The Washington herald., 1915-02-02
NATIONAL.
'nThe Miracle Man."

THE Miracle Man." George N. Cohan's
comedy drama, founded on Frank l.
Packard's novel of the same title, fasci-
mated a large audience at the New Ma
tional Theater. last night. Not as spiri-
tual as The Servant in the House."
approaching in its tendency more nearly
! THE Passing OF the Third Floor Back
it is fully as impressive in its development
as either OF these. 1t is a play TO de-
light every Christian Scientist, for faith
and love. The first act and a part OF
the second are given over to comedy,
but the remainder of the action Is in
tensely dramatic, so much so that it
holds the audience in breathless atten-
ton.
, The Patriach is the central figure For
| a number of years he has lived in a lit
| tie New England village working cures
by impressing on those who seek his
aid that faith in Divine goodness is all
man needs to overcome evil. whether
physical or mental John Madison, alias
Doc Garfield, is the leader Of quartet
| OF crooks whose other members are
| Helena. his queen" Harry Evans, alias
| Pale Faced Harry, and Michael Coogan.
alias The Flopper. Madison has heard Of
|
that the old man is seeking his grand
niece, who disappeared some time since.
| He concocts a scheme by which Helena
| is brought from New York and made to
| represent the lost grandniece and Evans
and COogan two seekers after health.
| the idea being that the supposed cure
Of these two are to be widely advertised
and the money made of other patients,
| who are expected from near and far, is
to go into the pockets OF the gang.
| Coogan. Evans and Helena succomb
| to the spell of kindness and simple faith
| which is cast over them by association
with the Patriarch, and his power to
heal Is strikingly manifested by his in
Simultaneous cure of a lame boy. the son
of Tom Holmes who all along has bit
| terly reviled him. Helena tells Madison
that she will no longer be his confed-
crate in deceiving the Patriarch. and that
she Is determined TO lead an honest life.
! At the last moment the Patriarch tells
| them that he has known from the very
first the purpose OF Madison and his as
sociates and has allowed them to play
their game so as to bring them under
his Influence and to turn them away
from their evil ways by the power OF
faith.
| The Patriarch finds a worthy repre-
| sentative in William H. Thompson. who
invests the part with becoming dignity.
| A more thrilling scene than that in which
| he leads forth the crippled boy and
tells him to walk and the cry of glad
! ness uttered by the boy when he finds
| that the use OF his limbs has been re-
stored to him is rarely presented on the
| stage. Gail Kane as Helena portrayS
very convincingly the transition from
evil inclinations to good purposes. George
| Nash in the part OF Madison is a very
| able crook until he surrenders to better
impulses, and the comedy roles OF Coo
gan, Evans, Higgins, proprietor OF the
hotel. and Martha, his wife, are ad-
mirably filled by James c. Marlowe,
Earle Brown. Frank Bacon, and Adj,
| Gilman. Percy Heltou gives an excel
| lent portrayal of Eddie Holmes. the lame
boy. and the some commendation Is due
to Clifford Dempsey as Tom Holmes, Nan
! Francis as Mary. his daughter; Mary
Murphy as Betty Higgins, and Fred
| erick Maynard as David, the PatrIarch's 5
servant.