The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-20

novel, if a bit daring at times. Without trying to point moral "The Call of the
 Heart has a message-perhaps q lesson
 for every father, mother daughter
 brother and sweetheart. It shows how
 the vauting ambitions of parents often
 utterly ruin the lives of scores of people
 aside from the contracting parties to an
 unhoy marriage for money-and again.
 it clearly indicates that the rule of love Is wsest-and that perhaps love would
 mate more couples if the young people
 were left to their own selection of a life partner.
 Twenty-Five years before the opening
 of the play an unholy bargain has been
 consummated between the daughter of (
 wealthy American miner, and a dissolute
 English lord, of very ancient lineage
 The first act paints a grim picture Of
 the result. Lord and Lady Everlow have
 three sons, only one of whom they care
 to introduce to society. Alfred, their
 first son. heir to the title and estate, is
 the prototype of his father. He spends
 his time drinking and gambling and sell
 dom honors his family with visit, ex-
 cept when he steals in at dead of night to plunder his mothers jewel case in or
 der to pay for his debaucheries
 Their second son, Eitel, is an even less familiar figure in the household of his
 parents, than his brother, Alfred. On nm the SlnS or the lalUtl nave utSttHutu with even more venom. lie Is deformed
 and trembling on the verge of insanity. He has discovered that morphine soothes his brain of it's weird fancies. Ashamed of his body, he hides himself during the day and leaves his room only at night,
 taking advantage of the moonlight to
 hunt for the drug, which he has hidden
 in every possible place of concealment. But their youngest son, Arthur, puzzles tho family nhNSipian hV his uQlikenpsS to the rest of his race
 l He is clean and wholesome of body and brilliant of intellect and possessed of un- ! accountable socialistic sympathies. There come as guests to Everlow house Mrs. Quackenbusch and Vivian Ford the wife and niece of an American million
 aire, the former a schemlng social climb
 CT. the latter beautiful girl whose youth and innocence make so strong an appeal | to Lady Everlow that she determines to save her, if possible, from a fate similar l to Ter own. One follows with absorbing l interest, the story of the fight which the | older woman makes to preserve the hap l pness of the younger, and of the start ] ling facts which she is finally forced to
 reveal in regard to her three sons. before ] the young girls vision is finally made clear enough for her to assert her right | to be happy to renounce the wealth of | her aunt and the title of the oldest son, | and to marry the youngest. whom she
 loves. The play advances the theory that | the so-oalled unfit" of society occur not l only among the poor and lonely but are 1 often to be found in high places.
 | A company of distinctive ability, each
 member carefully selected to fit the re- 1 quirements of his or her role. has been | assembled to surround MT. John Nchoi- 1 son. who is being featured in the charac 1 ter of Lord Everlow.
 | MT. Nicholson has had a wide experience as a dramatic actor in sterling produc- | tions. put out by the foremost managers, and as Lord Everlow he has a part which fits him to perfection, Ably cooperating with MT. Nicholson, for the success of the play. is Miss Ann Hamilton, whose convincing methods as Lady Everlow win her sympathy from all. Other mem bers of the cast include Corwin Lusk- moor, W. J. Mcconnell. Clarence Bellair,
 c. B. Waters, W. C. Turnre Milly Stew ems, Virginia Hadley.