Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-12-02
SHOULD SHE HAVE
MARRIED THE MAN?
Ten Dollars and Other Prizes
For Those Who Write Best
Letters in Answer

The play "Outcast," the Charles
Frohman-klaw & Erlanger New York
l.yceum Theater success, which VIII
be presented at the Orpheum theater
next Monday is based on a social topic
whose discussion has engaged the
serious attention of the world in all
ages. The author is Hubert Henry
Davies, who is regarded as one of the
most eminent dramatists in the Eng
lish language He has written other
brilliant plays. comedies of delight
full incident and scintillating dialogue.
among which may be noted Cousin
Kate" and The Mollusc." but out
cast is in a more serious vein. 1t
contains a vital theme of throbbins
human interest. The heroine is said
TO bear a resemblance in some of her
aspects to Camille-that of the unfor-
tunate transformed by love and then
confronted with the prospect of losing
all that love has meant to her. Its
plot deals with "a man" and "a wom-
an" who pass through the depths of
regeneration, and the story is handled
with such delicacy that it is difficult
to conceive its giving offense to any
one, however sensitive. 1t is a play
with fine purpose as well as stout
punch, and its moral soundness is as
firm as the phase of life of which 1t
treats. 1t is said to appeal with
but it is no less interesting to men.
for it shows with severest logic and
most intense force the responsibilities
of man once he has become inti-
mately associated with woman,
whatever her station in life.
The Story
The story in brief deals in the main
with Miriam, girl of the streets. and
Godfrey Sherwood, a young business
man, who is sinking to the depths
through disappointment in love, his
sweetheart Valentine having thrown
him over for a rich baronet. He has
taken to stimulants, when Miriam, by
merest chance. comes into his life on
the very day of Valentines marriage.
Her quaint philosophy, acquired
through hardships. and her sympathy,
arouse him from his dependency, and
at his invitation they become pals and
he agrees to provide for her Her
loyalty and tender nursing bring him
back to his former vigor and he pros
pers in business. Miriam, in the mean.
time, becomes greatly improved in
mind and manners. She is hopelessly
honest with her, still bears the men,
ory of Valentine in his heart. The
latters marriage turns out unfortunate
ly and she comes back to Godfrey
and agrees TO elope with him. AS
they are preparing for fight Miriam
comes upon the scene to return a
check which Godfrey had provided
for her allowance. She declines the
money. Valentine is so impressed
with Miriam's grief that she thinks of
the hopelessness of her husband and
resolves to return to him. Geoffrey
who has received a generous offer to
go into business at Buenos Aires. in
vites Miriam to go with him as his
wife, but she declines with this i'm
pressive and touching speech:
Whether marriage is something relig-
ious or only human, it is a solemn
business. It's for the protection of
good women. It's their reward" He
persists and declares he will vet marry
her. AS already stated. the social
topic of the play created widespread
discussion among socialists and
feminists in London, New York, Chi
cago and all the other cities where
the play has been presented. Some
insist that the unalterable logic of life
would have made Miriam's position
hopeless. Others persist with equal
vigor that the finest spirit of religious
teaching would have given her Il
chance for absolute redemption. We
have made far advances in our judg-
ment and condemnation of human be-
ings, and absolute forgiveness for
human weakness and sins is now con-
sidered not beyond hope. It is worth
pointing out heer that in Chicago a
number of the young society women
have banded together for the reforma-
ton of unfortunate girls. They not
only provide them with homes, but
also give entertainments and dances
where these girls mix with the very
best society women OF the city. care
being taken that there is nothing to
distinguish one set of women from the
other.
The presentation of the play every