New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-29

BY HAYWOOD BROUN.

Satan is not much OF a farmer. Moth
ing is raised IN The Devils Garden
but the familiar birthstone. Tho new
play at the Harris Theatre mistakes
unpleasantness for power. confuses
mere detail with truth and bilks Meme
sis with an accident.
The play is a dramatization OF Will
lam B. MaXwells novel by Edith Ellis.
Whatever interest the performance last
night possessed was due TO the good
acting OF Lillian Albertson and Lyn
Harding. Not everything that Mr..
Harding did was good. Some Of his
work was bad. but he had moments Of
singular effectiveness. The play all
goes to prove that damned spots will
not out. Murder is not to be entered
into lightly. for like that form-it skirt
of Emma McChesney's. il clings.
At the beginning OF the play William
Dale, the postmaster Of Rodchurch, has
been called to headquarters and Is in
danger of dismissal on account Of row
in which he became involved. At the
moment when his dismissal seems GER
tain he is saved by the intercession OF
the Hon. Evarard Barradine, also OF
Rodchurch Barradine is an old man
Of great influence and his word is suf-
iicient TO set things right for Dale. The
postmaster is much pleased with the
turn Of events until he discovers in the
next scene that Barradine was called to
the rescue by Mrs Dale.
After some rather lengthy cross
questioning the postmaster learns thai
his wife was ravished by Barradine
when she was fifteen years old. The
prediction of the old man FOR Young
girls Is emphasized at great length.
A little is left unsad, but nothing Is
beyond the suggestion Of the scene
which is pretty sorry business.
Before the beginning Of the nest ac'
Barradine has been killed. The cor
ouer's jury decides that his death was
due 10 A fall from his horse. but the
audience is let into tie secret that In
reality he was murdered by Dale.
The murderer is punished in the
third act. which occurs ten years later.
A child adopted by Mr. and Mrs Da.e
early in their married life grows Up
10 be perverted young brat who lusts
for her foster parent OF course there
is a scene IN which the girl confesses
her passion and hangs around Dale's
neck until he bends and kisses her
Dale is an old gray chan himself now
and as he feels himself slipping tow
ard the temptation Of the girl h. real
ICES the spirit OF Barradine is taking
vengeance. he does escape from the
grasp Of the girl. but il is evident that
he cannot resist her long.
The audience is spared further hor-
rors along these lines by the last act,
i'm which Dale is killed Off the stage in
rescuiug number OF orphans from a
,aar.h,- "a svtttp II did not matter much
for he had announced his intention Of
committing suicide in a brief debate
with the spirit of Barradine. who in
sisted on reiterating every now and
again from a safe position back Of a
wall: Whose is the black soul now?'
Seemingly those few words comprised
the entire vocabulary of the ghost
We confess that everything else be
ing equal, we prefer pleasant plays. II
a man wants to say something unpleas-
ant on the stage he must say it ex-
ceedingly well. lie must have some
thing new. Let him inspire terror, hor-
ror. pity or what not, but we will never
admit the dramatic appeal Of those
plays whose one effect is 10 inspire a
marked sinking sensation in the pit Of
the stomach.
Lyn Harding, as Dale. plays in two
KEYS. In his repressed moments he is
exceedingly effective. As he raises his
voice his power diminishes. Alice
Augarde Butler did we'll with a char
acter part, as did Charles ". Butler.
Geraldine O'Brien must have acted
we'll as the young brat. for she was
most unpleasant The scenes. designed
by Robert f. Jones. are excellent.