the hired man,
Jonathan Johnson, with his perpetual
fear OF accidents that constantly prevent
him from getting the cows MIXED in
time Jane, the little girl, the brave little
daughter Of Mrs. Virgins, is another
well-dehned character. But best drawn
of all Is Mrs. Virgins. an American rep
liea of dear old Mrs. Gummidge OF 'Da-
V1d COpperfeld" memory. with, too, a
touch Of Mrs Nickleby," and just
suspicion of Mrs Malaprop. a most
Rmusingly drawn character
A competent cast presents this play.
Each members does his work conscien-
nANnnnEr Hnn Irnuinn