The Washington times., 1913-01-21

loudly for simplicity of. plot, and ma
turalness of character should go to see
! The Governors Lady" in the National
| Theater this week. II Is play with
real men and women in 1t, not sawdust
people. It Is a play that makes every
woman In the audience draw upon her
reserve of handkerchiefs at times. and
which even makes the men feel little
| sort OF choky once in while
Because it is simple and human, and
beautifully told and played, II VIII De
success. / prophesy this because 1t
| Is a play that went straight to the
| heart of the audience last night. The
play of quaint originality was written
| by Alice Bradley, and staged by that
| master of stage wIzardry, David Be-
lasco, with the assistance OF William
/ Elliott. 1t asks, but does not answer,
a question which Is liable to rise In
eight out Of every ten households in a
country in which poor men become rich
suddenly, and become powers In the
political, financial and social world,
| rising rapidly while their wives are left
far behind them.
1t Is a play which does not satisfac-
toriIy answer this question-"Can plain,
, hard working woman be dragged away
| from a kitchen stove and turned into a
parior ornament"
Dan slade, was a Western miner who
made O million or more. and progressed
so rapidly that It was impossible for his
wife to keep pace with him. She Is
] appealingly good, decidedly dowdy' and
4 painfully plain and old-fashioned. Her
shoes are low heeled horrors, her skirts
are full and bunchy, and she does her
hair In that atrocity known as a French
knot. To see a woman like this OPP
posite him at the breakfast table every
morning of his life has got on the nerves
of Daniel Slade, and he tells her so,
asking her in the kindest manner pos
sfble to try to act and dress as other
women do.
He wishes to become a political and
social power, and feels that her atti-
tude is a stumbling block in his path
Of progress. She answers that silk
stockings tickle her knees" and that
the low necked gowns he has bought
for her are to cold to wear.
She knows she is dowdy and doesn't
care a rap. Her husband, she says. car
do as he pleases about accepting invi-
tations to operas and other glitterinz
social functions. She will stay at home
and darn socks, and mend his shirts
Her lack of interest when he begs hel
to take his money and go out and buy
the beautiful things that other womer
wear. her positive refusal to do so
makes every woman in the audience ex
claim as did the farmer when he sa"
the giraffe for the first tlme-'thert
amt no sich animlle.
But Mary Slade has been made by
the author Just such woman, a
woman who has stood still while her
husband has forged aheal; a woman
who welded a dustcloth and scrub
rag while her husband did the hon.
ors of the family: woman who
scorned the rouge pot. and consider
ed a dab of powder judiciously ad-
ministered TO a shiny nose as much
a sin, almost as infidellty.
As remarked before. 1 doubt IL there
els any sich animile" / doubt IL q
woman exists who wouldn't cut loose
and buy all the pretty things none!
could buy, it given carte blanche tc
do so. But Mary Slade was different
hence the play. And Mary Slade an
nounced that II her husband Lidn'
mind. she would just stay in the
pleasant room upstairs and keep or
mendIng his socks. and sewing or
, buttons. and leave him to his friend:
and politics and society.
So he plans to divorce her. There
"a a wonderful young woman, kath
crime Strickland, a Senator's dauSh
ter in Slade's home town, stunnint
and beautiful person just back from
a triumphal European tour. who an
nounces that just an ordinary youn;
/ man will not do for her. The maj
, she intends 10 bestow her hand upoi
must be big and great-a Napoleon
, 7, does not matter much whether sh
loves him or not. She really doesn
nxnect that. What she seeks is riches
nnwer RE chance to be a leader.
Sbo sppears upon the scene radiant
ly bsantiful, gowned, colffed, an
I eroomed 10 perfection, Just about tn
1jn,o tLat Slade discovers the rlI
2 ! v.itSir his own domestic lu.e ana u
ysry matter-of-fact manner. an
nuttinr aside true love affair tina
= had heen ripeninS since her Sirlhooo
she begins the business or angling 10
SIsde finally capturing him
BEFORE this Slade had merely sue
rested a separation TO his vile; now y
insists upon divorce, put MS wlie sue
|, danIy becomes as stubborn as null
I and refuses to permit the divorce. Br
a she hears of the other woman. and ths
: breaks her stubbornness. She realize
st last that he Is willing to sacrtnc