The sun., 1916-11-28
GETS A WARM GREETING
How She Saved Son From q
Siren Told in Successful
Production.
THE Harp Of LIFE 81 the Ckbe
Theatre.

Iaurette Taylor. who has not been
seen in New York since h acted with
such success the charming heroine Of
peg o. My Heart" came back o her
enthusiastically cordial friends at the
Globe Theatre last night. She acted
again In a play by J. Hartley Manners.
scr husband. who wrote her successful
comedy.
But II was a very different kind Of
a play. Miss Taylor. who had won her
single triumph as a low Coincidence.
chose to reappear as n mother-a young
mother, moreover. Of a 1~o-year-old son.
The scenes OF the new play pass in the
country home OF an English family
and In the apartment Of the woman
with whom the son has fallen in love.
The boy even leaves his betrothed
because Of his love for this m In
the nrst act he Ia in the heart Of the
happy family OF three. Son. father and
mother are companions. They are as
congenial as II they were OF the same
ase. It Is tacitly understood that he 10
to marry the pretty daughter of a neigh.
nor. But he tells the girl at tho be-
ginning OF the play that II In quite out
" the question for him 70 marry her.
because he Is In love with somebody
else. Then he goes up to London. and
IN spite Of their certainty that he will
return. the young man telephones down
10 his parents that he will probably stop
Ia London for the night.
Family Tr0sbles Begia.
not returned. Father and mother feel
the distress usual, under such conditions
when they occur for the frst time. When
the boy does return It IL to say that
he was detained with a party Of men.
Eventually he Celebrates his explanation
until II includes the confession Of his
engagement to a fascinating divorce.
Now the family unhapp!ness seems "a
have reached its lowest depth. More
Is 10 come. however. for a worldly
friend informs the parents that the
youth IS engaged to marry a leader OF
the fastest set In London. and IL at the
time living with her In London. That
is a call to the metropolis and thither
the family travels In order to sec the
woman In the case and prevent any
further damage to the prospects and
morals Of the son.
II Is the diplomatic amer in which
the mother places the position OF the
hoy before her that leads the adven-
turess to agree to tell him tho real life
she has led-something she had moi
Intended to confide to him. The boy
in disgust leaves her. His mother has
t%r.umphed by her adroit and human
manner OF handling the dificult situa.
ton. SO the curtain falls with the
promise OF a complete restoration oi
peace in the happy country family. One
even feels moderately sure that there
IS n chance for the once abandoned
country nancee.
Too Much Sex Hygiene.
or course the theme which Mr.. Man.
ners used for his play Is not necessarily
undramatic. The rescue Of q son from
The hands OF an adventures has served
many playwrights. who have been abls
TO fashion absorbing material from THU
posture OF circumstances. But Mr.. Man.
ners did not want to he a playwright In
The Harp of Happiness" He set ou'
10 he a teacher. So the audience had e
ear Miss Taylor talk rather stale ant
dnateurish sex hygiene during q
.engthy monologue at the beginning Of
The first act. But eve that was not thu
end. Again the subject had to be in
troduced after everybody was weary
OF Il.
Miss Taylors Irresistible charm. thu
sensitive esponse of her expressive fea'
lures 10 every line that the text con
iained. the powerful influence OF her de-
liEhtful and original personality-thes,
combined TO lull the audience into q GER
ain indifference to the talky lengths o.
me play. to the Juvenile ethics and tn,
rest OF the dreary platltudes which were
uttered when the public in front OF tn,
stage was yearning for something ir
which TO centre Its interest.
There was nothing but the fascina'
uon OF Miss Taylor's art and personality
and an occasional bright-in the presenI
stage understanding Of that term
speech from m OF the characters. TIL,
second act was even less interesting
Probably its hollowness might be under
stood from the complete failure Of al
me ethical teachings about which Mis-
LayioT had been prating in the first act
The sons conduct Is a splendid argu
ment against Just the doctrine she wa
advancing, The liberal mothers teach
lngs had done no good. The young maj
who had been b splendidly prepared a
nome fell in with an adventures at tn
age OF 10 in spite OF all he had beef
taught at his mothers knee.
Author Enjoys II.
Mr. Manners. who had made his on
notable success In a wholly theatrico
play, Peg o. My Heart was enjoyinI
himself last night. even IL the public hs'
10 pay for It. So the argument kept III
even until The lair OF the siren wa
cached In the last act. For no concelv
hh'e reason she told the young ma
Whom she had sworn never to leave al
'Ne episodes IN hr previous career an
III the presence. moreover. OF his parent:
Hut by this time all sense OF proba
nNiy or logic had departed from tn
drama Miss Taylor after "A wonderfu
i"Iincatlon Of the effect OF the sufferin
or 4 mother, could not in the absurdit
o' tho final episodes Of the play hold tn
't"t'at OF the spectators. Even the spe
VI her art was now impotent.
~ Is, however. significant that how
ever remote from probability the scene
"f Il lighter character may have beef
no public. so eager to enjoy her skill
never faltered in It's interest. She Ia
''medienno and expertly as she may d.
iolo Other emotions II Is the smile nea
lie tear and not the tear alone by whic
500 appeals 10 her public. IL Is appaliin
'.a' such an actress Is to be wasted O
.." d'cary and futile efforts on which he
flis we're expended last night. She II
'hre genius which should be always D
~ a frame that shows her unique dual
les nj their BEST and does not delibel
"''ly set out 10 cloud them.
Pil.p Mcrivale played the rather prii
.'h father well, and In Lynn FontAn
an agDaliinplv uaWneA yOunI WOma