The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-25
BERNARD SHAW'S
= play, The Philanderer." is
typical of Mr.. Shaw's recent
writings II sparkles with his

eccentric wit and peculiar philosophy.
II In the present seasons attraction at
the Little Theatre. where the second act
seems to be the favorite Of the four
which comprise the play. The dialogue
in part follows
The scene of the second act is the
library Of the 1bsen Club. A spacious
room. with glass doors right and left.
At the back, in the middle. ia the fire.
place, surmounted by a handsome man
telpiece, with a bust Of Ibsen. and decor
ated inscriptions Of the titles Of his
plays. There are circular recesses at
each side Of fireplace, with divan seats
running round them, and windows at
the top, the space between the divan
and the window stills being lined with
books. A long settee Is placed before
the fre. Along the back Of the settee,
and touching 1t, is a green table Uttered
with journals. A revolving bookcase
stands In the foreground, a little to the
left, with an easy chair close to 1t. On
the right, between the door and the re-
cess. is "a light stepladder. Placards in
scribed silence" are conspicuously ex-
hibited here and there.
tCuthbertson Ii seated in the easy
chair at the revolving bookstand. read
ing the Daily Graphic. DR.. Paramore
Is on the divan in the right hand recess.
reading the British Medical Journal. He
Is young as age Is counted in the pro-
fessions-barely 40. His hair is wear
ing bald on his forehead; and his dark
arched eyebrows. coming rather close
together. give him a conscientiously sim
lister appearance. He wears the frock
coat and cultivates the bedside man
ner" Of the fashionable physician with
scrupulous conventionality. Not at all
happy or frank man. but not con-
sciously unhappy nor intentionally in
sincere. and highly self-satisfied intel
lectually. Sylvia Craven is sitting In the
middle OF the settee before the fire. only
the back of her head being visible. She
Is reading volume Of lbsen. She is a
girl of Is. small and trim. wearing
smart tailor made dress. rather short
and a Newmarket jacket, showing n
white blouse with a light silk sash and
q mans collar and watch chain so ar
ranged as to look as like mans waist
coat and shirtfront as possible without
spelling the prettiness of the effect. a
page boys voice. monotonously calling
for DR.. Paramore. is heard approaching
outside on the right)
Page (outside)-Dr. Paramore! DIR.
Paramore. DR. ParamOre. the enters
carrying a salver with a card on iD, DIR.
Par
Iaramore ,sharply, sitting up)-Here,
boy. (The boy presents the salver.
Paramore takes the card and looks at
it) All right: I'll come down to him.
(The boy goes. Paramore rises. and
comes from the recess. throwing his
paper on the table, Good morning. Mr..
Cuthbertson (stopping to pull out his
cuffs and shakes his coat straight), Mrs.
Tranfield quite well. hope?
Sylvia Cunning her head Indignantly
--Sh-sh-sh! Paramore turns, sur
prised. Cuthbertson rises energetically
and looks across the boOkstand to see
who is the author Of this impertinence)
Paramore Uo Sylvia-stiffiy)-I beg
your pardon, Miss Craven: I did not
mean to disturb you.
sylvia clustered and self-assertive)-
You may talk as much as you like II
you will only have the common consid-
Grafton to first ask whether the other
people object What ! protest against
is your assumption that my presence
doesn't matter because I'm only fe-
male member. That's all. Now go on.
pray, you OOH I HE III tic iSdSt
(She turns to the fire and again buries
herself in Ibsen.)
Cuthbertson with emphatic dignity
No gentleman would have dreamt Of
directing to our exchanging few
words madam. (She takes no notice.
He resumes angrily) AS a matter of
fact was about to say to DIR. Paramore
that II he would care to bring his visitor
up here, l should not object. The i'm
pudence. Dashes his paper down on
the chair.)
Paramore-Oh. many thanks: but it's
only an instrument maker.
Cuthbertson-Any new medical dis
coveries. doctor?
Paramore--Well, since you ask me,
yes-perhaps a most important one.
have discovered something that has
hitherto been Overlooked-a minute
duct in the liver of the guinea pig.
Miss Craven will forgive my mentioning
II when say that it may throw an i'm
portant light on her fathers case. The
first thing, Of course, Is to find out what
the duct is there for.
Cuthbertson (reverently, feeling that
he is in the presence of science)-In-
deed. How will you do that?
Paramore-Oh, easily enough, by SIM
ply cutting the duct and seeing what
will happen To the guinea pig. Sylvia
rises, horrifed.) I shall require knife
specially made to get at 1t. The man
who is waiting for me downstairs has
brought me few handles to try be-
fore fitting it and sending it to the
laboratory. I am afraid it would not do
to bring such weapons up here.
Sylvia--If you attempt such thing,
DIR. Paramore. will complain to the
committee. The majority OF the COM
mittee are NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. You
ought to be ashamed Of yourself (She
fOunces out at the right hand door)
Paramore with patient contempO-
That's the sort OF thing We scientific
men have to put up with nowadays.
Mr.. Cuthbertson. Ignorance, supersti-
ton. sentimentality: they are all one.
\ guinea pigs convenience il set above
re health and lives of the entire hui
n race.
,uthbertson (vehemently)-Its not
1rance or superstition, Paramore,
sheer downright lbsenism: that's
It IL. I've been wanting to sit
.fortably at the fire the whole morn